To be a sheep hunter is to endure, persevere and conquer. Now, do this with just over 1 lb. of food per day while burning 6,000 to 10,000 calories a day. Sounds like one of those latest weight loss programs on a reality show. It is amazing what the human body can endure as long as it has water, food, and rest. Our goal is for you to get up every day and be stronger than the day before. Five pounds of miscellaneous stuff you do not need in your pack should be substituted with maximum calories instead. Successful sheep hunting comes down to how long you can stay on the mountain with the gear and supplies you have on you.
There is usually a transition period for most hunters to acclimatize in the first three days. A tough sheep hunt will require you to push through and keep going. A typical hunter on day one feels good and feels as if their exercise program really paid off, the mind is on a sensual overload. Day two muscles are sore but strong and the mind is questioning your training. Day three the body will want to quit but push through! At this juncture, you will realize there is nothing more you could have done to physically prepare for a mountain sheep hunt.
There is a level of determination and ignorant toughness needed to push through. On day 4 you should wake up feeling better and stronger. With nutritious food, plenty of water, and rest you can enjoy getting into sheep country. So, eat when you can eat, drink when you can drink, and rest when you can rest! This is Sheep Shape and you are now ready to climb mountains and find that RAM.
The majority of meals will be freeze dried cuisine. There are a variety of freeze dried companies that offer good solid meals that are easy to cook, an excellent variety and they tase great. It all comes down to weight:calorie ratios. After that, durability, variety and each of cooking are considered.
We will supplement meals with pre-cooked meats. These will be vacuum sealed and frozen. Using MSR Reactor Stove to boil water, the vacuum sealed bag consisting of precooked meat is placed in the pot and boiled until heated. Then the vacuum sealed package can be taken out and Voila! The hot water is then used for adding into the freeze dried meal and the now heated up meat can be added directly into the freeze dried package for extra flavor, nutrients and substance. This extra meat provides the much needed calories, is high in protein and makes a big difference at meal time on the mountain.
Throughout the day we snack on high protein items such as assorted trail mix, dried fruit, and energy bars. If you have a favorite snack we recommend bringing 2-4 lbs. A little comfort goes a long way!
It is important to eat the biggest meal of the day before bed to allow your body to recuperate and eat small snacks throughout the day to keep energy levels up.
All of the streams have excellent drinking water straight off a snowpack and purified by its descent through the rocks. There is no need to filter.
Our hunting day consists of traveling a minimum of 5gps miles. We stop at the confluence of side drainages to glass, snack, and fill water bottles. Let the Hunt Unfold!
If you have a special food allergy plan accordingly. Look at options that may work for your special needs while supporting the weight limits of a backpack sheep hunt.
There are many gluten free freeze dried meals and energy bars available on the market today. We recommend trying some of these at home prior to the hunt.