Freshman Class of 2023- who is in it?

[Mykolaivka887]

I have not spoken to him since he is already in the bush and I probably wouldn’t be able to reach him. Plus I have other trips booked for next year at the same time. And lastly, he agreed to hold my price close to my original booking price even though most outfitters have risen their Covid postponements to the new current booking price. Cancellations would be rebooked at the new 2025 prices which would put it out of my price range so I thought best to not bring it up

Got it. I didn't raise my prices for COVID postponements, but I do know that other outfitters did charge more due to those hunt postponements.

By the same token, I don't charge clients more money just because they're victims of unforeseen circumstances. But I do know that there's other outfitters who do charge more money when a client has to postpone a hunt.

 

[schmalzy]

The above post was from Nov 2022 and I’m just looking for any recommendations or comments on my present situation. I started training and I was walking about 8 miles 2 or 3 times a week back in March and I figured I was on my way to my first sheep hunt. At the end of April I was hit with what I thought was a mild case of Sciatica which I had before and figured it would go away in a week and I could resume training. By the end of May it had gotten worse and couldn’t walk more than 100 yards before extreme pain in my right leg knocked me on my a$$. I sought medical care but we all know how long that can take. Started with PT and after a month I got very frustrated and told the Doc I wanted an MRI for a full diagnosis and would go as far as out patient surgery if necessary. I paid for an MRI and reading and finally got the results the end of June. Meanwhile I am freaking out because the clock is ticking and I can’t train and begin to wonder if I should cancel my trip. But at my age, 63, I knew if I canceled it would never happen since outfitters are booking 5 years out. I made a decision that I was going as long as I could walk off the plane and even if I couldn’t hunt, but that is just a plan and still may not happen. Everything was scheduled and paid for so maybe it would just turn into a site seeing trip. Anyway, the MRI results come back and I find out I have a fairly large cyst and severe Stenosis in myL5/S1 Facet which is why my right leg is almost useless. Next problem, find a Pain Managment Doc or Surgeon willing to see me on short notice to see if he can get me fixed before the trip. After 3 or 4 calls which would either not see me at all, or not until September I found one that saw me last week. Finally some hope, but am I fooling myself thinking I can make this trip with next to no physical conditioning. I’m 205lbs and 5’10; and had hoped to be down to at least 190 before the trip and have some stamina built up. Anyway, August 9th I am scheduled for outpatient surgery for the cyst and an epidural. The Doc promised me ”I will get you on your trip”. He claims I will walk out of his office with no pain and will be able to begin training immediately. But that puts me at 1 month before “Take Off”. I’m trying to stay positive and get my gear in order, thank god I got my rifle sighted in and ready last winter so I didn’t have to sight it in the summer heat. This is my first sheep hunt and it was planned over 4 years ago as a retirement gift to myself, but Covid postponed it for 2 years. My biological clock is ticking and my hunting days are numbered, at least for a trip of this type. Any thoughts on my decision here or words of advise for do’s and don’t at this point. Can I expect to make any progress for training with only a month of prep time after the surgery. Anyway, thats why I have been mostly silent on the sheep threads for the last several months, not knowing if it would really happen after 4 years of planning and dreaming.

My vote is go on the hunt. Zero guarantees that you’ll get the opportunity again. Start eating as clean as you can, hydrating, stretching and walking with a reasonably weighted pack as much as you can.

I’d also see if there was anyway to hire a packer.

Rooting for you and really hope you go.


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[Big338]

The right eating plan will allow for weight loss without hardcore exercise. Nutrition is everything from Whole Foods to excellent supplements etc.

 

[Murtfree]

My vote is go on the hunt. Zero guarantees that you’ll get the opportunity again. Start eating as clean as you can, hydrating, stretching and walking with a reasonably weighted pack as much as you can.

I’d also see if there was anyway to hire a packer.

Rooting for you and really hope you go.


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Thanks for the words of encouragement, your reasoning mimics mine exactly that I have no guarantees for the future. I am trying to keep a clean and lean diet because I have found in the past losing 10 or more pounds with diet along in just a few weeks isn’t that difficult. I am doing my PT exercises at double the recommended duration and I can walk about a 3/4 of a mile with some elevation daily before the compression in my spine gets too painful, and I am doing this daily now. This is a huge improvement over the original 100 yards or so. If it weren’t for the pain I could keep going as far as stamina goes. As soon as the surgery is over I plan to add a pack and increase the distance as far as possible. I hadn’t thought about a packer but that would certainly be a huge step forward.

Thanks for the input!

 

[Deleted member 8-15-23]

27 days till my Desert hunt@12,800 feet, base camp. Took 38 years to draw the ca. tag. Dropped 19 lbs. Training. Mandatory sheep meeting in sac. Then it's go time. 8 /19 opener.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

27 days till my Desert hunt@12,800 feet. Took 38 years to draw the ca. tag. Dropped 19 lbs. Training. Mandatory sheep meeting in sac. Then it's go time. 8 /19 opener.

Now that sounds like some truly fun sheep hunt prep - the sheep clinic in Sacramento - and super cool desert sheep hunting conditions at that type of altitude. Obviously, the only place in the world that you can hunt desert sheep above 10,000 feet. But that sheep clinic would be really fun to attend. I envy you.

 

[Deleted member 8-15-23]

Now that sounds like some truly fun sheep hunt prep - the sheep clinic in Sacramento - and super cool desert sheep hunting conditions at that type of altitude. Obviously, the only place in the world that you can hunt desert sheep above 10,000 feet. But that sheep clinic would be really fun to attend. I envy you.

You have to attend or you lose your tag.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

You have to attend or you lose your tag.

I would definitely attend, just for the educational perspective. That would be an awesome sheep clinic, for sure.

 

[schmalzy]

Thanks for the words of encouragement, your reasoning mimics mine exactly that I have no guarantees for the future. I am trying to keep a clean and lean diet because I have found in the past losing 10 or more pounds with diet along in just a few weeks isn’t that difficult. I am doing my PT exercises at double the recommended duration and I can walk about a 3/4 of a mile with some elevation daily before the compression in my spine gets too painful, and I am doing this daily now. This is a huge improvement over the original 100 yards or so. If it weren’t for the pain I could keep going as far as stamina goes. As soon as the surgery is over I plan to add a pack and increase the distance as far as possible. I hadn’t thought about a packer but that would certainly be a huge step forward.

Thanks for the input!

Pm sent


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[eshunt]

Now that sounds like some truly fun sheep hunt prep - the sheep clinic in Sacramento - and super cool desert sheep hunting conditions at that type of altitude. Obviously, the only place in the world that you can hunt desert sheep above 10,000 feet. But that sheep clinic would be really fun to attend. I envy you.

Not the only place to hunt desert sheep over 10,000'. I have a desert bighorn tag in NV and just talked with the bio yesterday. He said there is a band of sheep that live on the highest peak in the unit and that is over 11,000'. Now most of the sheep are much lower, but they do live high in some places.

I'm familiar with the area that guy has a tag. There are sheep as high as he is talking about, but I have also seen a lot of them down around 6-8k in those mountains as well. They are actually tougher to hunt in the lower elevations of that mountain range due to terrain.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Not the only place to hunt desert sheep over 10,000'. I have a desert bighorn tag in NV and just talked with the bio yesterday. He said there is a band of sheep that live on the highest peak in the unit and that is over 11,000'. Now most of the sheep are much lower, but they do live high in some places.

I'm familiar with the area that guy has a tag. There are sheep as high as he is talking about, but I have also seen a lot of them down around 6-8k in those mountains as well. They are actually tougher to hunt in the lower elevations of that mountain range due to terrain.

I've seen Nelsoni rams in the San Gorgonio's of California that were near 11,000 feet.

But in relation to Nevada, I am not aware of nor have I seen a Nelsoni mountain range in Nevada that reaches over 10,000 feet. Which one is that? Which county?

 

[eshunt]

I've seen Nelsoni rams in the San Gorgonio's of California that were near 11,000 feet.

But in relation to Nevada, I am not aware of nor have I seen a Nelsoni mountain range in Nevada that reaches over 10,000 feet. Which one is that? Which county?

Mineral County - Wassuk Range

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Mineral County - Wassuk Range

Got it. I haven't been in the Minerals. Drove underneath them on the 95, but never bothered to look around in there.