The Truth about OTC in CO

[Beendare]

From his standpoint, he is 100% correct in everything he says in the video, for his opinions are based on his experiences and my opinions are based on my experiences. Why should anyone try to reconcile the two?

As usual with all of these vids, I recommend watching them with a critical eye and a bit of common sense.....

OK Guilty here for cracking on the guy....but He starts by proclaiming to be an Expert giving advice to new elk hunters and then goes on to do some pretty bad ideas. There are better legit suggestions daily here on Rokslide.

An Ex Marine- RESPECT, I thank him for his service....but he has a long way to go to be a youTube Star.

A new guy needs to understand....elk need a lot of water. They water daily, and in warm early archery season its 2x. If there is no water within 2 miles of where you are hunting....then you are in the wrong spot. Sorry, Marine but its the truth.

His concept of conditioning...and mental toughness is right on....the better shape you are in, the more enjoyable the hunt.

I'm a poster boy for not having to be a Marathoner to enjoy elk hunting; I'm a big guy [6'4,240-ish] 62 years old and I somehow crank out between 50 and 80 miles in the elk mountains every elk hunt. If I tired to run a marathon in the summers my body wouldn't make it to elk season- knees, ankles, feet- [arrrg].....hey, we all work with what we have- grin



_____

 

[P Carter]

What a clown.

 

[spike camp]

I read all the comments on here, set out to watch the video knowing it’ll be tough to make it through.
Totally lost interest after 12 minutes.

 

[JNDEER]

Rough crowd- guess you old timers forgot what your first backpack hunt/trip was like. I can totally relate to what he said and just like Thurnberg we are all experts on any given topic given our life experiences up to that point in time.

 

[JPD350]

That was a painful video to watch!

An inexperienced boy that thinks he knows everything, pretty sure his helicopter mom helped him get ready for his elk hunt.

 

[Poser]

You could always take a different approach on these things, like.......which is the greatest challenge........being in the best possible shape and stronger than you were a year ago. Or, going in weak and out of shape and coming out heavy? Don't we do this for the challenge?

I’d say that you could look at something like thru hiking the Appalachian Trail as an example of this. I’m not taking anything away from the fact that hiking the AT is an achievement that requires fortitude, but on the scale of serious outdoor pursuits, it’s somewhat of a pedestrian goal and many people that show up to do it arent in shape for it and lack the long distance hiking background to pull it off. They think they will “tough it out.” A tiny handful of people may actually do that, but the failure rate on the AT is 80%.

Interestingly enough, since the success rate on elk is about 20% or less across the board, and we do know that a good chunk of new elk hunters show up each year relying upon the notion of “tough it out” rather than being reasonably prepared, I’d say that this idea is a failure for the vast majority. Granted, being in shape guarantees you nothing and some guys get lucky, but when we look at the median experience, we’ll continually come back to this idea that a small percentage of hunters are consistently successful (and the same would apply to thru hikers), and those that are successful certainly have to “tough it out” on their scale -it’s almost always a physical and mental challenge, and more often than not, likely an “extreme” challenge relative to that individual. If you haven’t experienced sufficient physical challenges (difficult, hard, uncomfortable, whatever) up to that point, Its easy to see that the odds are stacked incredibly against you.

I think that the very definition of “hard physical challenges” itself are very pedestrian across society, so we end up with this very pedestrian notion of what is difficult and a pedestrian set of outcome expectations as a result. In some ways, this guy demonstrates that by expressing over confidence in his physical prowess by using a fairly pedestrian yardstick to measure it with. On the other hand, he did show up tougher and more in shape than his comrades, so there’s something to be said there.

I just don’t think he’s in a position to be seeking validation, giving advice, claiming to be an authority etc and his mistakes are so overwhelming obvious (14L of water, 85# pack) that he’s roughly equivalent to the CPA desk Hickey who quits his job, shows up in GA with a 100L backpack to hike the AT. Again though, if we consider this guy to be in the “80%”, some of his assessments offer insight that would benefit the bottom half of that population vs. the more gear intensive advice you tend to get from the “top end”, “pro” influencers: “if you have the right gear, you can do this.” Where the reality is more like, The “right gear” gives the “right hunter” an edge.

 

[LostArra]

Rough crowd- guess you old timers forgot what your first backpack hunt/trip was like. I can totally relate to what he said and just like Thurnberg we are all experts on any given topic given our life experiences up to that point in time.

Old timer here. I do remember my first backpack hunt. But I didn't feel the need to make a video explaining my experience expecting others to learn from it. Years have passed and in spite of putting elk in the freezer I'm the polar opposite of an expert. 90% of success is just showing up (in shape).

I enjoy barbell strength training and it helps with everything especially as you reach the age of the Denny's discount. I hike and bike for my cardio. I ran marathons in my youth but running has greatly diminishing returns relative to risk of injury for some of us when you pass 40 or 50. Sure there are exceptions.

I think Rippetoe said that nursing homes are filled with people not because their aerobic capacity is low but they are too weak and frail to handle daily life. Lesson is to stay strong.

 

[elkyinzer]

I made it about 2 minutes!

Elk hunting gets so over romanticized by the youtube instagram generation (to which I belong). It's just hunting. "It is, what it is", to use one of my least/most favorite cliches. Profound shit.

I spent my entire childhood dreaming about elk hunting, and it nearly lived up to my expectations when I finally got to experience it. It is cool, the bugles and their sheer size and all that jazz. There is a reason it is very popular and we all want to do it but bitch about how many other people want to join us. Last one in shut the gate!

Those childhood experiences...growing up I never knew until I started formulating my plan to elk hunt as a young adult that I needed to get in marathon shape or drop a few grand in fancy gear. But that really did influence me as I started my initial strategizing. Man was that shit wrong. I think that is what dude is getting at here (in the part I watched). You don't need to get bogged down in that crap, just go hunt.

Then it just becomes regular old life choices.

Mountains are mountains. They don't magically become steeper in September. Lots of fat guys can handle mountains no problemo. Lots of fit people are too pussy to deal with nagging injuries and a blister here and there. Hunter athletes, that whole stereotype, remind me of the Karens that adorn their rav4 with 13.1 stickers. Look at me, I did something a shit ton of other people can do! Let me publicly display my participation trophy to boost my ego!

Gear is same as any other consumer spending. You get what you pay for to a certain point but there are steeply diminishing returns as you climb the price ladder. Then you graduate into luxury pricing in which you pay for reputation to keep up with the Joneses. Once again, it becomes not about performance but showing off...look what I bought, aren't you jealous?

 

[Will_m]

Hunter athletes are remind me of the Karens that adorn their rav4 with 13.1 stickers. Look at me, I did something a shit ton of other people can do! Let me publicly display my participation trophy to boost my ego!

Most accurate thing in this thread, even if it is a little harsh. lol @ "hunter athlete"

Right up there with "celebrity hunter" or even better "professional hunter" (not talking PH's in Africa).

 

[elkster]

I've hunted 53 for 20+ years. Plenty of water. In fairness, he said he wanted to pack in water and 85 lbs to see what it would be like to pack out an elk 1/4.
He was right about conditoning, both mental and physical. But that's old news. Its an epiphany for him because he is new to it all, so I understand.

The brush he refers to is oak brush. It has no "grain" and traveling through it is different than the thickest pine cutover. You must weave yourself through it, gear and all. Slow going.

 

[Poser]

I've hunted 53 for 20+ years. Plenty of water. In fairness, he said he wanted to pack in water and 85 lbs to see what it would be like to pack out an elk 1/4.
He was right about conditoning, both mental and physical. But that's old news. Its an epiphany for him because he is new to it all, so I understand.

The brush he refers to is oak brush. It has no "grain" and traveling through it is different than the thickest pine cutover. You must weave yourself through it, gear and all. Slow going.

I hate oak brush elevations. I prefer to hunt higher. My September bear tag disagrees.

 

[justinspicher]

Oak brush is the worst! It’s even a pain in the ass to light on fire!

 

[sneaky]

As usual with all of these vids, I recommend watching them with a critical eye and a bit of common sense.....

OK Guilty here for cracking on the guy....but He starts by proclaiming to be an Expert giving advice to new elk hunters and then goes on to do some pretty bad ideas. There are better legit suggestions daily here on Rokslide.

An Ex Marine- RESPECT, I thank him for his service....but he has a long way to go to be a youTube Star.

A new guy needs to understand....elk need a lot of water. They water daily, and in warm early archery season its 2x. If there is no water within 2 miles of where you are hunting....then you are in the wrong spot. Sorry, Marine but its the truth.

His concept of conditioning...and mental toughness is right on....the better shape you are in, the more enjoyable the hunt.

I'm a poster boy for not having to be a Marathoner to enjoy elk hunting; I'm a big guy [6'4,240-ish] 62 years old and I somehow crank out between 50 and 80 miles in the elk mountains every elk hunt. If I tired to run a marathon in the summers my body wouldn't make it to elk season- knees, ankles, feet- [arrrg].....hey, we all work with what we have- grin



_____

There is no such thing as an ex-Marine. Just clarifying.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[Dakota Double Tap]

Thanks for the video. I remember my first 2nd rifle OTC CO hunt over 12 years ago and I had to laugh at some of the similarities. My pack into our spike camp had to be 80+lbs easy. It was amazing how much I learned after that first season of what I really don’t need.

I do slightly disagree on the pack. An inexpensive pack is fine, just make sure you can comfortably haul meat out with it. My first I got lucky and I got my first bull 50 yards from a logging road during good weather. The elk was loaded up and hanging fro a tree at camp in game bags by noon. The guys I hunted with were so happy because this was the first time they weren’t packing meat off the mountain at 2 AM. That never happened again and I will forever use my Eberlestock F1 Mainframe pack on hunts. It’s not as expensive as KUIU, but my main point still stands that you should find a pack that is comfortable for you, especially loaded with meat, whether it is an expensive pack or a little more budget friendly.

 

[Gapmaster]

“You don’t notice the 3lbs extra weight”... ummm what??? Is this guy for real? And why in the hell would you camp 2 miles from water unless you had absolutely no choice?? I couldn’t even watch the whole video...Can’t argue with an idiot, they will beat you down with experience!!

 

[md126]

Don’t go “cheap” on 3 things
Bow
Boots
Backpack

The rest is personal preference. I agree you don’t need a carbon fiber toothbrush but the pounds add up quick.

As far as fitness, some exercises are better than others for the mountains but if you hate those exercises you probably won’t do them. Do what works for you.

 

[chasewild]

The "hunter as athlete" and "hunter as hero" complex continues -- but I'll just leave that one there. I won't even get into the 85 pound pack, water, the unit details etc. It was painful at 30 seconds.

As to running, marathons, ultras, etc., I think that distance training is invaluable. Long hunts are like long runs mentally. There is boredom and monotony and discomfort and yada yada and running just helps me deal with those days where the hunt doesn't seem that fuc*ing sexy any more.

 

[Will_m]

I think both strength training and distance are necessary. One or the other creates a deficiency.

You obviously need a baseline level of strength but not really a 400 pound squat, which is what I would call strong. Muscular endurance is key.

You obviously need the ability to stay on your feet, moving forward, for hours on end, but not really the ability to run continuously for 26.2 miles. Low and slow cardiovascular fitness is key.

Personally, I don't see how this guy isn't greatly stretching the truth. Hiking that far, with that much weight, would leave nothing in the tank for a substantive hunt, much less a successful one. Being two miles from water is absurd.

 

[fatlander]

The "hunter as athlete" and "hunter as hero" complex continues -- but I'll just leave that one there. I won't even get into the 85 pound pack, water, the unit details etc. It was painful at 30 seconds.

As to running, marathons, ultras, etc., I think that distance training is invaluable. Long hunts are like long runs mentally. There is boredom and monotony and discomfort and yada yada and running just helps me deal with those days where the hunt doesn't seem that fuc*ing sexy any more.

I tend to agree but I still think 10 days of really getting after it in rough country is harder than a marathon, mentally. The closer you get to a finish line in a race the better you feel. The closer you get to the end of an uneventful hunt it’s tough to keep pushing and keep spirits up.

If you’ve got the grit to finish distance races, you’ve got the grit to finish a hunt. I went backpacking with a couple buddies that are kicking the idea around of heading west in the next few years. We did an extremely tough east coast hike. Top 10 on the AT, with an overnight amount of gear. One guy crushed it and the other moved like my grandma. Both are in great shape, one runs distance races and the other doesn’t. Not a bit of complaining out of the guy that runs races, but for the other guy it was the hardest thing he’d ever done.


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[pk_]

I made it about 2 minutes!

Elk hunting gets so over romanticized by the youtube instagram generation (to which I belong). It's just hunting. "It is, what it is", to use one of my least/most favorite cliches. Profound shit.

I spent my entire childhood dreaming about elk hunting, and it nearly lived up to my expectations when I finally got to experience it. It is cool, the bugles and their sheer size and all that jazz. There is a reason it is very popular and we all want to do it but bitch about how many other people want to join us. Last one in shut the gate!

Those childhood experiences...growing up I never knew until I started formulating my plan to elk hunt as a young adult that I needed to get in marathon shape or drop a few grand in fancy gear. But that really did influence me as I started my initial strategizing. Man was that shit wrong. I think that is what dude is getting at here (in the part I watched). You don't need to get bogged down in that crap, just go hunt.

Then it just becomes regular old life choices.

Mountains are mountains. They don't magically become steeper in September. Lots of fat guys can handle mountains no problemo. Lots of fit people are too pussy to deal with nagging injuries and a blister here and there. Hunter athletes, that whole stereotype, remind me of the Karens that adorn their rav4 with 13.1 stickers. Look at me, I did something a shit ton of other people can do! Let me publicly display my participation trophy to boost my ego!

Gear is same as any other consumer spending. You get what you pay for to a certain point but there are steeply diminishing returns as you climb the price ladder. Then you graduate into luxury pricing in which you pay for reputation to keep up with the Joneses. Once again, it becomes not about performance but showing off...look what I bought, aren't you jealous?

Having never elk hunted in my life, I clicked on this thread to find the truth. I read all the comments and I believe this is it.

Also, I’m not skinny, but skinny guys can be strong as hell. Just had to put that out there...