Trad Gang

What's the highest you have gone to hunt? The highest I have hunted is about 11500 feet. Coyote Ridge in A17 in California. I shot a Whitetailed Jack Rabbit on top of that ridge. There were some bucks up there but they gave me the slip.  Jim

The highest I've been was 11200 feet hunting elk outside Aspen Colorada.Done it twice.I know one thing as someone who's lived at sea level his whole life.There ain't no air up there  :(    :(    :(  

Mitch

I arrowed a mtn goat at about 12,600-12,700 feet in Colorado (in Park County above Montezuma)

About 600ft is about as high as I have hunted before.I think I might have hunted below sea level one time down in SC for the lowest.  :)

11,000+ I think in the San Juans Pagosa Spring area. I'm not sure exactly, I'm still oxygen deprived and that was 12-13 years ago!

About 3000 and something for me here in New England.

Around 10,500 in the Manti-LaSalle NF in Eastern Utah. Man, there were some big bucks up there in the early 90s.

I guess about 10,300.  Saw nice muley bucks but no shot.  I'm looking at that high ridgeline right now (Sandia Peak in Albuquerque).  I'm about 5,200' at home.  About 10 years ago it was bow hunt only (still is) but much more limited now.  But at least at the end of the day you can go up to the peak and drink adult beverages.  Come to think of it, maybe that's why I didn't get anything.

Eddie Paulsgrove

Eighteen feet is about as high as I care to go.

Over 12,000' last year.  Once you get that high it's hard to determine the exact number . . . the lack of oxygen delivery makes calculating pretty difficult:^)

11,500. But most around 7500-10,000 feet. Its where I live. Hell, my house is at over 5300 feet.

Joshua

11,000+ San Juans with TBARM Outfitter a few years ago.  Pretty high for a flatlander!

11,600 in the San Juans of Colorado elk hunting.  Ben

12000 feet on Mt. Harrison in Idaho.

I killed the sheep in my avatar at about 12,500.  That morning I was let out in the dark a few hours before dawn on the pass at 11,990 and hiked up to just below the peak which is 13,572 to be in place when it turned light. SteveO has sheep hunted in the same area.  Jim

Only 9500 in Colorado-- was tired and had a headache for 3 days--after that I was fine.

11,500 West Elk Wilderness.  It's where I learned the phrase "Elk hunting is the most miserable fun you can have".
homebru

I've been at 11,000 plus. It was my first ever elk hunting trip, and first ever visit to CO. None of us were physically prepared for that hunt or the hike in. We didn't know anything about acclimation.
To say the least: We were sucking for air.
But, still an awesome experience!

Over 12,000 feet, Unit 39 Grizzley Gulch in Colorado! Almost 1 1/2 hours staight-up!!! Now thats the way to start your morning!!

12,300 Windy Mountain in the Rio Grande Nat'l Forrest in CO. Killed an elk in Sheer Gulch near there in the deepest darkest hole possible. Would have rather killed it up the mountain than down in that hole    :knothead:

Hard to imagine packing your kill out from these high altitudes. Whew!! I drug a deer downhill at 11,000 feet for about 600 or 700 yards and had to stop and rest because I was out of breath. I live near sea level so it takes me a few days to get used to the higher elevations. It pays to be in shape for this. I'll really have to work on that.

If you get headaches from the altitude, check with you family doc. I get them when I go over 9000 feet. The Doc gave me a perscription for this. I start taking it the day before I head up into the hills and do not get headaches at all from the altitude. It also helps if you can go up a few days early. I am always a bit tired the first few days and then feel much livier after that.

I really like it up higher. It's beautiful. It's cooler. Not near as many bugs buzzing around in your face. Sitting around the fire, looking up at the night sky, it's hard to believe there can be that many stars overhead.

  Jim

About 12,500 in CO for mule deer.

12,500 for elk,mule deer here in colorado.
It's not breathing, more like hyperventilating!  :rolleyes:

About 11,000 feet elk hunting in Colorado.  No elk, but a great trip.

Jim the medicine that you refer to is acetazolamide (Diamox)...it helps with altitude symptoms. Be warned though: your beer and/or carbinated beverages taste flat while you take it. If you have a hallelujah cerveza after your elk is off the mountain and cooling in camp it will taste AWFUL  

Ok, hunted but didn't harvest (and remember I literally live at sea level), just under 7000' in the Buckhorn Wilderness of Western Washington.

I hiked up to a little over 11,900 ft in central CO.  On the way back down I shot a nice 5x5 bull at 11,700 and as difficult as it was to climb to that elevation it was even tougher packing meat back down.   Worth every oxygen deprived breath though and would like to do that again this fall.

ShadeMt, I hope you do it again this fall. Sounds like the way to do it...pack it down hill, not up.

Wapiti792, I couldn't remember the name of it, thanks. No problem with the booze or carbonated stuff, I rarly drink either anymore. Thanks for the heads up on that though.

I do need to start exercising more so I can be better prepared to enjoy those high altitudes.

Jim

Around 4200 ft in Randolph County WV.  Outside of that, it has mostly been flat land and low elevations.

Bill

9500+ in the Eagle Cap Wilderness of N.E. Oregon in 1992 on an elk and mule deer hunt

Just under 10 grand was the highest I got in CO on an elk hunt.  Wasn't really hunting, just trying to breathe.  

I know if I ever get to hunt in a high altitude again, I need at least 3-4 days just to acclimate before I try to do any serious hunting.  Dang near killed me.  Finally found my lungs as we were packing out...figures!

10,300 in Colorado. Area 7 and 9 I believe.

Camped at 11,700 ft in San Juans.  Hunted up and down from there.  I got pretty sick the second day up there.  Puking and having trouble breathing.  Couldn't even catch my breath laying in bed trying to sleep.  Funny thing is, I was in the best shape of all three of us and it hit me the hardest.  I'll be on Diamox when I go back to up that high.

I was pushing 30 feet one time. Boy that was a high stand. sorry I couldn't resist   :)      


One day I'll do a hunt like that though.

13,300 Dont know what we where thinking.Camp was around 10,500.Talk about a headache.

I spent a week backpack hunting and fishing between 12k and 13.5k. The fishing was excellent but the hunting was tough above treeline.

I live at 7k and the altitude has never bothered me too much.

About 12,000 chasing elk for me, loved every minute of it!!

a couple of times i've been at 30,000ft. flying to NZ for a hunt. LOL

22,000 hunting the YETI on K2 in Tibet no luck!!!

Probably 12,500 on several trips to CO in Unit 48 Collegiate Peaks and 551 near Sargents.  Love It!!

10,500 for mule deer.

Started in a camp near a sign indicating Continental Divide, I recall (1985) it was around 11,200 feet.  The three of us had bad headaches the first night. We moved down to around 10,000 and hunted from the 2nd day on. Felt much better and hunting up and going down to camp was  more pleasant.  Had to get to the elevation we wanted to hunt before AM thermals caused our scent to rise.

Forgot to give location-- outside Kremmling, CO.

ttt

A little over 12,000 mark for mulies.

QuoteOriginally posted by LBR:
Finally found my lungs as we were packing out...figures!

Chad,

That's what you get for leaving your lungs in your back pack!    :scared:    ;)    :)

Bill

13,000 feet on a Colorado ewe sheep hunt several years ago...

I live at 7200 feet elevation and regularly hunt at 7000-11000'.  I reckon I've reached 12k elevation a time or two.....never thought about it much.