stock use for hunting

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

Im in

I think Robbie has really nailed this in his blog hunts with horses, some of the best ideas Ive seen anywhere. I am set up backpack style ultralight with my 2 mules and pack hunt every year. I agree on getting in with horses ist always great wether you tag out or not. We will be up in the hills alot this year so expect some updates and stories from me for sure. Im saving for that tipi stove set up right now and cant wait.
Madx is my only hunting partner and we have had some great trips with and without the animals.

 

[robby denning]

Hey all,
OK, we get it. We're working on starting a backcountry stock forum in the next few weeks. Like 2rocky says though, without your input, these tend to die off so we really need as many people on the forum as possible to justify the space. I'm thinking I'll even add goat packing to the list so we can get those three guys too (joke)

Be great to share tips and photos.

Here's the tip I'm gonna post.

Don't pack eggs even in the fancy foam padded box. God did not intend man to eat eggs in the backcountry. Ride the Gros Ventre trail and you can see all the horse wrecks by the egg shells scattered about.

Talk soon and thanks for the feedback.

 

[idahoelkhunter]

2 thumbs up !!


Mark

 

[rayporter]

i hope it works out.

 

[cowboy]

Hey all,
OK, we get it. We're working on starting a backcountry stock forum in the next few weeks.
Here's the tip I'm gonna post.

Don't pack eggs even in the fancy foam padded box. God did not intend man to eat eggs in the backcountry. Ride the Gros Ventre trail and you can see all the horse wrecks by the egg shells scattered about.

Talk soon and thanks for the feedback.

Been packing eggs for 40 years without much damage. #1) If you have a dozen eggs in the cardboard type container, open the lid and fill all the empty space with oats and reclose the lid. Never pack them in your panniers standing upright. #2) Safest way is to break the eggs at home into a regular wide mouth water bottle, pour them out one at a time when you get into camp. You can get a lot of eggs in a quart water bottle.

 

[mntnguide]

Freeze liquid eggs..always had eggs on packtrips this way..the method above of breaking them into a container works great as well. ..when packing cartons of eggs, I have always just wrapped a full carton in a towel..paid attention to where and how i pack it along with what its packed next to...and not put it on the young mule in the string! never really had a problem getting eggs to camp.

 

[robby denning]

See, we're already learning from each other! I can smell the bacon and eggs now.

 

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

Great deal, i like the idea of all animal packing, I love seeing the guys use goats and lamas as well. Never seen them out on the trails but any hunting story that doesnt involve a truck or rhino I want to hear it. I think I will have a few good tips on keeping up on your craft while holding down a full time job and keeping yourself in shape as well as the house and family.
I have 2 trips in this year already scouting and keeping miles on the Mules, with 3 more planned this month I will contribute for sure. Still staring at that seek outside tipi every other day, almost time to pull the trigger.

 

[rayporter]

yep -those liquid eggs do work!

no shells to break

no poop to pitch

just punch a hole in the sonxxxxx

 

[madx250]

Well alright! Looking forward to the sub forum.

 

[live2huntelk]

1. Interested in hearing who high-lines, hobbles, and who uses electric fences at camp?
2. Has anyone had horse encounters with bear, coyotes, mountain lions, wolves,.... at camp
3. Interested in horse packing philosophies....(panniers w/ liners to help pre-weigh and get a balanced load going in, etc), how much weight to pack on each horse, and any other packing words of wisdom.

 

[mntnguide]

1. Ive used all the above through the years.. Hobbles work find as long as you use them in areas that wont be to difficult. I know of someone who has had a horse step through a hobble and drown in a deep creek through a night. . I prefer not to hobble if i can get away with it. While guiding pack trips I always turned all my 20-30 head of stock loose and kept up 1 horse through the night to find them in the morning..pack a little sweet feed that they get used to getting when the come back to camp, and usually they came in on their own after feeding safely all night. I prefer this because i know each animal is getting as much food as needed and necessary water to prevent problems with colic. Now that option is not really feasible for most DIY hunters, so if you have a smaller amount of stock and ample feed in the meadows..Electric fence is a great option that i like a lot. Just dont put all your ponies in there at a time...jail break means you are walking a long ways!

2. I spent the past 5 years living in grizzly country all summer and fall with stock, so bear encounters were plentiful. As long as you have horses that have seen them before i never really had issues...Some of my mules would honestly go out and try to chase bears they hated them so much. Never had a problem with them trying to attack or anything. Have had wolves follow me into camp in the dark chasing my stock...they werent to high on my liking list after that night. All in all, predators never really bothered my stock due to them being in the hills so much they got used to seeing everything...now that being said, a horse that hasnt smelled or seen a predator much could be one heck of a rodeo!!

3. I like a mixture of both sawbuck(pannier) style packing and also the Decker style. You only really see the decker in Montana and Idaho as it was developed for hauling heavy loads of ore many years ago. Both have their place and I just prefer how much more protective the decker saddles are to my pack animals over wooden crossbucks. But I will happily use a mixture of both types...If someone doesnt have much experience with packing, the sawbuck is the easiest to do and you will want to make sure your loads weigh even, whereas the decker you do not need to weigh loads and they can be different weights, but it takes a trained eye to know when they ride right or need adjustment that just comes with time in the saddle....Sorry for the long winded response! but i sure do love pulling strings of ponies through the mountains!!

 

[BradySC05]

Who makes the best packing tack? Looking for some upgrades, and would really like to start packing with deckers.

 

[Robster]

There is a sub-forum that talks about all of this now. Here is the link to it.

Backcountry Stock

Go in heavy, come out heavier

rokslide.com