Competing with horses

[Luziana Feller]

thanks for the advice y'all. this info is exactly what i was needing. i'm really dialing in my game plans. hopefully this can benefit others in the future too.

 

[Sled]

you pull up with only yours boots and pack, and the trail head is stuffed horse trailers...what do you do? looking at rugged wilderness areas.

(nothing against my horse back friends. i just know i won't be able to go as far, as fast and as comfortably)

as an out of towner, you might not know where the horse trails actually go. when i first started hunting elk i tried to go to places that were difficult access. i hiked miles in only to find that the horse trail split off at a few places and went right to where i had worked so hard to get to. the maps don't show all the trails and google earth can't follow them in the trees. only way to know is to go...or be lucky enough to have someone with local knowledge helping you.

no matter the outcome, it's so much more fun than hunting those little louisiana white tail. i used to hunt livonia and sherburne wma when i was in high school.

what state are you trying to hunt?

 

[Luziana Feller]

Yeah I've got it in my blood now and I'm afraid I'll never get over it. I'm heading for CO again. Did you ever do any good in Livonia?

My partner hunted unit X last year and has a decent knowledge of the lay of the land. Just trying to do as much homework as possible now bc driving out to scout just isn't feasible.

 

[Sled]

Yeah I've got it in my blood now and I'm afraid I'll never get over it. I'm heading for CO again. Did you ever do any good in Livonia?

My partner hunted unit X last year and has a decent knowledge of the lay of the land. Just trying to do as much homework as possible now bc driving out to scout just isn't feasible.

yes, a friend of mine had a camp there and it was usually an easy hunt. i kind of lost my taste for antlers there and moved on to the love of the hunt. i'm now more of a hunt quality and meat hunter. if you can get a tag, don't overlook taking a cow home for some meat. they are great eating.

what part of co are you hunting? have you backpack hunted much before?

 

[rayporter]

as a horse hunter I have never understood why so many backpackers tend to camp kind of near horse camps. or at least the same elevation. I hunted on foot after making camp and never found a camp in the places I would have camped if I was on foot. places way up and way off the trail. places where I have killed many elk.

I have stopped at the nearest forest service office and got info on trails-

 

[realunlucky]

as a horse hunter I have never understood why so many backpackers tend to camp kind of near horse camps. or at least the same elevation. I hunted on foot after making camp and never found a camp in the places I would have camped if I was on foot. places way up and way off the trail. places where I have killed many elk.

I have stopped at the nearest forest service office and got info on trails-

I always see you horse guys camped in the very meadow the elk were using every morning until you got there.

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

 

[Mike 338]

How would it be if the trailhead was loaded with cars that belonged to backpack hunters? If you jump-off is a popular place, that's on you.

 

[wymtnpounder]

Roads too rough for horse trailers, places along the road with no parking for trailers, deep nasty canyons,. A lot of horseback hunters are kind of lazy and don't get off the trail or aren't willing to go the distance to get an elk even if they see it if they can't get there stock their. Avoid areas with outfitters obviously as they know the area and the trails.
That being said I can get my horses about any where elk are in the areas I hunt.

 

[Newtosavage]

Get to places where horses cant go


View attachment 95247

This.

Postholing it through downfall isn't much fun, but you can get through some skinny downfall and never see a soul.

 

[Kstitz]

I hunt off horse back most of the time. That being said I saw one of the largest bulls I have ever seen 1/2 mile from the road.

 

[dallinwood]

Get off the trail and make your own.

 

[Kstitz]

I was on foot and 1/2 mile from the trail also.

 

[FlyGuy]

This is good, I’m in the exact same position as the OP. We are backpacking in, planning to float in that 6-10 mile deep buffer zone, but found out today that my plan A area is exactly where the biggest outfitter in the unit places his basecamp.

I don’t want to fight the outfitters with stock, so now trying to understand the areas within my zone where horses become a liability/limiting factor instead of a benefit.




You can’t cheat the mountain