Training tips for newbie sheep hunter?

[mattthegorby]

Hey folks,

As some of you have likely gathered if you have caught any of my past posts, I am a total rookie hunter that just ended my first season without harvesting. That being said, I am really keen and went as all out as I could with a family and full-time job. Got out most weekends solo backpack hunting in 412/316, including a bunch of overnights.

Next year I want to go on a 4 night / 5 day, probably solo sheep hunt. I realize that my chances for success are extremely low, but I am not getting any younger, tags will not get any easier to obtain, and I want to start down the learning curve. I am no backcountry god, but I have enough experience to know the level of fitness I require, have all the basic backcountry gear I need, and am comfortable sleeping alone in the mountains.

What I wanted to ask you guys is that if you had 8 months to prepare for a trip like this, and you were a total newbie, what skills would you work on and how would you go about it?

[58thecat]

Strength and conditioning....cardio.....eat, sleep and train.....then all the other rigours that sheep shape people will chime in on.....good luck.

[TOG]

Being good at judging legal rams.

[Prairiewolf]

Sorry for the rambling structure, but here's some tips:

• Prioritize stretching, even so far as doing some forms of yoga. You'll find many threads here about eager guys throwing weights around and getting injured. You probably don't need to pack on a bunch of muscle, but you do need to remain healthy leading up to and during your hunt.

• Familiarize your body with a heavy backpack, start to work on some hikes around your neighborhood and find some hills where you can load your pack down and move around in it. Use your boots too!

• Get on a rowing machine 3-4 times a week and go for 5000 m per go, tracking your progress. This is great cardio, simulates an 18-25 minute aggressive exertion, targets your supporting back muscles and core, and even some legs. Throw in some 10,000 m attempts once you consistently flirt with a 2 minute for 500m split.

• Think about your food for your trip and try to re-create that menu a few times while home for the week. See how you feel and how your body reacts. Adjust as needed.

Good start there.

[mattthegorby]

Originally Posted by Prairiewolf

Sorry for the rambling structure, but here's some tips:

• Prioritize stretching, even so far as doing some forms of yoga. You'll find many threads here about eager guys throwing weights around and getting injured. You probably don't need to pack on a bunch of muscle, but you do need to remain healthy leading up to and during your hunt.

• Familiarize your body with a heavy backpack, start to work on some hikes around your neighborhood and find some hills where you can load your pack down and move around in it. Use your boots too!

• Get on a rowing machine 3-4 times a week and go for 5000 m per go, tracking your progress. This is great cardio, simulates an 18-25 minute aggressive exertion, targets your supporting back muscles and core, and even some legs. Throw in some 10,000 m attempts once you consistently flirt with a 2 minute for 500m split.

• Think about your food for your trip and try to re-create that menu a few times while home for the week. See how you feel and how your body reacts. Adjust as needed.

Good start there.

This is great, thanks. Flexibility is a big challenge for me, so I should work at that for life in general. Rowing is a great idea. I whitewater kayak which is great for core, but this is only once a week so it it is hard to do more than maintain the fitness.

Think I will have to work on the heavy pack. I am good all day with a multiday pack, but do start to feel a tinge in the hips. I will need to get in better shape if I am going to do a long pack out. I am not a huge guy.

[4K3OGH]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_Q17zA55Os

I just watched this yesterday, just a different perspective

[mattthegorby]

Originally Posted by TOG

Being good at judging legal rams.

Ya, that part is pretty intimidating. Better start studying pictures and hopefully I can start looking before the season on scouting trips.

[mattthegorby]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

Strength and conditioning....cardio.....eat, sleep and train.....then all the other rigours that sheep shape people will chime in on.....good luck.

I am pretty active, so I have a base right now, but realize I have a long way to go. I used to train long- distance trail running... but that is with a very light day pack.

[RZR]

Oh boy! I’ve been doing sh!t wrong for a lot of years apparently. I’ve never really trained for sheep hunting. In August I usually start looking for sheep and that’s about all I do for training. I also do more glassing than hiking, there lots of guys who hike right past Rams because they have the mentality that you have to go right to the back of canyons. I just look at it this way when you spot rams 9 times out of 10 they aren’t going too far and you have time to get up to them. Work smarter not harder.

[mattthegorby]

Originally Posted by RZR

Oh boy! I’ve been doing sh!t wrong for a lot of years apparently. I’ve never really trained for sheep hunting. In August I usually start looking for sheep and that’s about all I do for training. I also do more glassing than hiking, there lots of guys who hike right past Rams because they have the mentality that you have to go right to the back of canyons. I just look at it this way when you spot rams 9 times out of 10 they aren’t going too far and you have time to get up to them. Work smarter not harder.

I will try and keep this in mind, even deer hunting I find it hard to wait and look - I want to keep moving all the time.

[outdoorsman12b]

Originally Posted by mattthegorby

Hey folks,

As some of you have likely gathered if you have caught any of my past posts, I am a total rookie hunter that just ended my first season without harvesting. That being said, I am really keen and went as all out as I could with a family and full-time job. Got out most weekends solo backpack hunting in 412/316, including a bunch of overnights.

Next year I want to go on a 4 night / 5 day, probably solo sheep hunt. I realize that my chances for success are extremely low, but I am not getting any younger, tags will not get any easier to obtain, and I want to start down the learning curve. I am no backcountry god, but I have enough experience to know the level of fitness I require, have all the basic backcountry gear I need, and am comfortable sleeping alone in the mountains.

What I wanted to ask you guys is that if you had 8 months to prepare for a trip like this, and you were a total newbie, what skills would you work on and how would you go about it?

Being a newbie sheep hunter and learning alone is going to be painful. You already have fitness covered. I would try and prioritize:

1 - Find a mentor, or get in with a sheep hunting group. You will learn far more by going on a trip with someone who knows what they are doing than anything else because you can ask why along the way. If you don't know anyone than you may have to trade in. For example give up a good elk spot.

2- Shoot your rifle and learn the ins and outs of your equipment. I am still amazed at the number of hunters I meet that are not sure where there rifle hits beyond 100 yards or if they are even zeroed. You need to have verified drops for the ranges you want to shoot, or risk just watching that animal walk up and away.

3- Go over your gear list again and again. Only carry what you absolutely will use. This takes a bit of experience and will change over time. Don't cheap out on anything that will ruin your hunt. Primarily boots and rain gear. Last year we got hit with a snow storm in August and it was brutal. My group is a bunch of tough mofos though and we were able to weather it out while everyone else went running back to the trucks. There are quite a few posts on here that can help with gear.

4- Food is king. Make sure you have adequate food and meal plan. If you don't have enough you will lose steam and become demoralized. Everyone is different there is no one plan fits all.

[Torkdiesel]

Your mind is always the weakest link in my opinion ! Staying committed and not giving up for some reason your mind has concocted is what gets most people out of the hills.
I’ve seen guys at the trail head looking at me like I was nuts putting on a pack and heading out. The next day when we passed their camp in the morning and went another 20 kms in further I know they couldn’t understand how it could be done.
In all the years hunting my body has only given out on me once, but my mind has faltered many times ! Sometimes I got it under control and sometimes I didn’t.
On day 5 of one sheep hunt about 40 km’s from the truck in Wilmore after we had climbed the second saddle that day to look into another bowl my brother in law who’s 5’10” and 165 pounds said you must really want a sheep ! I said “sure do, but what I want more is to prove to myself that I can climb this mountain, after I’ve climbed the one before it !”

[mattthegorby]

Originally Posted by Torkdiesel

Your mind is always the weakest link in my opinion ! Staying committed and not giving up for some reason your mind has concocted is what gets most people out of the hills.
I’ve seen guys at the trail head looking at me like I was nuts putting on a pack and heading out. The next day when we passed their camp in the morning and went another 20 kms in further I know they couldn’t understand how it could be done.
In all the years hunting my body has only given out on me once, but my mind has faltered many times ! Sometimes I got it under control and sometimes I didn’t.
On day 5 of one sheep hunt about 40 km’s from the truck in Wilmore after we had climbed the second saddle that day to look into another bowl my brother in law who’s 5’10” and 165 pounds said you must really want a sheep ! I said “sure do, but what I want more is to prove to myself that I can climb this mountain, after I’ve climbed the one before it !”

Ya, I want to be that guy.

For me the big attraction to pursuing sheep hunting is the mental challenge of being alone in the mountains with a lofty goal. I am much more a journey than the end result kind of person.

I realize that at my age that my days of being first up the mountain are over - but I am pretty determined at keeping on, keeping on.

[Stinky Coyote]

Originally Posted by Torkdiesel

Your mind is always the weakest link in my opinion ! Staying committed and not giving up for some reason your mind has concocted is what gets most people out of the hills.
I’ve seen guys at the trail head looking at me like I was nuts putting on a pack and heading out. The next day when we passed their camp in the morning and went another 20 kms in further I know they couldn’t understand how it could be done.
In all the years hunting my body has only given out on me once, but my mind has faltered many times ! Sometimes I got it under control and sometimes I didn’t.
On day 5 of one sheep hunt about 40 km’s from the truck in Wilmore after we had climbed the second saddle that day to look into another bowl my brother in law who’s 5’10” and 165 pounds said you must really want a sheep ! I said “sure do, but what I want more is to prove to myself that I can climb this mountain, after I’ve climbed the one before it !”

The two a days are big days. You nailed it though, it’s more about you and the mountain sometimes.

[mattthegorby]

Originally Posted by outdoorsman12b

Being a newbie sheep hunter and learning alone is going to be painful. You already have fitness covered. I would try and prioritize:

1 - Find a mentor, or get in with a sheep hunting group. You will learn far more by going on a trip with someone who knows what they are doing than anything else because you can ask why along the way. If you don't know anyone than you may have to trade in. For example give up a good elk spot.

2- Shoot your rifle and learn the ins and outs of your equipment. I am still amazed at the number of hunters I meet that are not sure where there rifle hits beyond 100 yards or if they are even zeroed. You need to have verified drops for the ranges you want to shoot, or risk just watching that animal walk up and away.

3- Go over your gear list again and again. Only carry what you absolutely will use. This takes a bit of experience and will change over time. Don't cheap out on anything that will ruin your hunt. Primarily boots and rain gear. Last year we got hit with a snow storm in August and it was brutal. My group is a bunch of tough mofos though and we were able to weather it out while everyone else went running back to the trucks. There are quite a few posts on here that can help with gear.

4- Food is king. Make sure you have adequate food and meal plan. If you don't have enough you will lose steam and become demoralized. Everyone is different there is no one plan fits all.

This is great, thanks.

1 - The mentor is a hard one, but I think I will check our the Sheep Foundation that the fellow in a previous post mentioned. I am actually interested in getting involved and volunteering for some kind of hunting/conservation group. My BIL is an experienced hunter and we will be looking at sheep hunting together, but this is new ground for him as well.

2 - I will take this to heart - I need to shoot more at distance. Also, I need to practice at angles!

3 - I am a bit of a gear and weight junky, so with this part I am well on my way. I may try and revive that old sheep gear list thread and post my gear list as it stands (have it all in excel with weights). I have a closet full of fleece, puffy jackets, and gore-tex. Still unsure of my boots, but I have a couple pairs I am good to hike in all day.

4 - Still working out the details for food, but I have a fair amount of experience to build on for this. I know what my body needs to thrive for a couple days backpack hunting or a day of trail running. What I am looking at is getting away from the mountain house meals and coming up with my own dinners. Have thought about ditching the stove, but man it is nice to have something warm for dinner.