Elk Hunting Nutrition

[MtnHunter]

Problem: I work all year to gain 10-15 pounds of lean muscle to be in my best shape before elk season. By 15 days into the season, I'm usually down 10 pounds and out of energy. I'm 6'2" and weigh 170 now (lean build). Historically, I've been 155-160 at the end of the season. I'm pretty sure my problem is that I don't bring enough fuel into my body so it starts consuming itself. So this year, I'm planning on taking on extra food/nutritional weight (primarily spike/bivy hunts) to ensure I stay energized. Looking for your thoughts/recommendations to contribute to this year's nutritional plan.

First off, here's what I've usually consumed in the past:

• Breakfast: Homemade protein powder breakfast bars (similar to rice krispy treats, except with honey bunches of oats, dried cherries, sliced almonds, protein powder, and melted marshmallows). I crunch them down into dense bars.
• Snack 1: Clif Bar
• Lunch: PB, Bacon, and Honey tortilla roll-up
• Snack 2: Trail mix with m&ms.
• Dinner: Mountain House
• Frequently, I find myself at camp after dark without having eaten my daily allotment (even though it really wasn't that much). It just seems tough to get that food down (especially the snack 1, lunch, and snack 2) for some reason.

Here's my plan for this year:

• Breakfast: Four slices of toasted Dave's Killer Bread (5g of protein each) with pb and honey smashed between. Similar to those Honey Stinger waffles.
• Snack 1: Undecided
• Lunch: Undecided
• Snack 2: Undecided
• Dinner: Mountain house plus pre-sliced salami.

+ These supplements:

• Mass gainer protein powder. 14g protein plus 250 calories per scoop. 2 scoops at 8am, 11am, 2pm, and 5pm
• Multivitamins at 8am
• BCAA powder. 1 scoop at 8am and 1 scoop at 2pm
• Electrolite powder (Emergen-C) 1 packet at 11am and 1 packet at 5pm.
• Honey Stinger Chews. 1 pack first thing during the AM hike. 1 pack sometime else during the day while on the move.

Any recommendations for snacks or lunch that could be easy to get down? I know this is going to be a lot of extra weight until I consume it, but my theory is that I will maintain muscle and energy better throughout the season, which will offset the extra weight. Thanks for looking!

 

[5MilesBack]

The food thing is one I've struggled with as well. Bottom line is......I just don't eat as much up there at altitude, doesn't matter how hard I work. Appetite isn't the same, and I don't find much enticing. Even two MH meals a day and a snack here and there still won't get me above 1500 calories. Yet according to a local restaurant's menu, their single serving Chicken Alfredo meal is almost 2000 calories.......for one meal. I guess that dehydration or freeze-drying process eliminates calories as well.

So.........I lose weight come September. Last year I lost 19lbs in 20 days of hunting. It has taken me literally 10 months to get it all back again. So this year I've tried to add beyond that with some excess. I know I'm going to lose it, so might as well pack it on to start with.

Only difference for me is that I tend to get stronger as the season progresses. I tend to not notice the climbs or the distance as much, and cardio seems much better than the start.

 

[Poser]

My 2 cent:

It seems to me that if you want to try and keep the mass on you should look carefully at the amount of calories from fat your meals have. For example, MH meals tend to be pretty low in this department. Since you are limited by weight for overall calories, you are going to want to maximize your calories from fat intake. Probably what is happening is you are carrying a pretty low body fat % and your body ends up raiding your muscles for energy once you burn through your carbs. The obvious solution is to eat more -more carbs, more protein and more fat, but since you have to be selective for weight purposes, I'd focus on getting a high calories from fat exchange in your meals to maintain what you have+ the carbs you need for immediate energy. Generally, the problem is that fat doesn't store super well long term which is why you don't see high calorie from fat exchange in dehydrated meals. Look into making some Pemmican. Its pretty easy to do, especially if you have made jerky before.

Also, I am convinced that these Heather's Choice Buckwheat Breakfast are the perfect backcountry hunter's breakfast: http://www.heatherschoice.com/products/buckwheat-breakfast

530 Cal
240 cal from fat
15g saturated fat
57g Carbs
20g protein

With almost half the calories from fat and the same amount of carbs as a 1/2 cup of raw oats, there is enough carbs to get you up to your glassing spot and enough fat to keep you warm once you get there. The problem with granola and oats for breakfast is that they don't have much fat and only get about 20% (or less) of their calories from fat as opposed to the 45% from fat above. With granola, I find that it provides a good initial burst of energy, but I burn through it pretty quickly and am left running on empty and tend to get colder once I'm sitting still.

Another thing you might do is a keep a jug of whole milk in a cooler in your vehicle/base camp. Since you will be spike hunting, slamming down a half a gallon of milk every 2-4 days would go a long ways. Since you're running yourself ragged while out hunting, you might try eating more like a powerlifter in between with 10 eggs for breakfast etc. Its hard to beat the calorie, fat and protien exchange from whole milk. Its purposes in nature is to provide nourishment to stimulate growth.

Though its probably too late for this year, another consideration would be to try and put on an extra 15 pounds before hunting season in aticipation of losing it. If you weigh 170, try and get up to 185 during the last 4-6 weeks before the season starts doing some kind of mass gain program.

 

[MtnHunter]

Thanks for the replies guys. 5MilesBack, sounds like we're in the same boat with having difficulty getting calories at altitude. Definitely jealous that you get stronger through the season though!

Poser, great recommendations. I've lived in CO and WY my whole life and can't believe I didn't know the difference between pemmican and jerky until I just looked it up. Sounds like a great energy source. The Heather's Choice breakfast is certainly something to try as well. I hear you about the granola and oats - seems to just get my metabolism going and leave me starving an hour or two later. Also, good idea about loading up on eggs, etc. while not in the field.

Much appreciation guys, and best of luck to you on your hunts.

 

[5MilesBack]

Also, I am convinced that these Heather's Choice Buckwheat Breakfast are the perfect backcountry hunter's breakfast: http://www.heatherschoice.com/products/buckwheat-breakfast

Thanks for the tip. I'm gonna try some of those, but I'm not a big breakfast guy. Makes me nauseous to eat something right after getting up, but my lunch is usually gone at about 9am when hunting. So maybe I'll just pack these and eat them at 9 or so.

Also instead of pemmican......you can also cook up a bunch of bacon and wrap it in a paper towel and put it in a gallon ziplock. I cook up a few pounds before leaving the house and eat it over a few days for snacks. Love my bacon!

 

[elkyinzer]

I'm in about the same boat, my first trip I left around 185 and came back 160 after a week and a half! Now I am to where I really have to work not to lose even 10 pounds, when I get below 175 I start to feel my energy levels crashing. I've tried getting up to 190 before also but I just feel weighed down at that point, 180 is my most athletic weight. For me backpacking food pretty much sucks, so I just try to slam as many calories as efficiently as I can.

What you've consumed in the past looks almost identical to what I took the first time. I learned on about day 2 that I was sick of peanut butter and couldn't shove down another uncooked cold and clammy tortilla the rest of my life.

I picked up a granola bar recipe that is similar to a clif bar but I really like them more. Those are my snacks/lunch now. It has lots of shredded coconut, peanut butter, nuts, seeds - high cal stuff in addition to a whole grain carb base.

Little things here and there because I think with my metabolism I need around 3000+ cals per day mountain hunting to sustain weight, which is tough eating out of a backpack.

I like salty snacks so I've been known to pack a bag of cheez its or chips up the mountain...taking stuff you'll actually crave, but a little shittier to pack is better than packing crap you won't eat and end up packing out.

I try to eat a pouch of salmon or tuna with my MH to add some protein. Never been into the protein shake or supplement thing but that would be good calories too. I dump a tablespoon or two of olive oil in my mountain house to add some fat calories.

Breakfast is tough for me - I'm not a big breakfast eater to begin with especially that early so I usually just choke down two packets of oatmeal with some powdered milk, slug some coffee and hit the trail. That's the biggest meal I would like to find something better. That Heather's choice thing looks good, but I'm not paying $8/day for breakfast.

 

[Sethpruitt01]

I know it's heavy in relation to backpacking specific foods, but on a few backpack trips this summer, I vacuum sealed raw bacon cut it half, and got a little egg carrier thing, and found out that Idahoan makes dehydrated hash browns, and started cooking fresh meals, the bacon kept well over the course of a few 3 to 4 day 90+ degree California summer trips, and having that to cook and eat was refreshing and filling every time. It's probably too slow and big for hunting breakfasts trying to get on the move early and all, but it will definitely remain a staple in my pack from now on, for at least dinner on the first few nights. I think three meals worth is all you would want to bring due to weight, but the extra fat and protein from the bacon and eggs might be worth it at the beginning of a trip for you. Also, Nalgene makes little 4oz bottles that seal perfect and are great for oil you could bring olive or coconut oil to add some extra fat to Mt house or any other meals you have without too much weight penalty.