Calories Burned Sheep Hunting?

[Orangethunder]

Has anyone figured this out? Given a pack weight of ~50lbs and a hunter weighing 180-200 what would you burn in a day?

[Night Hawk 3]

Has anyone figured this out? Given a pack weight of ~50lbs and a hunter weighing 180-200 what would you burn in a day?

Depends on many factors: elevation gain/loss, distance traveled, loaded/unloaded etc. You can burn 800 to 1200 calories per hour carrying a loaded pack on moderately steep terrain.

I would suggest that you avoid carrying over 25% of your body weight if at all possible. 30% as an upper limit (except on the way out with your game).

You can carry a little more if you're training properly - start easy, and work up to more challenging terrain and higher loads over a few weeks or months. More weight substantially increases your chances of an injury.

When I did a goat hunt into the mountains about 12 years ago, I went in with a very minimal pack - barely enough food and gear to get the job done, and then a full pack on the way out (which was very heavy).

You need water more than you need food.

Carry calorie dense foods. Lots of fats & carbs, but minimal protein.

Do a few practice hikes if you don't get out a lot - you soon learn to jettison heavy crap that you don't really need.

Food weight goes down over days, so plan accordingly - it's all the other non-disposable stuff that will cause you to question your sanity/weight carrying ability.

Excess food can be left for the birds/animals if you brought too much.

Make sure there is enough water where you're hiking, though this is not usually a problem.

hth, NH3

[Duk Dog]

Right or wrong I'm not certain, but I've read that a mtn hunter will burn roughly 3,000 calories per day.

[Orangethunder]

I have read in the 3-4000 range which obviously depends on terrain, speed, etc etc. I suppose I should have stipulated Northern BC stone sheep, 40-80% slopes avg 50% slope with a slight westerly...2.7km/h. I know that I typically lose weight on a such a hunt and I am trying to figure out just how much food I would need to bring to break even.

NH3, I am curious as to why you wouldn't bring much for protein? Your body needs it to repair and build muscle. While I agree that healthy fats and carbs provide good energy you would be pretty sore after a serious climb without protein. Speaking from a bit of experience I can honestly say it makes a huge difference if you take protein after a workout. Go with a whey protein isolate within 1/2hr of your workout and see what you think. I do appreciate the input nonetheless.

[Duk Dog]

Right or wrong I'm not certain, but I've read that a mtn hunter will burn roughly 3,000 calories per day.

The other numbers that go with that are 1.875 pounds of 100 calories per-ounce food. For a 7 day hunt that works out to over 13 pounds of food (hydrated). Less if dehydrated of course - but you'll need the water etc to go with the meals.

[RiverOtter]

Not sure what the cals/day would work out to, but I'm inclined to bring more food on a hike/hunt than I think I can eat. You never know if weather is gonna pin you down for an extra day or two or you may incur an injury that'll make you take longer getting out.

[KodiakHntr]

Not sure what the cal's worked out to exactly, but what I took in was in the neighborhood of 2500 a day. While I wasn't hungry and had lots of jam to go on, I certainly didn't put on any weight. I went in at about 174lbs with a 52lb pack (not counting rifle and bino's) and came out at 165lbs with a 40lb pack (weighed 2 days after return). I definately was shy on food, and should of been at least a few pounds heavier with meals.

When I go back in a couple weeks I'll be banking on eating more, due to cooler temps during the day.
Reasonable meal plan will look something like this:
Breakfast, 2 cups coffee, 2 packages instant oatmeal w/whey or soy protein powder added and dried fruit
Mid morning, power bar
lunch Mtn House. (This is where I went wrong before) every other day, alternating with jerky and dried fruit and a power bar
supper, mtn house.

Definately take extra powerbars, they are worth the weight. And another thing that saved my ass when I got dehydrated on the walk in due to a camel back malfunction were Clif ShotBloks. They are an electrolyte replacement supplement.

And gatoraide crystals...eat 'em dry if need be to replace salts etc....

Take enough for a minimum of an extra 2 days (some extra mtn house will work, if you are weathered in you aren't burning huge calories.)

[Krico]

Like you thought OT, don't cut out the protein. It's what your body uses to repair muscle.
Protein, as a general rule, has the same calories/gram as carbs - 4. Fat comes in around 8 calories per gram, on average.
Take a balanced diet. It's healthier, and tastes better.

[ryanb]

It's basically impossible to not be on a caloric defecit when sheep/goat hunting. My estimates put it at a MINIMUM of 6000 calories a day burned, and that's only with modest hiking (no more than 10 km and/or 5000 vertical feet a day) with a modest 50-60 pound pack.

The most important calorie when hunting is carbohydrates. These are the most accessible energy, with the simple carbohydrate (ie sugar) being quickly accessible while complex carbs (starches) will provide a steady energy source throughout the day. Fat is the most calorie dense, but it is harder to process into energy. Protein, if you are in excellent physical shape, is probably the least important nutritional element in the short term, but a diet with no protein is tough on your digestive system and your palate.

My advice to anyone packing food for mountain hunting is to choose stuff with a very HIGH calorie to weight ratio, and to bring as much food as possible. Make sure you can stomach what you are bringing, in quantities that attempt to meet your caloric needs.

Another often overlooked element is electrolyte replacement (ie SALT). This is critical if you want to avoid debilitating muscle cramps when you lose your electrolytes in sweat.

Most folks have a very poor understanding of nutrition, and therefore don't quite realize the high energy demands of mountain hunting/hiking/climbing...whatever. As a result, they are usually at a severe caloric defecit and therefore have very low energy....the last thing you want when trying to climb mountains.

[Night Hawk 3]

I have read in the 3-4000 range which obviously depends on terrain, speed, etc etc. I suppose I should have stipulated Northern BC stone sheep, 40-80% slopes avg 50% slope with a slight westerly...2.7km/h. I know that I typically lose weight on a such a hunt and I am trying to figure out just how much food I would need to bring to break even.

NH3, I am curious as to why you wouldn't bring much for protein? Your body needs it to repair and build muscle. While I agree that healthy fats and carbs provide good energy you would be pretty sore after a serious climb without protein. Speaking from a bit of experience I can honestly say it makes a huge difference if you take protein after a workout. Go with a whey protein isolate within 1/2hr of your workout and see what you think. I do appreciate the input nonetheless.

I've done a lot of endurance racing and hiking (and endurance means 36 hours or more non-stop) as well as ultra-distance running and the like. During a 24 hour race a few years ago I calculated my calorie intake vs. my estimated burn rate and I was in a deficit the whole time - I aim to consume about 350 calories per hour (it's about all you can manage when you're on the move) and that's still deficit. Over 24 hours I ate some 8000 calories and at the end of it I still managed to pack down two full steak and potato dinners with the trimmings.

Protein, as far as an energy source goes, it pretty much the last thing your body will burn. It goes for the sugars (simple carbs) and complex carbs (maltodextrin, potatoes, pasta etc) first, then fats, then the proteins. None of those are used in isolation, so you need to have some of each to stay properly fueled. The best mix for higher output exercise should be primarily based in complex carbohydrates with a healthy dose of (good) fats, and some protein. Aim to have the fattier meals with the major portion of the protein when you're resting for the day, such as at camp.

A few examples of calorie dense foods:

- Ichiban noodles (and there's salts in the flavour packet) at 400 - 500 calories per serving (break two up and mix in a Nalgene bottle with some hot water),

- canned meats (such as SPAM type products - put it into a ziplock freezer back and it will keep for a day or two) at upwards of 900 - 1000 calories per serving,

- maltodextrin powder (pure carbohydrate powder - available at some brew shops in bulk - about $5 per Kg) which can be mixed with a little sugar and some drink crystals to go well in a bike bottle (for carrying/fueling in the trail), licorice (the cheap stuff that's softer),

- smoked/dried sausage and biltong/jerky (they will keep well and tastes great and can be hydrated and added to meals),

- potato flakes - pre-mix with powdered milk and salt for a ready to go meal etc...

- Small packaged cheeses last for a few days, as do dried fruits, fruit leather etc. Some cookies are good and calorie dense too - like fig newton type cookies.

I was originally going to propose that about 7,500 calories/day would have been my estimated amount to bring when being fully active every day, and that does seem like a lot. You need to really just keep a check on your hunger and feel okay most of the time rather than trying to stay full day in day out. I would propose that 4000 calories/day would be a minimum if you wanted to feel okay most of the time. There are sometimes things you can eat in nature, so do a little reading and see if there's anything in your hunting area that you can supplement with.

Remember that carbs and proteins run about 4 calories per gram, and fat is about 9 calories per gram. You can see why I suggest that fats are a good source or energy when density is the main concern. Fats don't do that much harm to your body if you choose them well and you burn them up (given that trans fats are never good - given the current state of research).

As ryanb mentioned, bring some electrolytes and even a few vitamins. There are lots of good rehydration salts available on the market - usually found in the pharmacy section with diarrhea stuff (because severe dehydration and hypo-natremia are medical emergencies).

Using the formula of 1.875 lbs of food per day x 16 ounces x 100 calories per ounce = ~3000 calories.

NH3

[Rubicon500]

I doubt you could pack enough food for each day to break even with calories burned/calories consumed. Unless ya want to have a 100 pound pack going in, it would be tough. There was a article in one of the back packing magazines I read and they figured it out to roughly 6000-8000 a day as an average. Depends on to many factors really, how many hills, speed, weight, even temperature outside. If you go in october in the kootneys and get that cold snap, you'll be burning alot more than say in September just trying to stay warm.

[hunter1947]

When I elk hunt I burn off more calories then that of what I can eat in a day ,thats why I lose 25 pounds on a 3 week elk hunt.

Last year I was 185 pounds when I left to on my elk hunt for 3 weeks when I got home I was 175 pounds ,thats 10 pounds I lost in 3 weeks of hunting and I ate very well..

[budismyhorse]

on a 10 day BP sheep hunt, bank on eating 2k calories a day and when your skinny ass gets back to the truck.......have something hearty waiting.

[RockyMountainHunter1]

A lot more than I consume I assure u.I find it hard to eat a lot when i;m hunting I'm too distracted with the task at hand.I really probably only eat a little something in the morning when my coffee is perculating, then I'm on the road.I never usually get back till night unless I shoot something early.I end up just gorging at night with a huge meal.Lots of water though.usually drink my whole camel pack and then some.