The Accurate Reloading Forums
Hunting in high places.

This topic can be found at:
https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3411043/m/784102655

19 October 2006, 16:48
Gerard
Hunting in high places.
What is the maximum elevation at which you have hunted or likely to hunt?
19 October 2006, 17:58
Dutch
Bottom of the valleys around here will be about 6,000 feet. The highest elevation we'll hunt regularly is about 9,000 feet. 8,000 feet is routine for elk and deer. 9,000 to 10,000 for mule deer, sheep and goat. The guys in Colorado sometimes hunt elk at 10,000 feet or so. HTH, Dutch.


Life's too short to hunt with an ugly dog.
19 October 2006, 18:05
ELKMAN2
I've been over 10,000ft several times. Most of the hunting in the Bighorns I have doen is 7000-8000ft.
19 October 2006, 18:11
OldGuy
Before my Heart Attack at the ripe old age of 47, my hunting camp was 11,370'. We were also likely to hunt uphill from there! One other thing - this was starting 2nd Sat in Sept for Muzzleloading/archery, and the weather ranged from 70-85/sunshine degrees everyday to below freezing and rain/snow everyday.


If a day goes by when you don't learn something - it was a Total Loss!
19 October 2006, 18:27
Rusty Hook
I took a 3 point Mule Deer buck with a handgun at 10,600 feet this year in the Sierra, here in California, and that was on my way down and back to camp.

He was bedded in the shade of some stunted pines, with a nearly identical friend near by that I didn't see untill after I was forced to take an offhand shot after the deer stod up. At that point I was 16 miles in from the trail head on a solo backpacking hunt.

I shot that deer at about 10 in the morning on Sunday, and I got the boned out meat back to my vehicle at 10:30 on the morning of the following Tuesday. The meat alone weighted 50 Lbs. This was my 11 th year of trying to get a deer, and at age 63 this was one hell of a deer for me.

Day time temps were still in the 70s, so I used a lake and streams to cool and keep the meat cold during the days. When the air became colder than the water at night, I hung the silnylon meat bag in a tree. There were nightly frosts every night except for my last morning. I gave the meat a vinigar bath at home to kill any bacteria it might have picked up from the water and the quality of the venison is excelent...Rusty.
19 October 2006, 18:46
Parker12SSS aka BigJohn
Rusty Hook-: You are to be commended! WTG!

I've hunted CO at over 9000 feet. I look forward to getting back. I ran two miles every other day for four months before that hunt and it paid off. I was a lot better off than the other flat landers I was with. It's time to get back at it.


BJ
19 October 2006, 18:47
dogcat
I hunted bighorns in Wyoming near Gannet Peak. The highest we got was about 12,000'. Most of the game was at 10,000' or so.
19 October 2006, 19:01
phurley5
I have hunted and taken game between 7,500 and 11,500 feet. I hunt yearly at 8,500 in Colorado, along with many other hunters. I have used Nosler Partitions, Barnes X and XLC, and North Forks, all performing well. I have found the equipment does it's job if the hunter does his. wave Good shooting.


phurley
19 October 2006, 20:06
butchloc
i'm usually at about 6'2" off the ground Wink
19 October 2006, 20:26
Gerard
Butchloc,
You levitate when you are out hunting?
clap
19 October 2006, 22:06
TomP
quote:
Originally posted by Gerard:
What is the maximum elevation at which you have hunted or likely to hunt?


Elk at about 8000 feet. We were living at about 500 feet ASL at the time and ran out of air now and then...


TomP

Our country, right or wrong. When right, to be kept right, when wrong to be put right.

Carl Schurz (1829 - 1906)
19 October 2006, 22:40
BigNate
Depends on where and what of course. Here at home it's between 3500 and up to nearly 8k. When hunting in Idaho we camped at 8k. Most good hunting wasn't much over 10k. Nate
20 October 2006, 03:26
MC
I shot a mule deer in Colorado this year at 12,400'+. It was high, thin air, but a gorgeous view when sitting next to those huge antlers. I have also shot deer in the 11,000' range here in Utah.
20 October 2006, 07:15
Snellstrom
I took my Mountain Goat at 13,600 ft. elevation above sea level. I live in Colorado at 6,800 ft. on the plains and hunt anywhere from 6,500 ft. to nearly 14,000 ft. I'm pretty sure there are only a couple other places in the U.S. where you could do this other than Colorado. ( California has peaks over 14,000 ft. and Washington has one- Rainier). Colorado has 54 peaks over 14,000 ft. above sea level with timberline around 12,000 ft ( + or - a little ) in most places. If you are hunting high country Mule Deer or Sheep and Goats you will sometimes hunt above timberline, occasionally Elk hunts here can occur above timberline as well.
I notice altitude like anyone else but am fortunate to live and work "higher" than most people, summer hikes are common for us at or well above timberline and I've climbed about 30 of Colorado's 14,000 ft. peaks some of them several times. My son climbed his first at the age of 7 ( Mt Sherman ).
Good luck....
22 October 2006, 04:50
ole_270
This year in Colo. we were camped at 11000 ft. Hunting on horseback we got up to 11900 or so. Mighty thin air up there for someone who lives at about 850 ft.!
22 October 2006, 04:58
Doc
9022 according to Google Earth.


Ted Kennedy's car has killed more people than my guns
23 October 2006, 14:50
Gerard
Thanks to all who contributed. It is very helpful and interesting information.
24 October 2006, 03:40
loud-n-boomer
I regularly hunt here in California at elevations over 7,000 feet (2,100 meters)and in Colorado where I am from, up over 12,500 feet (3,800 meters).

Dave


One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got into my pajamas I'll never know. - Groucho Marx
25 October 2006, 08:37
Snellstrom
Gerard
What kind of elevations are you all experiencing on your hunts?
Just wondering what kind of game and how high you have to go?
25 October 2006, 16:54
DKing
In Colorado, we camp at two different sites and both are very near 10,000ft. I've hunted to ~12,400 on Mesa Mountain in the La Garita Wilderness Area of Colorado. (I shot an elk while near the top of Mesa Mountain a number of years back.)
25 October 2006, 18:15
Gerard
Snellstrom,
In South Africa there is very little hunting higher than 6000ft. The majority of the country lies between 2000ft and 5000ft. The little bit of hunting that takes place in the Drakensberg mountains might go to 8000ft. The highest peaks there are around 9200ft but I doubt many people carry a rifle that high over here. The idea of hunting at 9000ft plus is quite strange to me.