I spend most of my time on here using the search funtion, and reading old post. I dont think i have seen this asked before. I may be wrong, but heck its a public forum. Whats the furthest you have walked? I am planning on booking my first african hunt. I am also fixing to start a workout program.

I'll bite, 10-12 miles and this was in Alaska on a tundra grizzly hunt. In Africa probably 6-8 miles chasing/pushing buff.
Thanks
Wesley

4 maybe 5 miles following Lou Hallamore after buffalo but Josh, young as you are you shouldn't have any problems....

61 mi. The damned USAF forgot they were supposed to pick us up. Some excuse about the air conditioning in their quarters not working which interferred with their "mandatory crew rest". I was not impressed.

see ya thursday bigguy. Im young but fat. Hope to get rid of the fat part over the next year or so.

22 miles, when I had the chance to stay for a few hours at the home of a very well-endowed young 20-something, even though my ride was leaving. Amazing what we'll do for love (or lust!!!).

About five or six miles tracking eland in the Kalaharil

About 350 miles of the Appalacian Trail.

I shot an Eland at 7am once in Zimbabwe. 270gr 375 Nosler partition hit a branch before it hit the Eland and what was supposed to be an angling shot from rear into heart lung area ended up breaking the left rear leg of the Eland. We tracked it all day and until 9pm when we gave up as it was too dark to see anything. Then walked another hour to a pickup point. That's 12 plus very steady hours on the trail. Was not actually in vain because we got up at daylight and picked up the track and killed it about 8am. A beautiful old blue bull which is just what I had specified that I wanted as I had killed a nice young one the year before. The left femur was actually broken and the Nosler was embedded in the bone. Wanted them to cut that section of the bone out but they wouldn't as the owner of the property sold the meat at a market.

You do not have to be an Ironman Triathlete to hunt many parts of Africa. Provided, however, that you will enjoy your hunt exponentially more if you are physically able to maintain whatever pace the PH and the crew set. Find out about the area you will hunt and the expectations of your PH and train accordingly.

We once did 18 miles after a buffalo measured with a GPS

I have a couple of times elephant hunting that I suspect were more. One time we walked at a pretty good clip for about 12 hours. I imagine they were both over 20.

Twenty one miles chasing six ele bulls in Binga with Rory Muil. Caught them just before dark and turned them down. One was a one tusked 50, and two were right at forty. The three others were small. Since it was day three of eighteen it seemed like a good decision at the time. As it turned out, Oh Well.

10 miles tracking lion in Burkina Faso.

quote:

Originally posted by tx308:
Whats the furthest you have walked?

Didn't measure it, but I am pretty sure it was preceded by the famous expression "Not far."

quote:

Originally posted by Charles_Helm:

quote:

Originally posted by tx308:
Whats the furthest you have walked?

Didn't measure it, but I am pretty sure it was preceded by the famous expression "Not far."

'pa dusi, dusi' - very close...

5 to 10 miles a day for 5 days hunting Moose and Woodland Caribou in Newfoundland.

I swear, those Newfies measure hunting success in miles walked, not game killed. Damn great hunt however.

Hunting or to get a beer?

I don't know about the furthest but the fastest was a 3 yard dash at last call one night.

I really think the distance is relative, to the excitement and proximity to the game and also the terrain. I know I have walked flat ground for elephant that seemed like nothing for 15 miles, and the hills of Zim where I thought I was back in Idaho, and would have quit after three.

I guided a friend from Texas on his first elk hunt here in Wyoming one year. I was 50 and he was 60 that year. The area we hunted was about 8-10 miles back in from the trailhead and we walked it. Had horses if needed for the packout if we were successful. His classic statement has stayed with me all these years-"I know I can't outwalk you, and I damn sure aren't gonna let you outwalk me, so let's just take it easy on each other!"

This man took me out and we wade fished Matagorda Bay for 12 hours straight the next year, and I swear he smiled all day long!

In Zimbabwe after Kudu and such, and was told we'd walked over 20 miles that day. I was only 31 at the time, and sure tired me out. Am going to Teddy Roosevelt park in Nov for an Elk cull hunt and have been told we could walk 5-10 miles in any day. And will have to pack any animals shot, out (unless too inaccessible in which case they have packers on call).. since we have to potentially pack out a 1/4 of an Elk, I am buying a pack here shortly, and will put a 50 lb bag of scratch feed in it, and go out walking a couple of times a week for a while, then to it every day. Try to get up to 3 miles, so I'm good for a pack out, anyway. NPS guy said, up to 75 lbs to pack out. Have walked 4-5 miles hunting the hills in SW Pa, over the years.

Crazyhorse. Thanks for the tip on the Newfies. I am supposed to go up there in Oct for a Moose/Caribou hunt. Nice to know what to expect..so can be ready for it.

I've had a few days in Charara where we walked out of camp in the morning, tracked buffalo all day and got back to camp basically at dark. I don't know how far we walked, but it was a damned long way each time.

I think the farthest/toughest walk I've ever done was on a 17 day backpack dall sheep hunt in Alaska. We walked over 150 miles on that hunt, carrying packs that weighed about 50 pounds. I was in fantastic shape on that hunt, running up to 8 miles per day prior to that hunt, and I still lost something like 25 pounds in that two+ weeks. Killed my ram on the 14th day, and were something like 20 miles from the basecamp, it took us a day and a half to walk back to camp with that sheep on our backs.

Wish I was still in that kind of condition....

- 6 inches.

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
- 6 inches.

What scale was the map?

Sooooo true.

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

quote:

Originally posted by Charles_Helm:

quote:

Originally posted by tx308:
Whats the furthest you have walked?

Didn't measure it, but I am pretty sure it was preceded by the famous expression "Not far."

From 5 am to about 8pm with an hour or so rest after elephant in Oct in Zim. I was pretty dead the last few miles....we reckon we did between 20-25 miles! I drank bottles and bottles of warm matetzi river water which I think made it worse. Too much plain water is also not good.

Josh,

I'd really be surprised if on the Save you walked more than 4-5 miles a day. It also will not be a forced march. If the trail is clear you walk at a brisk pace but that will slow down and stop often as the trackers lose and then find the tracks again.

Being in good shape will work to your advantage but being in sheep hunting shape is far from necessary for a buffalo hunt.

Mark

Elephant tracking can go at a quick march pace if the boys are really eager.

Here's some info on walking/marching speeds:
Marching/walking and running speed fitness levels for military and sports

Reported walking/marching speeds: Israeli Paras, WWII Darby Rangers, 8.7 minutes per mile, 6.9 mph over ten miles; modern US "forced march", 4.8 mph, 12.5 minutes per mile; modern US speed capability of those who are truly "all that they can be", 6 mph, 10 minutes per mile, over 6 miles carrying 35+ lbs of weight; ancient Roman "military gradu" regular march, 2.76 mph, 21.7 minutes per mile; ancient Roman quick march, 3.3 mph; modern US regular march circa 1900, 2.8 mph, 21.4 minutes per mile; modern US quick march circa 1900, 3.4 mph, 17.6 minutes per mile; civil war infantry route (15-20 miles) marching, 2.5 mph, 24 minutes per mile; civil war cavalry route (15-20 miles) marching, 6 mph, 10 minutes per mile; modern US Army trained infantry average (over 20 miles) 2.5 mph, 24 minutes per mile; French Foreign Legion "hard marching" pace, WWI Italian Elite Bersaglieri marching pace, 3.1 mph, 19.4 minutes per mile; WWI Elite Italian Bersaglieri Special Marching pace, 4.4 mph, 13.6 minutes per mile; modern USMC "normal" marching pace, 2.5 mph; Napoleonic Era French Infantry, 3 mph, 20 min per mile; ancient Roman Quick March, 3.3 mph, 18 minutes per mile; modern UK Sea Cadets quick time, 3.3 mph; modern UK Sea Cadets double time march, 6.1 mph, 9.8 minutes per mile; US WWI infantry average, 2.5 mph, 24 minutes per mile; US WWI infantry quick time, 3.4 mph, 17.6 minutes per mile; US WWI infantry double quick time, 6.1 mph, 9.8 minutes per mile; WWI cavalry walk, 4 mph, 15 minutes per mile; WWI cavalry trot, 8 mph, 7.5 minutes per mile; WWI cavalry gallop, 12 mph, 5 minutes per mile; modern normal US marching speed, 3.4 mph, 17.6 minutes; British Royal Guards marching speed 4 mph, 15 minutes per mile; me, six miles on hilly roads: Aug 21 2005, 3.5 mph, 17.2 minutes per mile; Aug 23, 3.6 mph, 16.7 minutes per mile.

There is some disagreement amongst the various internet sources regarding the exact speeds of Common, Quick, and Double Quick Time marching. It appears that: the speed of common time marching in the American Civil War was 28 inch paces, 90 paces a minute for a speed of 2.4 mph; the speed of quick time marching in the American Civil War was 28 inch paces, 110 paces a minute for a speed of 2.9 mph; the speed of double quick time marching in the American Civil War was 33 inch paces, 165-180 paces per minute, for a speed of 5.2-5.7 miles per hours.

December of 2008. Makuti area of Zim, tracking Buffalo. Very gentle rolling hills, but never a flat to rest on. 108-120 degrees in slow drizzle, this was the start of their rainy season.
10-12 miles a day for eight days.

This was a classic tent-style safari, with a washer, but no dryer. Clothes were hung out to dry on a line. Sooooooooo, after four days the clothes got washed and hung inside the cook tent to "smoke dry" from the fire.

It reminded me of Vietnam during the monsoons, but I was twenty then and forty pounds and years lighter.

85 to perhaps 90 miles, but there was a nice Bull waiting at the end of that yellow brick road.

Rich

I was assigned to Germany 7th corp in 1977-1980 at Nellingen Barracks, 394th Trans Batallion. I was challenged by some of the guy to do the Nemingen Death March. We worked out and practiced the regime for over a year. In 1979 we did the march of 100 miles in 24 hours. All 5 of us finished. I won't ever do that again at least not willingly.
My recent trip to Africa (May of 2011) involved walking no more than 4-5 miles through the veldt in a day while stalking wildebeast and gemsbok.

58 straight days averaging probably 10 miles per day over rough terrain carrying a 90 lb rucksack (and sometimes more). 1986 Ranger School.

Mike

Distance from my house to my office - 44.5 miles, 9:36....GPS...

Turned 40, wife said I was getting old...Dared me to do it...I did, she was right!

LOL!

JW

Chasing buf in the Selous 20 miles 10 chasing buff and they gave us the slip, crossed over concession border. 10 back to truck.

Mike

I walked 18 miles from the Pacific Ocean across the Alaska Peninsula to the Bering Sea near Cold Bay Alaska chasing Caribou and Brown Bear. I also walked 15 miles in the Selous chasing Cape Buffalo one day following Pierre Von Tonder. Those treks I will remember til the day I pass on. Only a 20 mile backpacking journey surpasses them and I consider all of them pleasent memories that I did in my prime and can now only wander how I did it. Good shooting.

The farthest I’ve walked in Africa is about 15 miles but it was following along with a friend who was tracking an elephant bull. I’m not an elephant hunter so that was a real experience for me! However I was a lot younger then so it wasn’t a killer, it most likely would be now!
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The longest I’ve walked hunting for my self in Africa is about 5 or 6 miles on buffalo usually following them from a pan or the river starting just after day break so it was cooler, and wasn’t bad at all! Of course your adrenaline is up on the follow, and if you shoot they go get the hunting car and bring it to the kill. If however you don’t kill it is sometimes a long tiring walk back to the car without benefit of the adrenaline to boost your pace!

So I guess my average in Africa would be about 3 to 5 miles!

The most recent long walk in Africa hunting was two weeks ago,, I shot a Eland bull,, the Ph was training a tracking dog,, it chased the bull and kept jumping him and we walked for almost 12 Km chasing the eland and dog,, finally caught up with the dog,, eland 100 yards further.. It wasn't too hot but the sand was soft. The good news was where we found him was near a road so I didn't have the 12km walk back,, radioed for the truck and made it an easy ride back...

In 1964 I was a student in the Marine Corps Officer's Basic School. Ours was the first class to eliminate foreign language instruction (French and Spanish) and introduce hiking into the curriculum.

Consequently, we were required to perform 20, 30, 40 and 50 mile hikes. On the last such hike, we departed at 0800 and returned at 1000 the next day. Unlike some of my more gung-ho classmates, I wore socks under my combat boots.

I was fortunate in carrying a M-14 rifle. Earlier, as an Officer Candidate, being the shortest man in the fire team, I had been entrusted with the BAR, which weighed roughly twice as much.

Kevin Robertson flogged me from behind for at least 35 miles im Moz following a 13 year old buff wounded at 7 yards. Boy, was he pissed! (Kevin, not the buff.)

I'll be chasing Ele in 4 weeks. Today I did 4 miles at 20 minutes per, rested for 20 minutes and then did 2 more miles at the same pace. 20 minutes per mile = 3 MPH and is faster than quick time marching and also faster than we will walk in Africa.

Chasing Ele depends largely on the trackers ability to keep the track. They will loose it periodically and that is when you should sit and rest while they search to relocate the track, then you're off again. I will be carrying 3 liters of water in my CamelBak, an 11 pound rifle, 10-20 rounds of .458Lott ammunition on my belt and a pair of mini-binos. I'll have a blister kit, insect repellant, sunscreen, camera, some Hammer (energy) Gel and a tube of NuuN (electrolyte replacement tablets that dissolve in water) in the CamelBak pouch.

We could do 10-12 miles per day, but hopefully it will be less. Temperatures will be 100-120 degrees F. My hunting partner and I are in our mid to late 60's. Chasing Ele is not for the faint of heart nor those who are de-conditioned and/or overweight.

I am ashamed to say over 20 miles at temperatures verified 120 degrees F.

I wounded my first ever buffalo with an insignificant wound under the arm pit on left side as he pivoted away from me.

My PH had warned me not to shoot a buff as he stood up as he could articulate like a fire engine.

I was raised with cattleand bison my whole life and never seen that, until I began the trigger squeeze.

Entirely my fault for poor shot placement.

Lesson learned the hard way.

Be honest w your PH and yourself about your physical abilities and training regimine and he will try and get you there within your normal limits.

I came away w enormous respect for my PH, Myles McCallum. Dande North, 2005.

Elephant and PG fairly routine.

Myles told me after the hunt that I was only client to carry his own rifle the whole way. (11 pound 450 Dakota).

Andy