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!!