Kahtoola MICROspikes - short review

After a friend broke her arm at the start of her mountain goat hunt slipping on wet grass, I picked up a pair of slip-on crampons to use on my late November sheep hunt. I'll be wearing pac boots, with relatively soft soles, so rigid crampons won't work too well. Another friend, it's good to have many friends, recommended Kahtoola MICROspikes (http://kahtoola.com/product/microspikes/), consisting of a rubber band that goes around your boot, to which a network of chain links and pieces of metal (spikes for lack of a better word) is attached. I gave them their first trial run today.

Kahtoola MICROspikes on Schnee's Hunter Extreme pac boots

Getting them on

Taking them out of their bag (which you will have to buy separately), I noticed that on one of the microspikes the chain links and metal got themselves wedged at a weird angle, and it took a bit of fiddling to undo that. Not a big deal on a day like today, with above-freezing temperatures, but a bear at -20 oC I'm sure. Slipping them on was fairly straightforward, though I can imagine that with cold hand and/or gloves on, or in deep snow, it will be a bit challenging. A bit of adjusting may be required to ensure that the chains are tight and well-distributed across the sole of your boot.

Use

Melting snow on a grassy slopes, and packed icy trails are about as challenging as it gets, and all I can say is that the spikes performed well: good grip at all angles, and no slipping of the rubber on the boot. I went side-hilling for 15 min to see if I could get them to shift on my feet, but no such thing. The only thing I noticed was that the compacted melting snow stuck in between the spikes a time or two, which, if left there could start to adversely affect their functioning, which by the way I did not experience.

Getting them off

Taking them off couldn't be easier, just pull on the rubber at the heel, and they pop off.

So far I'm happy with them. I will be interesting to see if they add anything when slogging through the deep snow, and how they perform on iced-over rock. I will be able to report on that in about a month time.

Rookie mistakes

This could be a very short blog entry: when shooting your bow in the field, make sure you don't wear floppy clothing!

Here is the context for those that are interested. Most of my gear is pretty trim around the forearms. We all know the bow string needs to be able to go through its path unimpeded, or else. So not wearing big, bulky or floppy jackets is a must when bow hunting. And you need to practice with your hunting garb on. So you can figure out any flaws before entering the field.

Yes, yes, we all know that, done that, are ready, and so forth. Enter the first snow storm of the season. Without much thought I pulled an old snow camo jacket over my regular gear and set off to examine a few spots out of the wind that also provide browsing. I have both a muley buck and doe tag this year.

Two identical bucks pulled a switch trick on me, and all I could do was watch both of them go in separate direction, with me standing in the middle. Stalked two does and a buck, but could not get closer than 80 yards, and a circuitous stalk was blown by four moose that had been hiding in the cover I tried to use to get level with the deer.

I was still-hunting around the side of a coulee, when a small doe jumped out from under my feet. At least I'd been quiet enough to get that close. This was a doe of the curious, inexperienced, or stupid kind, as it kept approaching and retreating, circling around and approaching again, feet stomping, trying to figure out what the statue was in the middle of the open hill side.

After about an hour of this I finally got a shot. Contrary to last week, I was steady, checking sight pictures, bow alignment, I pick a spot, release and 'thwap'. Not 'twang', but 'thwap'. Doe walks off. No blood or other sign. In fact ten minutes later the doe was still hanging around.

A straw bale provided a target of opportunity. More thwapping. And arrows landing more than a foot off at 40 and 50 yards. Until finally it dawned on me (I admit, I'm slow). The string was hitting the sleeve of my snow jacket! Take off jacket, shoot, 'twang', good hits.

It appears I'm doomed to make all the rookie mistakes myself, instead of learning from the mistakes of others. Oh, I also managed to misplace the case of my rangefinder, likely buried in a foot of snow now.

I think my range finder case might be in one of those bushes somewhere 

Patience, grasshopper

I couldn't believe my luck, just driving into the hunting area on a oil lease road I spotted two muley bucks in a stubble field, and they didn't spook; a clear sign that rifle season hasn't started yet. As I grabbed my bow, pack with essentials, and binoculars, the bucks quietly walked towards the edge of a coulee, taking a bite to eat here and there. Once bedded down in the buck brush that covers the sides of the coulees they would be impossible to find. So I dropped out of sight and edged along the field to get to a position where I could keep eye contact. Half an hour and some steep climbing up the far side of the coulee later, I saw the antlers of two bucks bobbing back and forth above the edge vegetation. Two hundred yards. With a rifle the hunt would long have been over; with the bow, it had only just begun.

One set of antlers disappeared, the other started ambling along the edge, and then out of sight. Now, what do you do? Wait it out, or move to maintain a visual? When given a choice I always move. It's in my blood. So I moved. And got busted. The smaller buck was looking at me from the edge, and managed to escape from my view when I was glancing to find the other buck. I found the other buck, and it then disappeared when I tried to relocated the first. Then there were two does that just vanished. And in the process of looking for them, I scared the smaller buck out of hiding and it took off.

Ninety minutes into the hunt I had managed to find and lose two bucks and two does, managed to chase off one of the bucks, and managed to accumulate cactus in my left butt cheek. Great going! In retrospect, patience would have been the better option, as the bucks were clearly planning on moving into the coulee of which I had a commanding view. Stalking them might have proven impossible, but at least I would have know where they were.

Buck brush on the side of a coulee can make a deer completely invisible

Long story short of busting a doe, and the same smaller buck out of hiding along coulee edges, I found myself above two does a little after the noon hour. In half an hour I had managed to close the distance from about 60 to 48 yards, measured with an angle-compensating range finder. Wind was iffy, but I was high above them. There was no way of getting closer without alerting them, I was already in plain sight, and at with every step I took I could see the does' ears twitching. Suddenly one doe got up, moved a few steps closer, and turned broadside. At 45-46 yards this was at the edge of my (horizontal) comfort zone. Patience again might have given me a better shot option. Instead I shot, a sharp downhill angled shot, at a distance that of course was a lot further than my comfort zone. This is realized later: actual flight distance of the arrow was likely closer to 60 yards, too far for this rookie, especially given the awkward angle and footing. I shaved some hair of the doe, luckily it was just that, and not a poor hit.

One day I'll learn patience. If anything, bow hunting will help me get there. You can't make up for poor spotting and stalking with a quick shot while the deer looks back at you from 150 yards. One day I'll learn. Maybe.

Physical prep

If you are serious about sheep hunting, you are probably going to have a work-out regime all through the year. I do. I don't believe in letting all the hard work of getting into shape during the summer and fall months go to waste over the winter. So I cross-country ski and snow shoe throughout the winter, and mountain and road bike in the spring, when the high trails are still covered with snow and ice. Climbing a mountain with a heavy pack on your shoulders, however, seems to require specific preparation. It is not just increasing your cardio skills, it entails making your whole body stronger, and prepared for long hours on your feet, while carrying a big weight. And the best prep for that is, you guessed it, long hours on your feet while carrying a big weight.

Because I don't have the time to work-out for hours every day, I try to put in enough time every day to maintain my fitness level during the work week, and do the longer stuff on the weekends.

In my opinion there are two areas that need to be strengthened the most to prep you for the mountain: legs and core. Big biceps are not going to carry you up the mountain. Of course, the more complete an athlete you are, the better, but if you have to choose between work-outs due to time constraints, focus on legs and core.

I train legs and cardiovascular by hiking up a little hill, with a loaded pack every day. It doesn't take long, maybe 30 min up and down, but it sure gets the lungs, hearts and leg muscles going.

Most days I throw in a few sets of push-ups when I get back home, with the pack still on. With the weight now resting mostly on your hips, lower and middle back, this helps both core and upper body strength.

Then a few sets of core exercises, with the heavy boots still on.

A few times a week I grab some dumbbells for some bicep/tricep/shoulder/upper back exercises, whatever I feel like.

That's my 'maintenance' regime during summer and fall, when most weekends include at least one full-day hike up a mountain somewhere. How do you stay in shape for the mountain?

"This water tastes like cow shit!" 

Really, it did. Much of the water we found this weekend in Kananaskis Country (that is in Alberta, Canada for those of you who might now know, and not pronounced "Can-an-ass-kiss", but rather Kana-nas-kis")" had this distinct odour and taste of cattle. You know when you are hiking and you stumble upon a spot in the trees where cows have been hanging out for a while, and you get this very distinct stable smell? That's what all the water was like, except for what we found higher on the slopes.

We had embarked on a brief backcountry trip to look for sheep, starting off on our bikes, pulling our gear in carts. Maybe against our better judgement. The springs floods have ravaged the trail system in the backcountry, bridges have been washed out and many creek beds have turned into miniature canyons. We quickly found out, and left our bikes and carts after not much more than 3 miles and a few very onerous creek crossings.

(Look for the human figure right of centre on the photo for an indication of the size of this wash-out of what used to be an easy ankle deep ford)

After the massive rock and landslides of the spring the creeks seem to have chosen different paths, and it will take a few years for things to settle down, and new permanent flow beds will be created (until the next big flood). So over large areas, water is now flowing over what used to be an old mining road, created creeks where used to be brush, spread out over large flat areas undoubtedly a precursor of the next swamp, and so on.

So lots of contact of water with the dirty top layer, where it used to run through relatively clean and inert rock. Would this be the reason the water tasted and smelled so bad? I would imagine that any cow excrement that would have been present in the area has been washed away with the tonnes of rock, soil and debris and can hardly be the cause of the malodorous fluid that used to be clean mountain water. But possibly, picking up and dissolving all sorts of surface material provides a similar smell and taste sensation?

(One of the many easy creek crossings)

Has anybody out there experienced anything similar? Or would this be specific to the area; maybe sour gas seepage somewhere, that dissolved into the water? I'm curious, please chime in if you have any ideas or knowledge on this topic.

Final artillery check

When dawn breaks after a quiet, frosty night, and there is no wind to speak of, you have to grab the opportunity, and check the rifles' trajectory one final time. So this morning I loaded up my sheep/deer/goat-and-pretty-much-everything-else unless-it-gets-really-big-or-nasty rifle, and its back-up, and headed West to crown land.

My go-to rifle is my Sako A7, in 270 Winchester, topped with a Leupold VX-3 2.5-8x36 scope. This a lightweight package that I just love to carry everywhere, even when lightweight isn't really important. I worked up a load of 130 grs Barnes TTSX bullets over 56 grs of IMR 4350 that is as accurate as I can shoot.

The back-up gun is my old Tikka M65 in 300 Winchester Magnum, with a Schmidt and Bender 6x42 scope. This rifle has killed a few deer, a ram, a wolf, and wears the battle scars from the first years of hunting the mountains in Alberta. It is terribly heavy, and I don't mind leaving it at home in favour of the Sako; but in a pinch it'll do. I'm shooting factory loaded 180 grs Trophy Bonded Bear Claw bullets out of this one.

It was still foggy as I hiked across the cut block to set up the targets, so foggy in fact that the rangefinder didn't work. So I ended up with the far target at 375 yards instead of the intended 400. I shot the Sako at 375, 300, 200 and 100 yards to confirm the trajectory. These are the results, give or take an inch at the longer distances to allow for shooter jitters.

100 yds : + 3 1/4 inch

200 yds : + 3 inch

300 yds : - 1 inch

375 yds : - 3 3/4 inch

Not counting a weird flyer, the group at 375 measured about 3 1/4 inch, well under one MOA, which made me a very happy shooter!

Let the games begin! 

How many layers can one guy wear? - Part 2

The previous post described the ridiculous amount of clothing I intend to wear during the Cadomin hunt. But that ain't all...

Another layer

Paranoia kicks in again. Fearing that I need more, I will carry up the mountain an old ‘down’ coat. When I bought it, my size must have been sold out, because it fits easily over all of the other clothing, and comes down to well over the butt. The ‘down’ is likely mostly duck feathers, but I hope it will offer some extra protection just the same. Maybe I will look at an actual hunting parka instead, something in snow camo would likely fit the circumstances quite well. I also intend to carry a "Heat-a-Seat" cushion to sit on.

Lots of layers, some brand new, some well over a decade old

Head gear

I'm not 100% ready here. I have a light balaclava-type of cover that can form the first layer around neck, ears and head, leaving the face exposed. I can add on a variety of togues, a fleece neck gaiter and a fleece neck-gaiter/hood integrated thingy. All covered by the hood of the raingear of course. I'm debating one of those hats with furry or fleece ear flaps, but likely won't get one, as it disables the use of the hood on the rain jacket. And people tell me I need ski goggles, because the combination of wind and mine grit and dust can form a painful combination.

Gloves

Liner gloves, insulation gloves, heavy mitts over top. I had some stuff in the closet, and bought some at Mountain Equipment Coop. May still trade in the mitts for a heavier pair. I think this is the easiest body part to keep warm by adding chemical heat packs.

Strategy

Dress light on the way up, sweat as little as possible. After the climb, brave the cold and strip off wet undershirt, and replace by dry one. Likely similar for liner gloves (my hands sweat during a hard climb, believe it or not). Pile on the layers, hunker down. Make hot soup for lunch. Watch for rams!

And there you have it, sports fans... in retrospect it might have been easier and more effective to take out a loan and hoist myself into a brand new Sitka outfit. Time will tell.

If you see any blatant omissions in my plan, please tell me before November 20th!

How many layers can one guy wear? - Part 1

Everybody keeps telling me that the best chance of success on the Cadomin bighorn hunt is achieved by staying put. Find a vantage point, hunker down, and sit till dark. This provides a big challenge in terms of clothing. First you need to hike up a mountain, in the pre-dawn darkness, and then you need to sit still in temperatures that customarily reach 0 oF (-17oC) but can easily go down as far as -20 oF (-29 oC). And then there's the wind.

Even when it is really cold, a guy doesn't need too much in terms of clothing when hiking up a mountain. In fact, less is more, as you want to avoid get drenched with sweat. But sitting still in a freezer for maybe 8 hours is a challenge. New fabrics and technology have greatly improved clothing over the last decade, just think of the beautiful systems put on the market by companies like Sitka (www.sitkagear.com), KUIU (www.kuiu.com) and Under Armour (www.underarmour.com). The downside: the price. At the risk of suffering through a lot of cold, I've decided to minimize purchases and see what I can accomplish with what I already have in my closet.

Base layer

OK, I had to break down and spend money here right away. I picked up two sets of long-sleeved shirts and long-johns in a merino blend fabric at Costco.

Second layer

I have a heavier long-sleeved T-shirt that will go over the merino; I need to buy one or two more for rotation. For the legs I can chose between two pairs of 'tights': lightweight spandex, or heavier one that contain 30% wool. I guess the choice depends on temperature and experience as the days progress.

Third and consecutive layers

From here it gets tricky. Do I need more insulation while hiking or not? On the legs, likely not. On the upper body, maybe. The legs' next layer would  be an old pair of fleece pants bought a decade ago at Cabelas. That should suffice for hiking. On extremely windy days I'll throw rain pants over top, either the KUIU brand, or again a ten-year old set from Cabelas with Dry-Plus. Upon arrival I will add a pair of Craft 'warm-up pants' from my biathlon days. Insulated with Primaloft, a synthetic insulator, and fully zippered along the side, it fits over any pair of boots, and should add good warmth.

Left to right: merino-blend long johns, choice of wool-blend or spandex
tights, fleece pants, Primaloft pants and choice of rain pants

On the upper body I may wear a thin Primaloft-type liner jacket and a rain jacket for the hike. To add to the package once sitting down I bought a 700-fill down vest from Browning (http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/clothing/detail.asp?fid=034A&cid=304&tid=766), on sale at CamoFire (www.camofire.com), to go under the outer shell, and I'll bring a sleeveless fleece vest to stick under there if that isn't enough.

To be continued...

CADOMIN! That's what this hunting season is all about. Everything else takes a back seat. Sure, I've chased moose with a bow a few mornings, and even halfheartedly looked for elk around the Cadomin mine during a scouting trip, but all focus and all preparation goes into the late season WMU 438 hunt for a big ram around the Teck Resources Cadomin mine. I have two mule deer tags for November as well, but the quest for a big buck will have to wait until I draw again. The plan is to look for a buck and a doe early on in the month, put some meat in the freezer, and go back to prepping for the sheep hunt.

 I'll put some gear considerations and choices on here as time progresses, starting off with what I consider the most important: boots.

For reference I should start by saying that my feet start getting cold as soon as the weatherman suggests that it might freeze overnight. And my feet are small, smaller than the starter size of most men's boots. So I need some serious insulation, and I have limited choices. And a limited budget.

The climbs and hikes in Cadomin aren't the longest and the toughest. Still, there will be shale, and loose rock, so some support around the ankle is required. There might (will) be deep snow and icy conditions. After the hike up there will be long periods of inactivity. And it will be cold.

Plan A was to buy an oversized pair of insulated leather boots, with sturdy soles, and combine that with heat insoles by Thermacell. Unfortunately, I could not find a boot that could accommodate the rather thick insoles, be roomy enough to allow blood to flow to the toes, and provide sufficient hold for the foot inside the boot. Besides, many boots that I looked at seemed to concentrate the insulation in the shaft of the boot, not the foot. So all that stuff went back to the store.

After long consideration, and talking to friends that have done this hunt, I opted for a pair of Schnee's Hunter Extreme pac boots (http://www.schnees.com/product/2613/schnees-insulated-pac-boots). And because I'm paranoid, I also bought a pair of Arctic Shield insulated boot covers (http://www.basspro.com/ArcticShield-Boot-Covers-for-Men/product/55198/). These can go over the boots after the hiking is done, and in extreme conditions a chemical heat pack can be added easily to hopefully keep my feet warm all day. By the way, if you are ever considering buying these covers, I strongly suggest you try them out in a store. I had to buy a LARGE, instead of the manufacturer suggestion of a SMALL to get them to fit.

I'm skeptical about any solution, but this is the one I'm going with. I may pick up a pair of those traction cleats that wrap around your boot (since the rubber foot of the Schnee's won't accept real crampons) to improve grip when things get icy. You may ask me at the end of November how things turned out.