I never in 60 years of hunting used walking poles until scouting for sheep this year. they DO make a difference.1) Lose all your excess fat.. I am trying to get back to my University weight..It's incredible how much more mobile you can be even when you are an old fart.
2) Get as fit as you can.. heart, lungs, legs.. then keep it up as a life style and then get fitter still
3) Don't forget strength training especially as you get older... go to Physio and fix all your quirks
4) Get good boots that fit then break them in. USE WALKING POLES
5) Practice with your loaded backpack on hills.... make sure your gear fits you..that includes your back pack.
6) Get use to your gear on training runs..including over nights and back packing trips in the wilderness. Do not bring stuff you find you don't neeed and you need less than you think. DON"T PACK YOUR FEARS
7) Go light but not stupid light. If your light weight choice is not durable enough that could be a safety concern.
8) Split gear with your partner. 1 gun, 1 spotting scope, 1 stove, I tent (if you are close and neither snores)
8) Don't take extra clothes.... except 2 pair socks and one extra underwear.
9) NO Gadgets... except a range finder, phone skope and your Garmin Mini
10) Multi task your gear choices as much as possible... Phone = Camera, satellite communicator, GPS, Ballistics computer, note book and reading book.
11) BE KIND TO YOUR PARTNER.... even if it isn't your wife... a good partner is your best sheep hunting aid.
12) No more than 1.5-2 pounds of food per day with one extra day for bad weather.. get the calories up by bringing good fats (9 calories/gm) not by packing more weight
I never in 60 years of hunting used walking poles until scouting for sheep this year. they DO make a difference.
Good Advice, Thank You!I never in 60 years of hunting used walking poles until scouting for sheep this year. they DO make a difference.
Enjoy every second. Every shiver, every fall, every view, every step of a hard climb, every storm, every warm meal.... It will be over too soon, and you will spend the rest of your lift replaying it in your mind. The more you can remember (and take pictures of), the better.
I'm 59, and am planning on my first sheep hunt this year. I hope to soak up every minute of it. Thanks for the thoughts.Enjoy every second. Every shiver, every fall, every view, every step of a hard climb, every storm, every warm meal.... It will be over too soon, and you will spend the rest of your lift replaying it in your mind. The more you can remember (and take pictures of), the better.
Awesome, who are you going with?I'm 59, and am planning on my first sheep hunt this year. I hope to soak up every minute of it. Thanks for the thoughts.
Out of all these, 1 thru 7 are the best!1) when looking at a sheep to determine if it is legal, try to make it illegal because that’s what F&G will do when you go to get it sealed. If you can’t figure out how to make it illegal, then it’s a pretty sure bet that is a legal ram.
2) If you want your pictures to look good, tie a piece of mono fishing line around the sagging lower lip and bring some baby powder to dust over less than white spots on a Dall sheep.
3) You don’t need camo, but you should bring common sense. Things have gotten ridiculous in the gear market. A well executed stalk in a red plaid shirt is better than a haphazard one in the best equipment.
4) Eat good food and be active. Out of shape is usually a term we use to describe our choice of a comfortable and undisciplined lifestyle. In shape is the physical ability to recover from exertion quickly and repeatedly. A one day sheep hunt is rare, so plan on exerting yourself multiple days in a row and recovering while you sleep.
5) Whisky is a good substitute for when beer is to heavy to practically bring along.
6) Patience and time have killed more sheep than money, gadgets and fancy equipment.
7) School is always in session. The day you think you have it figured out is the day you will make preventable mistakes in the mountains.
We will be there the 2nd week in August,Firefinder25 what are your dates with Riley ? Myself and a partner will be there the first week of September