Cant wait for animal packing forum

Joined
Jan 23, 2014
Messages
362
Location
AZ
Lets talk about stock containment in the back country. I myself use all types, I really prefer the electric fence method. I occasionally use hobbles but only when I am present and for a few feeding hours then they go back in the fence. I always have a highline with me as well. When I am not with the animals and leave to hunt I will hobble them inside the fence just to be sure Im not set afoot. I dont worry about a long hike but more about my animals. They are my partners and my only company alot of the time and really a part of my family. Here are Teddy and Tater my hunting team.
One of the best things I believe the fence gives is what you see in the photo, My animals will roll many times after a long pack and I think this is essential for their recovery. Just like humans animals need after workout stretch.
 

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That's great, and good timing. I'm looking at getting my first pack mule this summer, and am very eager to learn as much as I can about packing and taking care of them on the mountain. My wife is quite experienced with horses, but has never packed. I'm a novice when it comes to these four legged creatures. I've been drop camped with horses/mules before, but never had to take care of them myself and look forward to getting into it. If you have any good resources to share, I would appreciate it.
 
sounds about like i have come to do things.

i hate to see stock highlined with everything tramped down.

i had to cut a guys horse loose that was tangled up in a highline once. he was no where around.
 
We only hobble our horses. camp where theres good food and never have to go looking for horses. Riding horses for the day, get tied to a tree, they have fed all night, no need to eat.
 
There is an endless amount of information out there, tons of books to read and videos. Check out outfitters supply for some dvd and books on packing. I see 2rocky is on here and he will have some great info. Robby of course is an animal when it comes to pack hunting. His set up changed my whole plan last year.
I would also recomend looking into the movie (which is not out yet but soon) and book called unbranded. 4 colledge age guys and camera men pack 3000 miles from Mexico to Canada and they are very candid about the dos and donts along the way. The smallest thing can cause real problems for your animals.
I am in the process of building a pack dummy (55 gallon drum with legs) so I can practice knots and hitches. Ill get Pic when im done, there should be some on the internet, its a great way to teach or just keep up the craft. I know in AZ it is a lost art, I have only ran into 1 other packer in 4 years when Im out and I only know of a few that do it regular.
 
sounds about like i have come to do things.

i hate to see stock highlined with everything tramped down.

i had to cut a guys horse loose that was tangled up in a highline once. he was no where around.


On the tramped down note unless you are moving your stock every 20 minutes or just hobble I dont see how its possible to camp without leaving an impact, the best thing to do is to use an area thats already torn up. It doesnt take but an hour for my 2 to strip mine a patch of grass. If Im gone all day hunting they can really decimate a spot. I try to use the same spots when possible. Theres always some ground thats just dirt or rocky enough.
 
is that one where the guy breaks his leg on day one??

Its been a while so I dont recall that but its possible, I know they got into the cholla bad down south and one guy got booted and was out for a few weeks. I think it was fitz that got water born illness. One of the worst issues was when a halter was left on over night and the horse got its rear foot caught in it while itching. Tore some muscles and it was out for the trip.
 
i dont give a hoot about impact when i see an animal abused. i went through that phase where i figured i could tie them and ' they got all summer to fatten up'

if ya cant feed em, ya dont need em.
 
There's a great book available by Smoke Elser, called Packing in on Horses and Mules. I'd recommend it. I personally use the 'one front foot' picket method. Works better than hobbles or high line in my opinion.
 
There's a great book available by Smoke Elser, called Packing in on Horses and Mules. I'd recommend it. I personally use the 'one front foot' picket method. Works better than hobbles or high line in my opinion.

Just curious to why you think picketing works better than hobbles? Our horses feed and drin at will all night long.
 
There's a great book available by Smoke Elser, called Packing in on Horses and Mules. I'd recommend it. I personally use the 'one front foot' picket method. Works better than hobbles or high line in my opinion.

Just curious to why you think picketing works better than hobbles? Our horses feed and drink, at will all night long. Always good to hear how other people do things in the back country.
 
I'm just getting into packing as well . Been around horses and mules quite abit but this is my first year packing them. It's a new ballgame compared to just saddling up and getting down the trail for sure. I look forward to hearing what you veterans are discussing
 
What fencing system is proven? I like the idea and am trying to sort through available options online and looking for the one that's best. Charger, poles, tape/wire, grounding, bungee cords for trees etc. I don't have a packstring, just a couple and need something easily packable and reliable.
 
the pic of MPH with 2 strands should give a clue. mine run against 2 strands year round on 20 acres i lease. the tape does not pack well but is the most visible. i pack the string on a ski rope winder because i can get more on it and a couple of winders will almost cover an acre. a note- i cut my fence and splice with knots frequently and knots do degrade the continuity of the power. just saying.

i put one strand about knee high and one chest high. low is necessary because they hesitate to cross low wires if there is a second chest high. i dont mind ankle high even, if necessary. high wires will get many [ mules especially] ducking under, hobbles help with the duckers cause they know they might get lit up half way under. some of this is due to the nature of equines pushing or fighting against any pressure or pain.

there are few fencers available now that run on D batts. you can carry a small gel cell, like for game feeders if you wish, but D cells will run for weeks. the fencer i used to use got smoked by lightning and i cant find another. it held six D cells and was a hot one. the ones that hold 4 D cells dont seem to nearly as hot, power wise. i have not used the double D batt fencer but am suspect of it being enough. just a hunch.
there are kits sold at many farm stores that will do it all, but all need is wire and a fencer. a spike can be your ground or if you forget that just dig a trench and bury some wire for a ground. keeping the ground rod wet helps in sandy country, too.
i have carried a roll of wire and cut a branch to wind it up many times. some of the kits have a spool in them to roll up the wire but it looks rather bulky to me. since i done have one i cant comment. still the kit will get you everything you need. a fence tester is not a bad investment for the size and weight, either. [ unless you can get your bud to do the testing] and dont test with rubber shoes- do it barefoot, after all they got four ground rods nailed on their feet.

i dont carry posts back into the high country but have them at the truck. i just string the wire rope through the bushes with no insulators at all in camp. if trees are spaced right you can use hay string to tie the wire to and it will insulate the fence. for a gate i tie a stick to the wire and loop it over the wire on the opposing side. bungees are a good idea!
 
Build your own fence system or buy a kit? I'm game for whatever works. I want my animals as secure and we'll cared for in the backcountry as is possible. Made my first backcountry trail trip this past weekend. Rode 22 miles and had a base camp at our rig and trailer. Brought some feed and let horses graze supervised on lead ropes. It was a bit cumbersome and not doable in a true backcountry camp.
 
thats good practice. go several times to understand what works. make mistakes now. run them against the wire now a lot so they know what it is.

as far as kits go, not me. but if you are really new it is a fair deal. the zareba B10L1 is probably the only choice for most folks out there now. available at TSC and a lot of farm stores. it is the 4 battery model. the posts that MPH shows in his pic are light and a little weak or flimsy. but about all you can really carry into the backcountry. at the truck i keep 2 T posts for corners, in case trees are too far away.

another way to roll up wire is the extension cord holders at wally world. the kind that look like a big H. they pack flat but are a pain to reel and un reel. nothing is prefect. the winders in the kits are nice but hard to pack away from the truck. nothing is prefect.
 
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