Ultralight horse packing

[Procision Arms]

As a middling backpack hunter with only a little experience in hunting with horses, I've always wondered if there were guys out there who were adopting the ultralight/mobile method of hunting with horses?

Most horse hunters I've run in to or hunted with, set up large, elaborate camps that require quite a bit of time, money and effort. These are generally the same complaints I hear from guys who don't like hunting with horses or think they're a disadvantage. After spending sometime in a camp like this, I see the advantages of being warm, comfortable, eating great food, sleeping in a wall tent or camper with heat, and generally having a much better time than eating mountain house and sleeping under a tarp.


My question is, are there many guys hunting with a simple backpacking camp with one pack animal and one riding animal, or using saddle panniers and walking in one animal, and if successful, you carry out the camp and let the animal carry meat?

 

[Geewhiz]

Never done it but I like that idea. Just because you have horses doesn't mean you need two dozen of them to pack in your taj mahal.

 

[Matt Cashell]

My hunting group does this.

A Seek Outside tipi and stove, backpacking meals and sleep systems, etc.

Saves us 1-2 pack animals (and corresponding feed in the late season) and makes us much more mobile.

 

[fattyboy70]

We’ve also had success with the exact same setup (seek tent and stove, etc). When we hunt for deer we pack one for feed and one for gear. You can go farther and I’ll trade sleeping and eating like kings for less hassle/less critters and no back pains from packing in my crap anytime

 

[KHntr]

That is how we do it too, all the same backpacking gear that we would use without horses, and just add in more first aid stuff, some real food, and maybe some comfort stuff like some high test sippin' likker for when the moon is out....

Last year we went in with two saddle horses and 3 pack horses loaded light. (Too light, to be honest, even carrying alfalfa cubes and oats we almost didn't have enough weight in the boxes to keep them planted). Was a blessing in disguise though, as we had a wreck at the last river crossing and spent 5 days on a gravel bar till 2 of them healed up enough to make the trip out. Those two went out with just empty boxes.

For us the biggest benefit of taking lightweight backpacking gear and going in one horse extra on pack power means not making an extra trip back in and out if an elk or moose decides to come home with us from a sheep trip. Or not having to walk out 30+km with a 50lb pack with a horse stepping on your heels every step of the way.

We did see a few years ago an old boy on his first sheep hunt, with his first horse that he had owned for 3 weeks, a fair way back in from the trailers. He had gear hanging off his horse everywhere that he could get it tied off. Saw a week later on FB a pic of him that his daughter had put up, with a beauty ram tied off to his riding saddle. It can definitely be done.

 

[codym]

This is how I hunt. One horse and one mule, both ride and pack. I may pick up one more pack animal as there are times when I'm packing in drinking water and extra horse feed. Works well. With a back pack set up it's easy to break down camp and bivy out places in 10-15 mile loops depending on trails and water sources. The biggest sort of gripe is that you have to make sure and take care of the horses above all else. I like to stay out all day but with horses I have to come back in the afternoon to ensure that they get watered twice a day.

 

[pbroski]

That's what I'm geared up for. I have 3 horses. One is for riding, another for packing, and the third to bring out the meat. They can each be ridden or packed, so their duties can be alternated.

The way I see it, less horses equals less trouble and less work. My hunting strategy is to carry a minimal amount of gear, utilize quick and easy to prepare meals, and have a camp that is easy to set up and take down.

Each morning I'm able to break camp and move as needed to find the game (stone sheep, goats or caribou). At the end of the day, I can pretty much set up right where I end up, No need to backtrack to a preset camp.

Doing it this way, there's more time for hunting and more time available for the horses to graze.

Along with the usual backpacking stuff, I'll take a pyramid style shelter with titanium wood burning stove, and an ultralight chair with back rest. These items don't add a lot of weight, but are a true blessing when the weather turns bad.

 

[Coues123]

Having a camp that required 22 pack horses including resupply and backpack hunts with nothing but a poncho/liner, I've enjoyed both. Travel light freeze at night is a reality. A 1000 pounds of lightweight gear is still a 1000 pounds. I'll give some opinions here that may ruffle some feathers but with 50+ years of hunting and ranching with horses, I've had a few days in the saddle. If you're going to take stock hunting, take care of them!!! Horses/ mules are meant to work hard but they have to eat and drink. The truth is most horses that aren't used regularly are overweight and out of shape. Don't expect them to be ready for everything if they haven't seen anything. If you have never lost a horse on a trip you haven't been out much or have some great luck. If you never seen one roll down a hill just because it tripped, its coming. When another packstring blows up and a young horse comes bucking at you with boxes on the side of a cliff and you're riding a colt leading 4 mules you are going to suck up some saddle.
Hunting with a riding horse/mule and having a pack horse/mule on the move with no base camp is a great way to hunt. Wherever you end up at dark you camp. Depending on if I like where I'm at, I hunt in the morning a foot or horseback and then go find water for the horses. Grazing hobbles and a horse trained to an electric fence make the trip much easier. Horses can travel 15 miles in a night with hobbles so know your horses. A bear will put them through an electric fence pretty quick so know your country. Decker, sawbuck, saddle panniers, Utah panniers, boxes and manties all work. Use the one you like but know how to use it. It's best to know several hitches and when to use them. If it works for you who cares what someone else thinks. I put my backpack gear in plus a few extra camp items and head out for a week. Rifle scabbard is a critical piece of equipment. I only have 2 rifles that don't go in a scabbard. I've killed way more deer and elk by stepping off and shooting to include bow hunting than any other way. I ride with my bow in one hand with the reins and lead the pack horse with the other. I've killed plenty of Coues bucks over 95 stepping off. There are several ways to put a scabbard on a saddle, use the one that works for you. If you can't pull it out while stepping off, 80% of game will get away. I take my long range rifle with my Nightforce scope in a hard case but I pack it on a mule that has packed for 15 years and know it won't touch a tree. Now if they are bulging I ride up to 200 to 400 yards depending on terrain and cover and tie up. If elk are moving up hill not grazing you are wasting your time tying up. Tie up your pack horse and use your spurs. You'll never out walk elk uphill unless you're able to run a 5 minute mile at altitude. If they are moving stop bulging, he just wants to know how fast to push his cows. Wear that horse out to get around them, then tie up and move like you mean it to cut them off. Experience will tell you when to move fast and when to slow down. In AZ and NM the wind changes every 2 minutes so you just have to live with it.

 

[PNWGATOR]

Coues123,
Thanks for sharing your experience. Looking forward to reading more!

 

[Procision Arms]

A lot of great info here, thanks!

Always good to hear guys are doing what your thinking of and having great success with it. I have a lot of experience backpack hunting and make a living in the horse industry, but haven’t combined the two much. I love the simplicity and flexibility of backpack hunting, but see the advantages of having quality pack/riding
animals. Just the ability to cover that much more country is a huge edge.

Looking back on previous hunts, I see situations where it could have made the difference. Coues123 statement about cutting off elk is one of the biggest.

My major concern is feed/water and keeping them contained. Some of the places I’ve hunted, especially elk, it’s a non issue, but a lot of deer hunting areas would present a bit of an issue.

I really want to trust the Efence overnight, but not 100% convinced on it. I’d much rather let them graze overnight in the fence and then midday with hobbles, rather than a high line and worrying about getting enough calories in them. Or am I overthinking it?

 

[blackdawg]

Having a camp that required 22 pack horses including resupply and backpack hunts with nothing but a poncho/liner, I've enjoyed both. Travel light freeze at night is a reality. A 1000 pounds of lightweight gear is still a 1000 pounds. I'll give some opinions here that may ruffle some feathers but with 50+ years of hunting and ranching with horses, I've had a few days in the saddle. If you're going to take stock hunting, take care of them!!! Horses/ mules are meant to work hard but they have to eat and drink. The truth is most horses that aren't used regularly are overweight and out of shape. Don't expect them to be ready for everything if they haven't seen anything. If you have never lost a horse on a trip you haven't been out much or have some great luck. If you never seen one roll down a hill just because it tripped, its coming. When another packstring blows up and a young horse comes bucking at you with boxes on the side of a cliff and you're riding a colt leading 4 mules you are going to suck up some saddle.
Hunting with a riding horse/mule and having a pack horse/mule on the move with no base camp is a great way to hunt. Wherever you end up at dark you camp. Depending on if I like where I'm at, I hunt in the morning a foot or horseback and then go find water for the horses. Grazing hobbles and a horse trained to an electric fence make the trip much easier. Horses can travel 15 miles in a night with hobbles so know your horses. A bear will put them through an electric fence pretty quick so know your country. Decker, sawbuck, saddle panniers, Utah panniers, boxes and manties all work. Use the one you like but know how to use it. It's best to know several hitches and when to use them. If it works for you who cares what someone else thinks. I put my backpack gear in plus a few extra camp items and head out for a week. Rifle scabbard is a critical piece of equipment. I only have 2 rifles that don't go in a scabbard. I've killed way more deer and elk by stepping off and shooting to include bow hunting than any other way. I ride with my bow in one hand with the reins and lead the pack horse with the other. I've killed plenty of Coues bucks over 95 stepping off. There are several ways to put a scabbard on a saddle, use the one that works for you. If you can't pull it out while stepping off, 80% of game will get away. I take my long range rifle with my Nightforce scope in a hard case but I pack it on a mule that has packed for 15 years and know it won't touch a tree. Now if they are bulging I ride up to 200 to 400 yards depending on terrain and cover and tie up. If elk are moving up hill not grazing you are wasting your time tying up. Tie up your pack horse and use your spurs. You'll never out walk elk uphill unless you're able to run a 5 minute mile at altitude. If they are moving stop bulging, he just wants to know how fast to push his cows. Wear that horse out to get around them, then tie up and move like you mean it to cut them off. Experience will tell you when to move fast and when to slow down. In AZ and NM the wind changes every 2 minutes so you just have to live with it.

This speaks volumes of truth and experience. As I go through the hunting with stock school of hard knocks, I can say a fella should remember this post!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk it

 

[Coues123]

You're definitely not over thinking it. I've had them rub off a halter, break lead ropes, chew thru lead ropes, pull a 3 foot sapling out of the ground when foot staked and many other reasons. There is no guaranteed way to keep them in camp. While tying is the most secure anything can happen. I always keep one tied (I like to hunt horses less in my old age). I've come to rely on foot staking with a chain and a swivel snap on both ends. It lays on the ground better doesn't wrap around their back feet, doesn't go up in the air when they lift their head up. I've used it on over 30 head of stock and never sored or injured one yet. Elk are hard on your electric fence and cows with calves are the worst however it's entertaining to come back to camp and see a big 6X6 laying down in the fence with your horses a 100 yards from camp. Feed and water are the major concern. If it's not there you have to haul it. Horses out on the range generally water once a day. You'll have to figure out based on your terrain, heat, usage and forage how much to water. Now this is going to curl the hair on some pet owners but 36 hours without water on a horse that is not used, is not the end of the world. My horses in the winter sometimes water every other day. If you've never seen a horse stick his head in a trough up to his eyeballs to drink he's not that thirsty. Remember you can colic a horse on cold water. Colic is a stomach ache in easy to understand language. I learned as a kid to give a horse an IV shot. Take some colic meds with you and know how to administer them either IM or IV. I can't count the number of people I've helped over the years with a young out of shape horse in the mountains. I take some lidocaine to suture also. If I'm setting up a long term camp some penicillin and dexamethasone for swelling. Since I shoe my own horses and hunt in the rocks all the time I make an extra front and rear shoe and keep a hammer and nails in my cantel bag. Have your farrier make some extra shoes and learn at least how to nail them on. On a side note don't cuss your farrier if your shoe comes off. I've seen them not survive the first trailer if you put six or eight in a stock trailer. Talk to him before you cuss him to your neighbor. I've replaced and tightened a lot of other people's horse shoes on the trail. Maybe that why I had 22 pack horses to get camp in with all that crap.

 

[rayporter]

my byline has always been "if i can carry it on my back i should have no trouble making weight on a plane or getting it on a horse.

even for 3 day solo trips on one horse with no packer, it should not be hard.

 

[Old and gray]

The less gear and horses you take the more time is spent hunting. All my mules and a couple of horses are picket broke. You can almost camp anywhere with a few head.

 

[Travis Hobbs]

I hunt with my riding mule, and one pack animal.

Using somewhat lightweight gear, one pack animal can still pack real food, more clothes, and a heat source. Not to mention water. It makes all the difference and makes 10+ days so much easier.

A guy can be super deadly, stealthy, and mobile with only (2) stock animals. No more 5 hour loading and weighing sessions, pack string rodeos, and sticking to trails. Plus I don’t need a 3 acre meadow to camp for feed.

Only leading one animal I can basically go anywhere I want.

To each their own. Everyone’s got different ideas.

 

[pbroski]

I can definitely see the advantages of only having two animals versus three. Where I'm going in 2021 for sheep is about 65 kms (40 miles) in, with up to 19 days available for the trip. With my Percheron/QH cross packing, I suppose it's doable even if coming out with meat. The problem would be leaving the 3rd horse at home alone for 3 weeks. He would not like that at all. All this is something to think about, though.

 

[rayporter]

one good thing now is that there is a lot of meds that you can give orally so you dont need to learn how to hit a vein.
you also must know how not to hit a vein for some meds.

in addition to these i would take a roll of duct tape and a roll of vet wrap. i also like some concentrated disinfectant. the kind that a cap full will make a pint of disinfectant.

. I learned as a kid to give a horse an IV shot. Take some colic meds with you and know how to administer them either IM or IV. I can't count the number of people I've helped over the years with a young out of shape horse in the mountains. I take some lidocaine to suture also. If I'm setting up a long term camp some penicillin and dexamethasone for swelling

 

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

I believe Mr Denning has some videos of his set up for two horses, that's what got me down to two mules. Walk in with two. One for camp and one for feed is how I run them. Then after 5 or 6 days I can ride out or if lucky walk out and swap the feed pack for meat packs. Love this set up.

 

[Coues123]

one good thing now is that there is a lot of meds that you can give orally so you dont need to learn how to hit a vein.
you also must know how not to hit a vein for some meds.

in addition to these i would take a roll of duct tape and a roll of vet wrap. i also like some concentrated disinfectant. the kind that a cap full will make a pint of disinfectant.

Absolutely right about meds.
The real advantage to IV is the time to onset of action. For colic meds 2 minutes vs 15 to 20 minutes IM or orally. The colic meds just relieve pain and do nothing for the cause. Generally just keeps them from wanting to roll. A second and third dose may be required.

 

[Procision Arms]

The great info continues to roll in, much appreciated!

I have two mules, was looking at doing something very similar to what you were saying naturalbornhunter, ultralight gear and just lead one, covering country, being quiet and mobile. If I had another person going with me, we could just lead both animals with our gear, then set up camp and ride from there. At least that’s the theory in my head! Lol

Mine are broke to hobbles and high line, but I like the idea of a picket, especially in a few areas I’ve hunted.

At what point do most people start packing supplemental feed? Seems to me that on most archery and early season hunts there should be enough grazing that it’s not an issue til it snows or it’s an area with poor forage.