Horse wrecks and adventures

[Pony Soldier]

These are getting better. Kind of like around the campfire after the third beer. I certainly agree on roping. My family always shows up to watch when I brand calves. Says its the best entertainment since Laurel and Hardy. I can hit a grouse with a shotgun in an alder thicket but roping a calf just is not a gift I ever acquired - but I try.

This isn't quite a horse wreck but the horse saved the day. My long term partner and I had moved over to some new drainages to see if more elk lived over there. I took one drainage and he took the next over.

As he worked down the hill a nice 5 pt bull stood up and stared at him. His choice was a head on shot framed between a couple trees. He held tight and squeezed and the bull dropped like a rock. He got the throat cut and then noticed he had hit the base of the antler and just knocked him cold. Thankfully he was about out of blood when he started to wake up.

At the shot, I came over the ridge and went down to help. We got him prepped and went to camp for the horses. By then I had a pair for easier packing but getting horses through a downfall jungle is always a challenge.

We got to the bull and in those days we would pull them up with a block and tackle by one leg and then tie the other leg to another tree with a rope between them and lower the elk down until he was about level. If you picked the trees right it worked pretty good. However I got a new block and tackle. It had a nice yellow rope and a 5 sheeve block. It was nice and new but as we pulled that bull up, he had just cleared the ground when it blew up and dropped that bull on my partner. I pulled him out of the pile and sat him down while I fished the lenses of his glasses out of his cheeks. They didn't bleed too much but as his eyes swelled shut, he wasn't much help with the bull. I got the bull quartered and loaded but then how do you get two horses and a blind guy down off a hill in a jungle.

I led the mare, had the gelding tied to her and had my partner hang onto onto the geldings tail. Talk about the blind leading the blind. We stumbled to the main trail and then out the three miles to the road.
To this day he bitches about horse farts.
My dad brought down the trailer and we took the bull to my partners house so he could pick up a set of contacts. We made the round trip to town and back and got into dinner about 10. Just in time to soak his eyes in cold creek water and eat.

When he got up in the morning and ate breakfast the swelling was down a little but not quite enough. So he could see, I held his eyes open while he put in his contacts. Then we went hunting. He was going into the army and there was not a hunting day to be lost.

 

[Pony Soldier]

Through most of my life I rode in a saddle made in Portland, Oregon about 1910. I still ride in it occasionaly and it is still comfortable.

I bought a new saddle in the 80s that someone stole out of my barn. In response, I had a saddle built in the 90s. It was more fun than a mail order bride. I asked the builder for two rope straps on the pommel. He treated me like a nut but did it anyway. On the right side I have an old lariet and on the other side a 1/2" (25ft) of hemp rope. The latter is for saddle packing among other things. He bitched about the 3ft saddle strings too but that is another story.

The country I hunt in is rough, thick and filled with nasty bogs. You have to be very careful where you walk or ride. My son and I went for an evening grouse hunt after school one time and he stepped in a wet spot and went up to his neck. He said if it wasn't for a submerged log he might have gone completely under.

To get from one drainage to another , I stumbled into an old trail that was blazed. I found the beginning and end as well as a few pieces in between. I picked up the west end on a long traverse and was headed back toward camp. The trail skirted the edge of a swampy area for about a mile. Suddenly it entered into a wet grassy area which caused me concern. I chose to avoid it and probably should have got off and walked it out but I was tired and turned up onto a little mound. One second I was riding a 15-3 horse and the next I was standing on dirt and my horse was up to the seat in water. It was so sudden there wasn't even a hint of what was to come.

I pulled my gun out of the boot, removed the saddle bags and hooked the lariet onto my saddle. The other end on my partners gelding. We gently pulled while my horse fought for footing. As sudden as he went in - out he came. I got a stick and the pool was 5 ft deep with a solid bottom and a floating sod top. The mud center was minimal. It was quite a surprise for late November frozen ground. Thankfully it was at the latter part of a long trip because I was riding the hottest horse I owned.

My lariet is not the fancy new ones but an old heavy one that was traded in from the ropers. I tow wood, elk, deer and occasionally horses. And now you know why I have two rope straps on my saddle.

 

[MThuntr]

Several work trips into the wilderness in 2015/16...constant battle with the packer/outfitter's animals. 1 mule was particularly ornery but if he got a treat he would generally behave. 3-4 miles into trip we ride into a burn that is 10 years old so blowdown central. Mule isn't having it with the constant stopping to cut logs out of trail. Mule decides to break loose and jump over everything. Luckily gear on his back was durable so nothing broken. That mule was a constant burden on every trip but usually once he figured out where we were heading it was smooth sailing.

Same outfitter, we saddle up and I notice my horse is a bit bronc'd up. Guide gets on to get the bounce out. Rides a good 10 seconds and gets tossed off. Horse obviously not interested in the trip gets put away while they saddle a new horse for me. I'm a big dude that needs a big horse and big saddle. New horse too small for big saddle so I plop into a smaller saddle that fits. 5hrs of ball crushing agony on a horse that is just as miserable but tiny horse knows her role so she fits in near the back of train. Same trip....horses all know their order except a new addition for the day. He cuts in line and proceeds to anger the horse in front of and behind. Gets kicked in the brisket so hard he goes down on his knees with rider toppling over. No injuries and he gets put in back. Outfitter never mentioned this was a new horse that hadn't earned his spot in line yet. Same trip about half way in, horse spooks for some reason and rider is tossed on uphill side of trail and lands safely in huckleberries. Shaken he decides it is time to walk. Return trip, outfitter opts to bring tiny horse for my fatass so I get luxury of riding out with my junk smashed and poor tiny horse is dying.

New trip same Outfitter/packer but he is late. He had an animal explosion at the corrals before they even got loaded for the trailhead. At trailhead, while getting gear loaded 1 horse (likely the cause of the SNAFU at the corrals) was being noncooperative. Literally saw that guy close fist punch the horse in the face resulting in a huge explosion of gear and an embarrassed outfitter. It rained/snowed all day and we were soaked and freezing when we get to camp. No explosions on the way back.

Fast forward to 2019, different outfitter similar work. Crew is on foot, gear carried by pack animals because we had too many explosions with previous outfitter our employer said nope to riding. Days on the trail without issue. Second to last day was a long hike to an old camp. We make it to camp questioning why we made it first since a long trail hike the animals usually pass us. Soon it starts to get dark and we can hear animals down the trail. Explosion caused by unknown item 2 mules break loose and scatter gear across the wilderness. Takes them hours to collect the gear and animals. Still missing are a bag of tent poles and a low value fly fishing rod. Last day is a 15 mile hike to the trailhead...SAME thing happens. We sit at trailhead waiting for hours. Finally they show up. I discover that a pack rat has nesting in my truck's engine and venting. Little bastard is ground up in motor and A/C compressor. 5hr drive in the heat with windows rolled all the way down. Whole truck dash taken apart to clean and sanitize but years later you still get a whiff of rat piss.

This year we used the same packer from 2019, the animals that seemed jumpy got replaced and the entire season went on without a hitch.

 

[Pony Soldier]

My experience from the 80s was that many outfitters sold off their pack stock after season and purchased fresh in the spring. I'm guessing in this market that is a tough program to continue.

 

[Pony Soldier]

I worked with a group out of Libby and Kalispell over the years. Everytime I pulled into camp, the hood on every vehicle was up. I had never seen that before so I asked. The response was it kept the mice out of the air cleaner and the packrats out of the engine. It also helped if you started the engine every day if you could.

 

[MThuntr]

I worked with a group out of Libby and Kalispell over the years. Everytime I pulled into camp, the hood on every vehicle was up. I had never seen that before so I asked. The response was it kept the mice out of the air cleaner and the packrats out of the engine. It also helped if you started the engine every day if you could.

Definitely what we do at all trailheads. Problem was we had people shuttle rigs from 1 trailhead to another and they didn't follow protocol. That's a smell that will never go away and that truck is forever mine because it would probably be considered hazing/bullying if I pushed it onto a new hire.

 

[mntnguide]

I don't have time to detail some of the better wrecks I've seen, but if you do it long enough, your bound to have them. Most can be prevented, getting lazy and not watching your loads or going to fast for your animals in the string etc... and sometimes mother nature throws you a good one. This picture is the only time I've had the chance to capture a wreck... what looked like good ground turned into a full mud bog. The whole string was sunk. The three red mules were brand new and unbroke a few months before, they handled it very well and let us unload them and get them out and repacked. That day, we were pulling from 1 camp to another, should have taken about 4 hours, but 13 hours later we finally made it. Had to fight early season deep snow in thick trees and tons of downfall from winter. Then when we hit the Yellowstone, it was swollen huge and we couldn't cross anywhere that we usually would. I ended up swimming my horse and string across and told my other packer to take the clients further down for a better spot, ended up finding a better spot for water, but the mud got him. As long as no animals get hurt, i can look back on a lot of wrecks and laugh now adays. You learn from each one.

I've covered a ton of country through the years, and I'm thankful for the horses and mules I've got to drag with me. And I look forward to many more adventures, and sure there will be wrecks, but everytime im coming out of the hills in the fall with a big bull or buck strapped to my packs, they make it worth it 100%

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[Pony Soldier]

I was working in sw montana in the 90s. I had finished one drainage and was approaching the junction of the two. It was about 70 yds of grass between the two trails so I took a shortcut. As I progressed across the meadow the water got deeper . Then I noticed it got deeper as I stood still. I was sinking!! I started back to my starting point but the time I reached the trail the water was up to my waist and rising.

My rule of thumb? If there isn't an elk or beef trail -- don't go there!

 

[doverpack12]

I shot a cow elk hunting with my friend in 2011, we were on two of his parents walkers. My friend is a big guy well over 250 before cold weather clothes, rifle and pack. He’s riding a big 17 hand gelding. I’m around 210 and on a 15.3 gelding. Shot her in early afternoon and had been riding since before daylight. Cross canyon shot down on a bench on the wrong side of the mountain. Had a tough time finding a way down off the top ended up turning straight downhill, really steep with some lodgepole left standing after being logged. My horse wedged my rifle stock on one side of a tree and slid past it. Managed to push hard enough on the tree with my foot and hand that I could pop the stock free. Rifle still shoots half minute to this day. Finally found the cow after following tracks for an hour or two, circled back and she dropped where she stood, I never saw her fall from the recoil and my friend went back for the horses after he didn’t see a bull as elk started to scatter.
Quartered her gutless method then shoved the hinds in my saddle bags with some spare meat in the cantle. Hung my pack off the horn to the left, rifle on the right. We debone the fronts and put those in my friends saddle bags with the neck meat, same for his pack and rifle. Hill was steep enough we couldn’t stay out of the horses way and move fast enough, so we got on and ride up out of there on the route we took down. Hit an old logging road at the top without much daylight left. Still had the whole days ride to cover so we would ride a ways then lead a ways. Made it out late, hung the meat and I had to take off to get back to college being a Sunday night, actually Monday morning at that point.

 

[rayporter]

i was about to comment that we had a lack of pics. that bog mess gives me chills.

once i had a ranger stop by camp and talk a while, early in the morning. it seems there was a mule stuck in a bog near a lake and it had been there for 3 days. i knew the lake and the bog and the bog was not large but that did not matter because you did not have to get off trail very far to sink.

it seems that the folks in the camp by the lake were told in no uncertain terms to do something with the bellowing mule.

and now memory fails me but somewhere near there was a dead mule and it may have been the same one but it also may have been a different year. the folks in camp were told to do something about the dead mule -either burn it or haul it out.

i have passed a couple of dead animals on the trail and never knew that caused their demise.

 

[Billogna]

Tagging in! Lets hear some more stories!

 

[Pony Soldier]

Stock gives you choices- maybe not ones you wanted. But choices.

A number of years ago, my daughter and I had searched every rathole possible to find an elk but the aliens had picked them up. We decided to ride out past our old camp for if nothing else - a pleasant ride.

We pulled the trailer up the main road but lacked the faith that if we took the spur to the bottom we might not be able to return. We turned around at the upper end and came back to a wide spot and saddled up.

Following the spur, we were out about five - six miles when we cut tracks of a small herd of elk. They cut the road and went up the hill through the downfall. We went past them and cut up the next ridge. We got about 3/4 of the way up the ridge and tied up the ponies in a thicket.

From there we continued climbing while we worked our way back toward the ridge the elk had gone up. When we cut the nose of the ridge, a cow stood up followed by six young bulls. Getting my daughter in place took a bit but she got one lined up and killed it.

We got it cleaned out and I started down through the downfall with the bull. She doubled back on our tracks and picked up the horses. We met on the road up the bottom. My gelding was big but towing a bull uphill in 18 inches of snow really worked him. We had a big storm coming in and time was of the essance.

We put a rope from each horse on the bull and towed him uphill in tandom. It was a relativley quick trip
But the toughest part was picking up a whole bull elk and stuffing it into the pickup.

No wrecks but just another option for the mounted patrol.

 

[Pony Soldier]

I can't tell you how many times I have had my horse fall. Behind me, below me, and whatever. Other than that one time, there has never been much of an injury to either of us. Ice has usually been the cause and this last year - snowdrifts.

A couple of years ago we had to run a long trip to see if the elk had started the seasonal migration. We were out about 6 miles and encountered a two ft diameter tree across the trail. It was about 2ft above the trail so we had to go below the trail on a really steep hillside and then come back up. It was a little scary but we made back up. We only went about 30 feet when my mare hit a patch of ice and fell flatter than a pancake. We got off and gathered ourselves and finished the recon trip. The return trip was uneventful. The move had started.

The next morning we got up to 20 inches of snow. I couldn't get the trailer out of the yard. Had to start the dozer and clean things up. We finally got out of the yard around 9:00. We made it to our destination about 10:00. As I was loading up my horse I noticed the fall yesterday had broke the buttstock of my BAR. How I missed it I have no idea.

So back to the house to get my spare. At noon we returned and started all over again. After all that misery we killed two cows that afternoon.

Persistence seems to kill elk.

 

[Pony Soldier]

This one is the definition of a bad day that started out pretty good.

I loaded up my horse and drove north of the house to scan a road that the elk cross on their migration. About three miles up I cut fresh tracks. Because of a grazing fence, I pulled into a thicket and tied up my horse for the day. The tracks picked a well developed elk trail going north. It was a nasty steep place with heavy tree cover, near verticle ravines , and knife edged ridges. In less than a half a mile, I walked out on a point and a herd of elk stepped out on the next one about a hundred yards ahead. They knew I was there someplace but hadn't found me yet. I picked out a big cow, squeezed the trigger and she collapsed. I mean collapsed and fell end over end for 300-400 yards. It took me about 30 minutes to get down to where she was so I could clean her out.

I towed her away from the gut pile and set her up near a couple trees on a small alluvial fan. I worked my way back to my pony and went back to the house to get another horse and my fetch gear. It wasn't 10:00 am yet so this was going to be an easy day.

Because of the grazing fence I had to go down to a lower road to come back up on the other side of the fence. It looked easy and I should have known better. I unloaded and started up the drainage riding one and leading the other. Things were smooth until I got to the head of the drainage and discovered I was one drainage off. I found a trail, got off and lead my stock around the nose of a nasty, rocky, verticle ridge. The other side bellied out into a very nice little grassy basin. In a short time I picked up my tracks and found my elk. I climbed up the trees, hung my block and tackle, set up my single tree and prepped the elk for quartering. Since I brought sheets and mannies, I started skinning her. I got about half done and pulled on the hide and the top rope broke, dumping my whole setup. So now I'm back to square one. I climb the trres and reset everything, clean up the elk and pick up where I left off.

I get her halved and then quartered with each double wrapped ready to pack. With the delays it was now about dusk. I got my loads set and lash cinched, pack my gear and start down the drainage. If I had known what was to come I would have been better off to just shoot me.

The basin was quite nice but as I started down it started to get steep and lots of downfall. The first drainage I went down was so full of downfall I had to climb back up and pick another. I started across the top on a good trail but got cliffed out. I dropped down to the next trail figuring I was going to have to hand saw my way out. As the horses stepped onto the trail the entire hillside caved out from under them sending them tumbling over each other into a nasty verticle gulch. I got down there and sawed out the top horse, pulled the packs and set them asside. Then I led the mare up the drainage and tied her up. This is in a creek bottom with about 4 inches of water and a 12% slope.

I sawed the gelding out and repeated the program. At 2:00 in the morning I decided I would stash my meat and come back with more light and strength. The tumble had split the stock off my saddle gun so I stuffed it into the boot and continued. There was a trail on the left so I took my gelding up alone figuring to come back for the mare. We made it half way up the hill and the hillside caved again and gelding fell upside down in a valley too narroaw for him to stand up. I tried everything I could to get him on his feet to no avail. Finally I came down with the mare hooked onto his halter and pulled him up the drainage. He finally got on his feet and we struggled up the creek half a mile until we could find firm footing and climbed out of the hole. Tumbles like that just knock the hell out of horses.

We lucked out and found a cow trail that I could saw open that got us down to the road. So close yet so far away. There were angle of repose side slopes with three barb wire fences. Back up the drainage looking for a path around the ridge to bypass the fences. After four tries I found away around it and around the ridge into a recent clearcut. I went down to the skid road only to find that the gate had been bypassed and the fence had been rewired tight with no way out. It was now 4:00 am and I was about done. In despiration I pulled out my pistal and shot the wires off. Considering I was in my mid50s it was a miracle I was still standing. I rode the two miles back to the truck and made it home at 5:30, I had some MREs and that was dinner. I crawled into bed and got to enjoy muscle cramps of each muscle group in my legs - individually and at times all together.

I finally drifted off to sleep and woke up around 10. I got some food, grabbed fresh horses and went back and started over. At least the fence was open now. In the daylight, choices were better and I was home with the elk by 1:00pm.

I think that this one represented the worst day I have had so far. It's amazing how far you can push yourself when you have to.

 

[bootstrap]

Yes it is amazing how far the human body can go and when you’re willing to push the limits.

Pony Soldier I would hire you if nothing more than to sit around the campfire and tell stories. You remind me of my grandfather and some of his stories keep’em coming.

 

[Pony Soldier]

Thank you. I have found over 57 years that my peers have nearly disappeared. There is a limited number of us left but we keep going. I figure I have between 15 and 20 years of hunting left. I'm not stupid enough to run for office so I guess I will just have to hunt and mine gold.

 

[LostArra]

Great stories.

These posts should be required reading for any non-horseman who considers renting stock for a hunt.

I am a non-horseman and disappointed that I never had much horse experience growing up. I did spend an uneventful week chasing Wyoming elk in the 70s on a horse from my roommate's ranch in the Tetons. Old Tony was a kind horse, tolerant of my inexperience and sure footed on some wicked trails. We rode thru a wet willow thicket and crossed some grizzly tracks. I asked my roommate if he had a bear plan. He said "You just hold on. Tony knows bears"

 

[Pony Soldier]

That is a very good point. It's my belief that success with horses is partially the bond and trust between horse and rider over time and the knowledge of what a horse will likely do under certain circumstances. The opportunity to rent horses with no experience or bond represents a recipe for disaster. Somebody on the crew needs to have worked with horses at some time. It's not hard but success comes with experience and attitude. Everytime I buy a new horse I know there are going to be surprizes. My experience helps me deal with the solutions.

 

[burrohiker]

My first lesson with a bog sucked. I think its the only mishap I have taken pictures of and prolly the only thing that counts as close to a wreck with burros as you can get.

After a longer than normal winter in central New Mexico we wanted to get back out into the mountains. About mid-june I parked at the Santa Fe Ski area and loaded up for a weekend of scouting for elk and exploring a new area.

We had plans to hike about 5 miles into a canyon through a old burn that I though would hold elk in the fall. It was a older trail into a rugged area that I thought would keep tourists and backpack hunters out. It was also a 2,000ft drop into the canyon.

About 3 miles we turned off the main trail and found lots of deadfall that had not yet been cleared. We covered about a mile and hour cutting and jumping through everything. We made it to the bottom of the canyon in a beautiful meadow in a unburned section of timber.

The creek was flowing really high with snow melt so that cut off any thoughts about scouting for elk. I decided to scuttle the elk scouting and go for a scenic trip instead.

After spending the night in that oasis we headed hiked the 2,000ft climb back up to the main trail. It went well except for I always forget that logs are much harder to jump going up hill than coming down. One burro got hung up but a good push got us over.

Once back on the main trail we had about another 1,000ft climb and two miles up to Nambe Lake. A pretty popular day hiker spot. The trail was alright but narrow narrow trees which became frustrating so we hiked off trail for the most part, avoiding a few swampy areas.

About 1/4 mile before the lake we hit deep snow. I tried to stick to the hikers packed trail but it was some serious post holing and slow going. We found a route around the snow on the north side of the basin and crossed a small grassy area to get to a nice timbered camp spot.

Waking up the next morning we were pretty lazy, feeling all the elevation from the day before, and letting the burros graze on some fresh summer grass. About noon we finally packed up and got ready to head out.

Now the grassy area that we had crossed the evening before was in full sun. It had been in shade most the previous afternoon and I think had started to refreeze by the time we crossed it.

Getting about half way across the 100yard expense is when I first felt resistance on the lead rope, I turned around to see my lead burro sink her front legs in and then rear. The second burro pulled back, sunk his fronts in and froze.

Fortunately most burros just freeze when in a bad situation so I peeled packs off and tried to roll them out of it. As soon as I got one leg unstuck, another would get burried. It took about 30 mins but we got everyone free and to a rocky spot.

Minus a few cut lash ropes, we survived the incident intact.

I still cringe thinking about how it could have ended much worse but now I am extra cautious around low areas and especially areas that hold snow pack late in the summer. Wish it hadn't happened but it happened in the best most learnable way.

 

[Azone]

@Pony Soldier
Great thread, you sound like a good time around the campfire. Really enjoy the stories.