Ultralight horse packing

[Stefan]

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.

I had a shoe pulled off when it hooked a tree we were going over. I lost another one that was sucked off in deep mud. It happens.

I have seen people who think they know how to give IM screw up and give IV and the opposite of that.

Great advice! I know my farriers have all been really great and have worked with me and so has my vets.

 

[Stefan]

Brand new to Rokslide. Greetings! I live in SW Colorado outside of Durango. Over the years I have spent a ton of time lightweight backpack hunting but as I’m getting older I’m starting to want to get into light and fast horseback/ mule hunting. I have a little experience but not merely enough. I don’t presently own mules or horses but do have acreage and irrigated pasture to house some critters.
Thank you to all who has submitted info in this thread. Very valuable!
Mulepacker do you have a link to Mr Dennings videos? I searched YouTube and Google with no luck. Thanks in advance.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

How much experience do you have?

I made a lot of mistakes when I bought my first horse.

There is a lot to learn!

 

[MesaHorseCo.]

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.

+1 on real food

 

[DustinSchmidt]

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.

Bird Dog Field trials obviously totally different. But they ground tie there horses with a stake and
15’ish lead rope to let the house graze in a 30’ circle. Why doesn’t anyone do this in the mountains seems like a good way to go if the horse is accustomed to it?

 

[Pony Soldier]

The elk I hunt move miles- daily. I used to pack in hay, cut wood and set up a really comfortable camp. Since nearly all of rifle season is under snow, most of the prep is for horse feed.

When the kids left home, I developed 10-15 mile loops in consecutive drainages. This way I can scan a drainage for tracks and go home at night. If I cut tracks I can tie up and chase them on foot or pick the direction and focus the next day on where they are going.

This means I hunt from a differant place nearly every day. The range I hunt is about 50 miles. I ride to where I want to hunt, tie up, walk a loop and return to my pony and ride on. A long day is two foot loops and a 10 mile horse road/ trail hunt. When you are over 70 it is important to ration your strength over the entire season using the horses to extend your capabilities.

I use my packing skills more during the summer to clear trails to prepare for hunting season. Treading and building trails to grade with a pulaski definitely gets you in shape. Most years I build and clear 50 miles of trails.

This also helps the horses to get used to being tied up, crossing streams, and getting through boggy areas. Over the years I have even built a few bridges.

Through my career I camped on the average of 4 months per year for over 40 years. Camping just is. Not something special.