How far would you hike?

[PeaceRegionInfo]

What is the maximum distance you would be willing/able to travel by foot (after accessing a general area by jet boat, ATV, truck, float plane, etc) to hunt sheep?

[Tenacious Billy]

Time permitting, I'm guessing I'd walk as far as I needed to go to find sheep.

[new hunter]

I did 4km then return as a scouting trip on monday , looking for deer sign. If I had a tent and the weekend then who knows

[frenchbar]

as far as i had to ..time permitting of course .

[IronNoggin]

As far as is required for the "Right Sheep"!
My Crew & I have hiked (mountain climbing basically) for days upon end up some pretty tough stuff in a handful of our hunts. Always well worth it if you find what you're looking for! http://bestsmileys.com/thumbs/7.gif

Cheers,
Nog

[Jagermeister]

It's all time relevent.
32km is a hard day hike, going from sun-up to sun down at a fast clip with few breaks and distance is the only intention. Eight kilometers per day over a 4 day period is not a hard hike providing you're not hardscrabbling steep terrain or fording lots of streams.
I think a lot of people have a misconception of the distance that they travel daily. Strap a pedometer on, calibrated to your stride, and you will be suprised at how far you walk daily. You will find that you are travelling about 6 to 8 km a day unless you are leading a very sedate desk bound life.
Factor in a quest, and you will find that a hike of 10 to fifteen klicks if very doable. The young guys will find it quite easy, us older dudes have to have more determination.

[325]

Walking in 32 km would be alright, walking out 32 km w/ gear and sheep would be a bitch, but probably worth it!

[Fisher-Dude]

I'd probably not shoot more than 400 yards, so I'd hike about 402 yards from the truck, unless I can ride the quad for retrieval of the animal, then the hike would be 2 yards. :D

[Ubertuber]

32K is not that huge a distance if you're in for a week or so.

[Big Lew]

Seems to be a bit of confusion about distance per day, or total distance for the trip going in. Total distance going in would depend on the terrain, such as good trails in open alpine, or messy, snarly bush and deep ravines and canyons.
Going 10 or more kms a day to get to, or while hunting, in steep rugged sheep country is strenuous, but the same distance coming out with gear and an animal is for the very fit only.

[BlacktailStalker]

The distance is irrelevant really... the weather (heat) is the deciding factor as to whether you can get your 'prize' out before it ruins.

[Farmer]

I voted 16km. I have hiked in that far looking for sheep and on occaision close to that for deer. If it took farther, I would probably consider it, but at 50 and with one bad knee, those long hikes may be a thing of the past. The second trip back in for the extras that didn't fit with the meat on the first pack out is the killer.

[bighornbob]

I wrote down 16km but most of my glassing is done from the seat of the truck or leaning over the hood, so you probably couyld figure out how far I would have to hike.:):) Before you roll your eyes, I have a couple of rams on the wall to show off my glassing skill.

You have to remember its not far you hike but how well you glass.

BHB

[emerson]

I put 8 km. Without a trail, carrying a good sized pack, that is a lot of work, especially in the type of terrain sheep live in.Then, after the thrill of success, (hopefully) an animal has to be added for the return trip. The length of time you have to devote to the hunt begins to be the limiting factor. Also, the level of fitness required is beyond 2-3X a week on the stair master for a couple of months prior to the season. For the first one I would push harder, probably too hard for a comfortable safety factor, but after that I'm sure I would get smarter.

[Darksith]

It is all terrain dependant IMO. 32km in 1 day means your walking flat easy ground. Toss in some ridges, maybe a creek and some muskeg and I won't do 32km in a day anyway. Ive spent a lot of time walking in the bush all over the province with a hip chain on my side, and 32km doesn't seem realistic. Granted that I was only working an 8 hour day, but to put 10km on the hip chain in an 8h day would be a good days travel, to triple that seems unrealistic. Just my 2 cents though. You may think your going farther than you really are maybe. The hip chain doesnt lie, but then again I have stumpy legs lol.

[Slee]

I wrote down 16km but most of my glassing is done from the seat of the truck or leaning over the hood, so you probably couyld figure out how far I would have to hike.:):) Before you roll your eyes, I have a couple of rams on the wall to show off my glassing skill.

You have to remember its not far you hike but how well you glass.

BHB

Thats hunting in a nut shell. So many guys walk, atv, drive past game without looking. If you slow down and glass till your eyes fall out, you would be surprised at what you might have missed out on.

[BillyBull]

Walking in is usually easy as your excited etc.. coming out fully loaded and walking more than 8-10k could be a life time of aches and pains... I would stick with the 8k range but I'm 50+ now and not as aggressive as in my youth.

[TSW]

Are we talking one way or round trip?

[sako_300]

I'm willing to bet the majority of people who voted 16/32km don't understand what 16/32km is with ~70lbs (going in) on your back...

[BromBones]

On a good trail, 32 km is do-able with 60 lbs, but if an area required a 32 km hike just to get into sheep from base, then I wouldn't be going there unless I have more free time. Have gone half that distance in a day on good trails and been up on the mountain looking at sheep by evening, and that wasn't too bad.

If I only have 10 days total for the hunt, I don't want to potentially spend 4 of them just walking to get to the sheep and get back to base camp.

[dana]

I've had tons of job sites where just to get to work was a 5+ km hike in one way. And then all the hiking the job entails after you get there. Then the hike back out at the end of the work day. Not uncommon to work further out in a given day. Layout 2 kms of road ribbon at the end of that 5 km walk in. Now you have a 7 km hike out. Only to go back in the next day and hike the 7 to layout another km or 2. I've done this day in and day out in every kind of weather or snow conditions. So 32 kms in a 14 day hunt, not that big of a deal. A guy can cover a lot of ground in a day if you are used to it.

[pappy]

I used to do lots of hiking and have to work hard while packing 50lbs min. It was 70 pounds at the start of every hike in. That was single stem logging a few years ago, I have been doing my apprenticeship for three years now so I can't work that hard anymore without building up to it. I have an easier job now so I'm out of shape:)

[boxhitch]

I put down four kms.
Can't expect the ponies to go all the way to the top.

[proguide66]

I often think of being dropped off 'somewhere' with NO damned horses to return to and re surface 'somewhere' up to a possible month later for a ram. God only knows how many km that would end up being ,but the freedom with no horses would be cool...as long as the food held up and hopefully some char along the way. climb a ridge see another one , cross it , see another one , ect ect..sleep anywhere..glass for days...sleep for a day , on and on.....would be cool.

[Big Lew]

I often think of being dropped off 'somewhere' with NO damned horses to return to and re surface 'somewhere' up to a possible month later for a ram. God only knows how many km that would end up being ,but the freedom with no horses would be cool...as long as the food held up and hopefully some char along the way. climb a ridge see another one , cross it , see another one , ect ect..sleep anywhere..glass for days...sleep for a day , on and on.....would be cool.
Until you got that monster trophy ram eight or nine mountain ridges away!

[wos]

Until you got that monster trophy ram eight or nine mountain ridges away!

You may be able to eat the whole thing before you get back to the truck:)

[Flingin' Sticks]

I put down 8, but only because the next option was longer than I'd like. I've hiked (loaded) on good trails up to 15km in a day without too much trouble. Problem is, you've got to get back down at the end of it...

Great Quote I heard (relating to Mountain Climbing, but I've applied it to a couple of backcountry trips) "Getting to the top is optional...getting back down is mandatory"

[hunter1947]

16K for for me gets you back into no mans land 32 is a little to far for me at my age if I was a young man 32 would be my vote..

[boxhitch]

I often think of being dropped off 'somewhere' with NO damned horses to return to and re surface 'somewhere' up to a possible month later for a ram. God only knows how many km that would end up being ,but the freedom with no horses would be cool...as long as the food held up and hopefully some char along the way. climb a ridge see another one , cross it , see another one , ect ect..sleep anywhere..glass for days...sleep for a day , on and on.....would be cool.Have had that dream too. I think it comes about while sitting on top, looking at those peaks waaaay out there, knowing The Big One is just over the next ridge.
Resupply would be easy , just have the pilot drop off another cooler.

[bigwhiteys]

32km is like 19 miles. If a guy could make 19 miles in sheep country, with loaded pack in one day (going in) he is a machine, and shouldn't be hunting. You should be in a human performance research lab!

I would say 10 miles from mode of access would be a good ballpark. We can do 10 miles in a day with loaded packs, but I won't lie, it hurts!

BHB said it, anyone walking in a great distance is walking by sheep. I've probably walked by all-kinds, some we knew about, others not.

Carl

[proguide66]

Until you got that monster trophy ram eight or nine mountain ridges away!

Maybe , but theres many many drains that lead out.Sweet part would be NOT having to come out the way you went in.

[todbartell]

I'd go 42km





















http://www.popularmechanics.com/cm/popularmechanics/images/mH/jetpacks-0707-de.jpg

[Wild Images]

Our first rams were taken 9 miles from our drop off lake as the crow flys, we are not crows so it took two full days to get back with camp and two rams on our backs.
Packs were somewhere around 105 lbs to 110 lbs, killing two stones the same day was a hoot and a lot of work and would do it again in a second.
Last year from spike camp to base camp was about a 3 1/2 hour hike with one ram, with a little research on the area we saved a lot of foot work

[Buck]

I often think of being dropped off 'somewhere' with NO damned horses to return to and re surface 'somewhere' up to a possible month later for a ram. God only knows how many km that would end up being ,but the freedom with no horses would be cool...as long as the food held up and hopefully some char along the way. climb a ridge see another one , cross it , see another one , ect ect..sleep anywhere..glass for days...sleep for a day , on and on.....would be cool.
That would be a great trip and i have been looking at doing it myself.There are several rivers in BC and with one of these http://www.alpackaraft.com/you could go way back crossing ranges and eventually hooking back up to the river and then be able to float out.This is high on my to do list.

[whitetailsheds]

I would walk as far as it took. BUT, will follow up on BHB's comment on how well you look around between point A and B. I learned this the hard way, and it took me alot of years and km's.
Quality glassing (preferably with quality glass) and will save you alot of unnecessary walking.
But given the question, "How far would I walk to hunt sheep?" in relation to the poll......32 km.
And speaking of which....off to Cadomin this AM! May have some photos!?!?

[TSW]

I'd go 42km

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cm/popularmechanics/images/mH/jetpacks-0707-de.jpg

And that's with a loaded pack!

[Kootenay Nordic Sports]

33 is the farthest that I have gone in a day. Full pack and over onlyone pass. Hard

[Stone Sheep Steve]

If it took you ~9-10 hours of hiking just to get to this viewpoint, how many of you would hike past the furthest mountain in this picture?

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/044.JPG

Things don't always according to plan...........


SSS

[Big Lew]

If I had the time, and only was concerned with my "going in pack", not with carrying an animal all the way back, I would love to, and even further.

[Wild Images]

[QUOTE=Stone Sheep Steve;924109]If it took you ~9-10 hours of hiking just to get to this viewpoint, how many of you would hike past the furthest mountain in this picture?

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/044.JPG

Things don't always according to plan...........

And that my friends is Sheep hunting, from the pics that walk payed off in spades !!!

[Farmer]

I'm willing to bet the majority of people who voted 16/32km don't understand what 16/32km is with ~70lbs (going in) on your back...

I know full well what 16km with a heavy pack entails. I didn't say it was all done the first day. For me, this type of distance is for a pack in and camp hunt not a day trip.

[bcmulie]

32 km with a loaded pack is a long way, but doable. The furthest I've gone for a sheep is 30 km, and I did that with my (then) 65 year old dad. 70 lb packs going in and over a 100 lbs coming out. Painful, but worth it every time I look up at the ram on my wall. My dad turns 70 next month, and we're planning another backpack sheep hunt this year. If I'm able to do even half of what he can when I'm his age, I'll be happy!

[Mountain Man]

just came back from 10 day griz, 55km from camp on atv, then 10-15km up on foot stayed until 8:30 started hike out each night another 10-15k back to atv, then 55km back to camp, did this 7 days in a row, back at camp at midnight each night, what ever it takes i guess ! never worked that hard for bears thats for sure ! it really depends on the terrain i think.

[wiggy]

All depends on the terrain. Took 10 hours to do 5 k with 50 lb packs in no where land. Also done 10 k in 4 hours on a good pack trail.

[luckynuts]

Interesting poll. Wonder if this will be used to determine new resident sheep hunting areas in conflicted areas? Hope not

One trip off the hwy was 11km for first spike camp. Like many have said it all depends on how hard/long you hunt how well you know the areas and of course other hunting pressures that may be in the area. Though most guys don't get past the first or second drainages from what I have seen.

PS Conrad seen another tagged yearling left ear pink tag number 94. June 2nd 6:21am 3.5 km north of the last one I spotted.

W.

[fireguy]

I have been in over 30 km in by foot power and on more than one time hiked sheep out over 15 km.

[boxhitch]

Interesting poll. Wonder if this will be used to determine new resident sheep hunting areas in conflicted areas? Hope not .The question seems pretty general , tough to see how it could be applied to any management tool. Good theory though.

[Mik]

Willing to travel 32 klicks...you bet! Able to walk 32 klicks... maybe, But once you fly or quad in why would you want to walk that far ;)......just look

[GoatGuy]

If it took you ~9-10 hours of hiking just to get to this viewpoint, how many of you would hike past the furthest mountain in this picture?

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/044.JPG

Things don't always according to plan...........


SSS

9-10 hours, we'd already be halfway there............:twisted::twisted: