I am going on my first elk hunt in mid-Nov. to Western Montana. What physical Preperations did you use to help you with altitude?

I spent a lot of time in the gym doing cardio exercise and also some weight trainning. I had been going to the gym for almost two years at least three times a week and since January, 5 days a week. I am an active person but I am also a desk jockey 5 days a week. I really wanted to be sure I did all I could to be ready for the altitude. What I did may have been overkill but being in the best condition you can be is never a bad thing. So the short answer to your questoin, work on cardio vascular, whether it's in the gym or outside running (I hate running) walking or biking whatever exercises your heart and lungs. The other thing I learned from others is drink lots of water. I bought a 100 oz camelbak. When we first got to Colorado we walked and hiked and we constantly drank water. I had the slightest headache for about a day and it wasn't even worth opening the asprin bottle for.
We were between 8,000 ft up 11,400ft. My home is at 900ft.

Hope this helps.

Glad to hear you had a great hunt and that you have enough perspective to have enjoyed the hunt without a harvest.

Good luck to you and hopefully you can make it out west again, there is just no experience like it.

You've got a great attitude about it man. My brother could learn a lesson from you as I've never seen anyone as downtrodden over bow-hunting. I just tell him to take a breath and take a look around because it's a vast minority of this country that gets to experience places like this. Hope you can make it back out here soon.

That is an UNDERSTATEMENT!

you have a great attitude. One of my hunting partners is the most unlucky hunter I know. It always seems that he is in the wrong place at the wrong time. He don't do anything different than the rest of us but, it is the type of thing that if he is hunting with someone else from camp and they get into the elk he never has an open shooting lane and the other guy does. His is always happy for the other guy and does more than his share of the work to get it out. I can't remember the last time he shot one himself (well I can but, it is a long story and another hunter with a 1200 yrd claim shot) but, when you start talking about elk hunting he just grins and says "it's the best camping trip of the year"

So many times I have seen guys set their goals of what they expect from the hunt way too high. I have shot several elk and have hunted the same public ground for 14 years (I like to beleive that I have a better than average chance) and my goal when I leave for elk camp every year is to see a wild elk. So far have never been dissapointed.

Now you know why most of us will never get enough. I have hunted elk for a number of years. Have harvested several bulls, but more cows as a meat hunter. I moved from Colorado a few years ago and find it difficult to scout areas out like I could when it was my back yard. I am taking my Dad out for the first rifle hunt this year in the flat tops. We are still attempting to get him his first bull. Talk about bad luck. Got him on a decent 5x5 last year and his gun misfired on a 50 yard shot. I backed him up on the elk and we got it, but it was the biggest he had ever had a chance at. I was disappointed that it turned out that way, but he was just glad to be there. He has shot plenty of cows, but has always wanted a bull. I am hoping we can make it happen now while he can still get around well with our horses and on foot. We are looking for a place in the flat tops where it won't be too conjested with other hunters. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.