What are you doing with your horse at night when backcountry hunting?

[idahoan]

As the title says.....

What is everyone doing with their horses and mules at night when out backcountry hunting for a 2 or 3 day overnighter? Do you do anything different if its going to rain or snow? What is your preferred way to get them fed and watered and keep everyone safe? I want to do this the safest way and I would be so sad if anything happened to my animals. They are my best friends....

 

[jmez]

We hobble them. Can also high line, picket, or build makeshift corral.

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[idahoan]

We hobble them. Can also high line, picket, or build makeshift corral.

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So do they wander off from camp just hobbled?

 

[rayporter]

I hobble and also build an electric fence. they don't try to run under the fence with hobbles on.

for many years I have just strung the fiberglass wire through the bushes without any insulators. just the sound of the fence grounding out deters them for about 6 days.

I have heard several stories of lost animals that were hobbled.

 

[mntnguide]

For small numbers and a couple people, i tie them right to a tree or highline with no 2nd thoughts. I don't care to walk out of where they might decide to leave me. I let my stock graze as much as possible during the days depending on situation etc obviously. Ill also pack in cubes if i think i need it to help them out. I have a late season dream tag this year in November here in Wyoming. Myself and a friend both drew somehow, so we will be packing in plenty of extra feed just to be sure the horses don't go hungry. That being said, i also hunt thick grizzly country and turning a couple horses loose is not something im willing to risk while i sleep. Ive used hobbles, turned everything loose etc through my years guiding pack trips and hunts, which is great for them, but with only a couple animals and myself, i don't feel bad tying them up at night.

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[Salmon River Solutions]

Let it in the sleeping bag with me if its cold.

 

[Deplorable77]

Highline. I also attach a cheap cow bell to them at night time in case something spooks them.

 

[jmez]

So do they wander off from camp just hobbled?

No. They don't go far as long as there is good feed available.
Just need to make sure they are truly hobble broke before you go. Don't need one hurt in the back country.

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[idahoan]

Thanks a lot for the replies guys. My horses are hobble trained and I have tied them up on a high line once just to see how they would react. I need to just get out there and do it. Good luck on all of your hunts!

 

[kiddogy]

Let it in the sleeping bag with me if its cold.

lol.. what happens in the woods ,stays in the woods.

now we all know where centaurians originated

 

[wymtnpounder]

I'll either picket the leaders or put them in an electric fence and hobble the rest and turn them loose.

 

[JP100]

Guiding in BC we mainly just hobbled them, sometimes tied em out on a long line. Always had a few bells on the lead horses.

Some horses can go a LONG ways hobbled, all depends on the area your in. needs to have decent feed and water. and depends how far you are from a track/road/camp/area that they know well.

Electric fences would be an easy solution and save alot of time over hobbles(if they go walk about)

Another option I know a guide has used is GPS dog collars, would save you lots of time if they do go walk about.

Our guides in Kazak used long lines tied to one foot and a small metal peg, worked fine, but alot of horses would get tangled up in that.

What ever you use make sure the horses are used to it, and do some test runs at home haha. Hobbles can mess them up if they are not used to them

 

[PNWGATOR]

At night we high line our stock. Put them out in portable Hotwire to graze for a couple hours early and late. I really like the idea of hobbles, but don’t have enough experience to truly trust the method (our animals are hobble trained) in the backcountry.

Royaltine Outfitters has an excellent YouTube channel with some ideas you might be interested in. I.e. high line, picketing, etc.

 

[PNWGATOR]

For small numbers and a couple people, i tie them right to a tree or highline with no 2nd thoughts. I don't care to walk out of where they might decide to leave me. I let my stock graze as much as possible during the days depending on situation etc obviously. Ill also pack in cubes if i think i need it to help them out. I have a late season dream tag this year in November here in Wyoming. Myself and a friend both drew somehow, so we will be packing in plenty of extra feed just to be sure the horses don't go hungry. That being said, i also hunt thick grizzly country and turning a couple horses loose is not something im willing to risk while i sleep. Ive used hobbles, turned everything loose etc through my years guiding pack trips and hunts, which is great for them, but with only a couple animals and myself, i don't feel bad tying them up at night.

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When you’re grazing them during the day, how do you prefer to contain them?

For your late season supplemental feed, what type of extra feed do you pack ad how much per animal per day are you considering?

 

[PNWGATOR]

We’ve been packing compressed alfalfa and senior feed. Still figuring this all out myself and trying to insure the animals are well taken care of, but not take too much ‘stuff’ or too much of, or a less efficient supplement.

 

[rayporter]

I also use a bell on each animal.

 

[mntnguide]

When you’re grazing them during the day, how do you prefer to contain them?

For your late season supplemental feed, what type of extra feed do you pack ad how much per animal per day are you considering?

I have never contained them..i just don't graze them all at once unless I'm right there to watch them. Leave the lead rope dragging or hobble them with my saddle hobbles if I'm worried about them taking off... if they are willing to take off, that means they aren't that hungry and can stay tied up. I will be packing in Alfalfa packer cubes in either 50 or 80lb bags depending on what i can find..i will also take in a bag of oats as supplemental sweet feed to keep them happy.. if i think that grazing them will be hard during the hunt, i like to plan on 20-25lbs of cubes per animal per day. Just make sure you have access to good water daily for them when using cubes

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[PNWGATOR]

Appreciate it, thank you.

 

[EastMont]

I switched to pellets from cubes last year for space savings. I feed my burros a couple pounds in the AM before leaving to hunt and then let them graze for a few hours in the after noon with hobbles. Highlined or electric fence at night.

 

[Wrongside]

We use to high line them every night. Made sure to move lines every other day, so they'd have fresh graze.

Now we just fence in a bunch of ground with a portable electric setup, try to take in water near one edge. It's been a great system. Way easier on us and the horses.