Yeah but I've been to Colorado 3 times and New Mexico twice

Only hunts once, but still hiked around in the forests

People talk about Colorado like its a space mission or something. The pysc themselves up and it's all for naught

Guys that get out of breath walking to their blinds in Texas are gonna have a hard time in the mountains.

Guys that are in decent shape won't. You don't have to take a million mountain trips to figure it out

You fellas are making me tired! LOL

I have to agree with Trophy for the most part. Good shape is great for reasons besides hunting and will sure make a mountain hunt "easier", but I bet most folks that go, aren't in the 10%, heck not even in the 30%. Mentally being ready and knowing your limit is as important IMO.

I have a young friend that has hunted with me off and on for years, since I took him on his 1st Colorado hunt. He can leave 20 minutes before shooting light and be 2k' up in that time, damn fit young man. Me, to get to the same spot, I will leave an hour earlier and pace myself.

Sure not knocking the physical aspect, but that doesn't guarantee success either.. In other words, I think anyone that wants to go and try it, should, just be honest with yourself on your shape and abilities. If you want to work out like you're going to run the Baja beside the trucks, more power to ya..

Get there 2 or 3 days early, that is about the time it takes to acclimate to the lack of oxygen. The first day you will be huffing and puffing, the second will be better, by the 3rd you will still not be a 100% but close enough.

Screw running the stadium bleachers or stair wells with a pack, Neither has rocks or dirt that slips and slides, you need to be on real hill sides to strengthen your ankles, nothing sucks like a screwed up ankle when you are in the middle of nowhere.

Take your summer vacation where you can hike up and down a few of those 1000 foot climbs a few times a day. Make sure you overload your pack, if you have to pack out an elk you will appreciate the extra weight. Buy 2 sets of boots now, get them broken in well in advance, why 2 sets, if one gets wet you want a dry pair. Cold wet feet makes for miserable days.

Make sure the Jeeps tires are in good shape. Make sure to lay in a good supply of adult beverages. Get a good nights sleep and arrive a couple hours before the hunt. Wait till it warms up a little and find a spot that is easy walking distance from the Jeep.
Glass a little..when the sucker shows up..shoot Find some help for the skinning/quartering. Take pictures for this website...Done!

Yesterday I was on the treadmill for about an hour thinking about this year's upcoming hunt and contemplating my activities. Tomorrow I may turn the &^^%$% thing on

Ugh it's so much work!!! I did and hour on level 10 setting on the stairmaster with 100 pounds in a frame pack and swam 100 laps afterwards yesterday.. I'm trying to do that 4 times a week plus my weight training 5 days a week.. I need to start doing my pack frame walking on real stairs though.. Are y'all eating healthy on top of your workout?

I dip snuff and smoke mentholated cigarettes and have an affinity for chimichangas



Your way overthinking this

If you work out 5 days a week then your fine with just that. And yes always eat healthy

I just like being able to get around up there easily. My first trip was a nightmare so for my last two trips I've been trying to prep better... My problem is the beer!!! Lol

Yeah beer isn't on the Heath plan

Lol pretty much a typical Cameron workout.

I bought and read his book. After awhile it just gave me tired-head. You're a beast-we get it. When he intimated taking pride in missing holiday time and time with the kids for workouts I kinda stepped off the bus. He was very subtle-the words were tinged with regret, but the overall message was "that's just what it takes".

Like I said, I'm sure he's a great guy. But if his goal is more participation, he sure sets the bar mighty high.....

From his blog:

You might wonder, how did I put on 25# of muscle while still keeping most of my above average endurance. Well firstly, with hard work. There is no such thing as magic pills regarding muscle building. Results from the supplements I take come from plain old fashion hard work. That being said, these supplements will get your muscles ready to explode.
Grab a piece of paper and a pen now. On any given day, for growth, I take one tablet each of external testosterone in the A.M. and P.M. from Legal Limit Labs called Super Nova, along with another LLL productcalled Halo-Zol and anabolic optimizer from LLL and I take two tablets early and late of a product called Mega Shred. All of this stuff is for lean weight gain and it works. In the evening after work, I down some Xyience and head to the gym fired up because on these supplements I know I won’t feel the fatiguing effects of lifting nearly as much. I have a hard time leaving the gym because I am not tired. When I am there I lift harder because I know these products are giving my muscles exactly what I need to get them jacked and get me ready to dominate the backcountry. I want to stay until I feel like every muscle shred is broke down. I don’t have an unlimited amount of time but I give it all I have for about an hour. Mentally, with all the running I do, my commitment to my bow and arrow rig and daily practice and my success in the gym I feel like killing a big bull is my only option. Failure doesn’t even enter my mind. I’ve never felt more prepared, we will see?
In regard to general health I also take Super Calcium twice a day, Magnesium twice a day, Vitamin D gel tabs and from Complete Nutrition I take their multi-vitamin, Complete Man and a couple doses of Udo’s Oil which is omega fatty acid.
I set up this program with guidance from Jason Harms. He is the master on why this stuff works and what kind of results you can expect so I would suggest giving him a call with any technical answers or questions on pricing. Don’t forget the Cam Hanes fan 22% off. You can Email me with more questions at cam@cameronhanes.com or Jason at jharms@completenutrition.com. You can also call Jason at his store in Eugene, Oregon at 541-653-9443 when ready to pull the trigger. Exciting times….helping other better themselves gives me a good feeling. Train hard. Hunt easy. Cam
- See more at: http://www.cameronhanes.com/2011/07/wanna-pile-on-25-lbs-of-muscle-for-the-mountains/#.dpuf


Wonder if any of those sups are on the list of banned substances for a pro athlete?

It's just your normal pre and post work out stuff. He eats, lifts, shoots, writes, then runs.... He is your normal pro athlete.. You get paid to be inshape

Lol...I'm going to agree. He will be fine..lol

Looked it up, halo zoo and supernova is a pro-hormone

Any kind of testosterone supp is not a normal pre-post workout either

Not taking anything away from him but he is basically juicing and going into the mountains instead of walking onto the sports field


Gotta go to the gym now. Elk season is only 9 months away!

Which is junk... More or less.

You do realize he runs 100mile races right?

That is true.

Just for grins, I'll spin it off another direction:

These guys all tout DIY, DIY, DIY - as if you are a putz if you go guided. But, I ask: Aren't the guys who are in the "hunting for a living" gig just their own guides? I mean, crap, if I lived in MT or WY and my 24/7/365 job was hunting big game-I believe I could research and scout some pretty great areas too. And ,no, I wouldn't need a guide then. IMO it's a little disingenuous to look down their noses at a guy who can only hunt out west a week or two out of the year, so he hires a guide. Them dissing it would be kind of like me dissing someone for not trying their own lawsuits. Heck, even the Eastmans' hunt private outfitted ranches when they go outside of their home state.

P.S. I have hunted without a guide out west several times.

I don't understand any elitism in hunting. I hunt the way I want to. If someone wants to hunt different, what does that matter to me?

I don't believe all of them look down on guided hunters, though some may. I think they just like to build up their own success, as if it matters more. Maybe to them. All that matters to me is what I do.

The biggest thing you can do when you hunt here is to hydrate. People don't realize that we are really just a high desert. Our humidity is 30% on a wet day! Dehydration will get you before the altitude does. I live at 8300' feet and run 30-50 miles a week and packing out an elk still leaves me gassed! Remember if it was that much of a struggle getting to your hunting spot, its going to be 5x as difficult leaving with that animal.

Also learn how to shoot when you're out of breathe. If you practice off a bench, it is not going to be that practical when you're in the mountains.

^^^^^^ Boy, the hydration thing is huge. I couldn't believe what a difference it made when I started using a bladder and sipping from it regularly.

I think the majority of the weight in my pack is from the water and Gatorade. I used to use Nalgene bottles but they make too much noise when half full. If I'm out for the day I take 4-32oz gatorades and 4 bottles of water. Don't always drink the whole amount, but I force myself to drink 2 of each even if I'm not thirsty. Makes a big difference.

I chuckle because I agree. But kind of like having three days to hunt so you hunt HF...

DIY stuff is what it is a huge learning experiment... But eastmans kills me!!!!! I like their mags, but come on don't talk smack about govern tags, Indian reservations etc when you take yourself and hunt winner on a 200k acre ranch and only shoot 350 plus Bulls!!!!

I do all guided...unguided...private..public etc. I just have fun

Wow this guy is crazy!!!

First step in getting in mountain shape is go buy under armour and Sitka gear

That's step 1

Lol

Cam is a really cool guy in person.. More of a motivational type, then the me, me, me that some read him as

I can't run anymore and haven't ran more then 40 yards since 2001. I walk stairs and do elliptical or strider. Most my weight work out or core based.

TXTrophy might be a 145lb wet, and gifted with a fast metabolism. The rest of society is not including me.

Even the old timers NP and Western ( aka older then me). Would love to have same build and endurance they had 20 plus years ago combined with the hunting knowledge they have today. It would make they highly efficient.