Rx/non-Rx meds on the mountain

JFKinYK · Oct 29, 2014

I've read more than one story of a sheep hunter continuing a hunt or making it home due to strategic use of drugs.

What drugs/how much do you recommend to pack? Did you just ask the doc and he wrote a script? Did it take some convincing? Are there OTC equivalents that would work?

Any advice would be great. Already in planning phase for dalls next year.

Becca · Oct 29, 2014

Can you clarify what you mean by strategic use of drugs? We carry some prescription pain killers (Vicodin/Percocet) in our first aid kit, but only for serious medical issues. In fact I think the only time in all our years of hauling them around that I have taken any was when I broke my leg hunting goats in 2010. Anything happens that's bad enough to require that kind of medication, I figure the hunt is pretty much over anyway. I could see taking them for a bad sprain, deep cut, toothache, bad blisters, or other issue and hiking out, but Only as a last ditch effort to help one of us limp out. Or relieve severe pain while we awaited some other kind of extraction. So I wouldn't consider their use strategic...in fact I think trying to hunt under the influence of meds that strong would be more of a liability than an asset as far as finding and pursuing game goes. It's worth mentioning that I am a pretty cheap date, anything stronger than OTC stuff puts me into a pretty thick fog.

I do make use of Ibuprofen and Tylenol as needed when packing heavy loads. Since I broke my leg, it can give me hassles, so I keep an ample supply of OTC stuff in both our first aid kit and in my bino pouch for easy access.

The 10 or so pain pills we carry were left over from some dental procedure, and since we almost never use them I haven't encountered the issue of how to get more. That being said, I would probably explain the situation to my primary care doctor and see if they were willing to write me a prescription so I could keep our first aid kit stocked if we needed more.

mtnclimber · Oct 29, 2014

JFKinYK said:
I've read more than one story of a sheep hunter continuing a hunt or making it home due to strategic use of drugs.

Man i think I'm hunting sheep with the wrong people

But seriously you should clarify, this sounds pretty funny.

Falcon · Oct 29, 2014

Becca said:
Can you clarify what you mean by strategic use of drugs? We carry some prescription pain killers (Vicodin/Percocet) in our first aid kit, but only for serious medical issues. In fact I think the only time in all our years of hauling them around that I have taken any was when I broke my leg hunting goats in 2010. Anything happens that's bad enough to require that kind of medication, I figure the hunt is pretty much over anyway. I could see taking them for a bad sprain, deep cut, toothache, bad blisters, or other issue and hiking out, but Only as a last ditch effort to help one of us limp out. Or relieve severe pain while we awaited some other kind of extraction. So I wouldn't consider their use strategic...in fact I think trying to hunt under the influence of meds that strong would be more of a liability than an asset as far as finding and pursuing game goes. It's worth mentioning that I am a pretty cheap date, anything stronger than OTC stuff puts me into a pretty thick fog.

I do make use of Ibuprofen and Tylenol as needed when packing heavy loads. Since I broke my leg, it can give me hassles, so I keep an ample supply of OTC stuff in both our first aid kit and in my bino pouch for easy access.

The 10 or so pain pills we carry were left over from some dental procedure, and since we almost never use them I haven't encountered the issue of how to get more. That being said, I would probably explain the situation to my primary care doctor and see if they were willing to write me a prescription so I could keep our first aid kit stocked if we needed more.

The 2 times I went to Alaska for moose and sheep I asked my doctor for Vicodin and cipro. I had no problem getting a script of 10 Vicodin for possible back country injury.

William Hanson (live2hunt) · Oct 29, 2014

I keep percocet in my first aid kit 6 or 8. It was left over from after my wife had our son. She never took them and I only took them one time prior to putting them in my kit and that was to see how they affected me as I had never taken them before and did not wish for a bad reaction in the field should I need them. I have never needed them nor taken them since. I do take ibuprofen sometimes and it works as well as I have needed so far. My doctor would more than likely write a prescription if I asked but I don't have any history of pain killer use for anything other than some weird migraine medicine that made me feel weird so quit taking. I would imagine if you have any history of surgeries where they sent home meds they might take a second look.

muleninja · Oct 30, 2014

Only carry Ibuprofen, Tylenol, or a flask of whiskey.

JFKinYK · Oct 30, 2014

Fair enough, that does sound pretty funny.

I'm thinking meds to combat an injury mostly, or an emergency situation. An instance where meds could help prevent an evac by letting the hunt continue or at least let you hobble back to the strip. A severely sprained ankle, I think Snyd has a dislocated shoulder that he toughed out with some meds. Maybe a tweaked knee. That sort of thing.

Yellowknife · Oct 30, 2014

I also carry some left over Vicodin. Only been used one time, and that wasn't by me. Painkillers can do funny things to your brain, and that's going to be something I'm avoiding unless absolutely needed.

Yk

Snyd · Nov 5, 2014

I had Oxycodone and Flexeril (muscle relaxer) with me last year. I took one or the other at night (don't want to mix those two) along with 800mg Ibuprofen after I dislocated my shoulder. Slipped in a steep chute stalking a ram, dislocated it, guided my partner in how to reduce it (put it back in place). Thankfully we were successful. Continued the stalk, ram disappeared. It was 4 more days by the time we finished our hunt and got home. RX drugs at night helped immensely. Ibuprofen during the day.

On the same trip my partner wrenched his back fighting through the thickest alders and willows one could ever see. Muscle relaxer and 800mg ibuprofen and a nights rest took care of it for him. We were like 10+ miles from the truck on a walk in.

I always pack the following and either me or my partner have used them.

Over the counter..
Anti-diarrhea
Ibuprofen

RX
Anti-Nausea
some kind of pain meds
Muscle relaxer

JFKinYK · Nov 18, 2014

Thanks, everyone, especially Snyd. Just saw your reply now. It perfectly answers my question.

I haven't popped a pill of any kind in about a decade...so I'd be reluctant to start, but nice to be prepared for the unexpected.

Rx/non-Rx meds on the mountain

JFKinYK

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