NC flatlander heading to CO, need advice!!

[freshta]

I am from NC and I'm heading to CO again this year. Last year I was in good shape and the area I hunted kicked my butt like nothing since back in my military days. This year due to business obligations and a long term emergency with my son that has taken my time and my motivation to train, I'm not even close to last year's fitness level. I'm training hard now, but playing catch up just don't cut it. I advertised on here for a partner and got two hits, but other obligations or health issues took them out of the game.

Anyway, enough with my sob story. I have the spot I hunted last year all scouted out, but I'm looking for an OTC Archery GMU that is a little bit 'easier' to hunt. I know this is a relative term and easy for one person is hard for another, but I live at 720' and 11,000' was just too much to deal with. I had headaches for 3 days and never really felt 'good' the rest of the time. I'm not asking anyone for GPS coord's or anything, maybe just a PM with a direction to head. I would never intrude on another person's hard earned honey hole.

Thanks for any help/advice

Tony

 

[Work2hunt]

11000 ft is tough with out proper conditioning and acclimation. I would maybe give the CO game planners a call. They are great and might be able to help.

 

[JimP]

Depending on where you really want to hunt there are a lot of areas that you can get a OTC tag that are below 9,000' elevation.

Just as a fyi for you what you were experiencing with the headaches was altitude sickness and isn't to be taken lightly. People die from it every year.

I also agree that your best resource may be the hunt planners with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The number in in the front of the guide book I believe.

 

[Gr8bawana]

From my experience I'm not sure there is such a thing as an easy elk hunt. If there was a place that was "easy" everyone would be there and there would be no elk there.

 

[hoshour]

You can help with the symptoms of altitude sickness by getting there early to have more time to acclimate, taking it easy the first couple days, drinking a lot of water and listening to your body. Acetazolamide (Diamox) is a prescription medicine that can be taken to speed up the acclimatization process. Aspirin can also help.

Dehydration happens extremely easily in the dry western atmosphere, especially as you sweat hiking up and down with a backpack. If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated. I live at a low elevation in the East and I drink a ton of water out West. Yes, it's a bear carrying that extra weight, but it really helps. Wear a hat and try to keep your mouth closed by chewing some gum or lozenges so you don't lose a lot of water that way. If you fly out, it's even worse because flying dries you out tremendously unless you really fight it with lots of water.

 

[NHK9]

Not sure if they are still OTC but I hunted GMU 21/22 in 04 and saw a fair amount of elk. Not sure what kind of shape it is in nowadays.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Dehydration can be as bad as altitude sickness. I live at 6800" in SW Colo so altitude is not much of a problem. But during the summer it gets to the mid 90's sometimes and I am working out in the field or yard on my place. Don't sweat much, but sometimes when I forget to drink water, it kicks my butt. You can't drink too much water in this dry air at higher altitudes.