Wapiti Talk | Elk Hunting Forum | Elk Hunting Tips
 

Elk, and the horse you rode in on.

Moderators: Swede, Tigger, Lefty, Indian Summer, WapitiTalk1

Elk, and the horse you rode in on.

Postby Jhg » 04 19, 2022 •  [Post 1]

Tell us your most memorable elk/horse/Llama/mule pack stock adventure. Is it a unique animal(s), a memorable rodeo, a special trip because the stock was part of it making it great?

Tell the tale, and choose just one.

Drama, broken heart, resounding success, misery. Lets hear it.
Jhg
Rank: An Elk Nut
 
Posts: 864
Joined: 07 18, 2018
Location: Colorado

Re: Elk, and the horse you rode in on.

Postby Indian Summer » 04 19, 2022 •  [Post 2]

Oh my God just one! I have tons of rodeo stories. I’ve rolled horses down the mountain the past three years in a row. Usually sideways but last year one got yanked off the trail by another one who fell off the trail and so he was was facing uphill and reared up and flipped over straight backwards. Hell of a scene but most rodeo stories are short and sweet. My most memorable horse trip was 28 miles of trail into the Selway Bitterroot wilderness on a trail full of ground wasp nests. But for this one I’ll go with funny.

I’ll start with the name of the little mule I was riding. Bucky. Yeah Bucky! I was guiding for another outfitter in the West Fork of the Bitterroot. It was a semi guided hunt so only three people we’re heading in the trail complete with food gear and all. Me and 2 hunters who were TOTAL green horns. Retired cops from California. They reminded me of Abbott and Costello. One was a little wiry guy, nervous like a Chihuahua who handled his nerves by talking 100 miles an hour. His partner was huge! Not necessarily an overweight guy although a little, just a really big dude about 6 foot 7 with fingers is fat is ballpark franks. He was a nervous type as well but he handled his nerves by just being silent and looking around with wide eyes. Both told me from the start they were scared shitless of horses. It was a fiasco just getting him into the saddle, especially the big boy.

It was gun season probably the second week of November and very wintery. We had about a 2 1/2 hour ride to camp. The first 2/3 was relatively flat winding along a creek bottom with several stream crossings along the way. The first few crossings were uneventful as the water was fast and shallow and not frozen. But then we came to a crossing where there was a slower moving deep pool that was frozen just above a set of shallow riffles. Bucky stopped dead at the edge of the stream on a slight downhill slope. Locked them up hard and wouldn’t budge. I gave him a few kicks and he danced around a little bit. He spun around on me a couple times. He put it in reverse a few times. Each time I would coax him to the edge of the water and he’d slam on the brakes again and look back at me out of the corner of his eyes. He wasn’t that big so I wasn’t afraid of him. After all it wasn’t that far to the ground. But of course livestock is always bigger and stronger than we are right? Faster too.

Finally I was losing patience so I tightened up the reigns to keep him pointed straight ahead and gave him a few really good kicks. At first he danced backward about three steps but then he lunged forward towards the edge of the ice. I didn’t really like how fast he was moving but at least we were going to get across the creek right? Wrong! As soon as he got to the edge of the ice he slammed both front hooves into the dirt lowered his head and sent me sailing straight between his ears and onto the ice spread eagle like a skydiver.

The ice was really smooth and upon impact I think I picked up speed instead of slowing down. I made a nice four point landing and everything was going pretty good under the circumstances. The only problem was that I was heading directly toward the open water slightly down stream where there was a hole about 10 feet around. I think I remember saying a prayer as fast as I could but I just kept on heading toward the watery grave. Gradually I slowed down and as I got closer it look like there was about a 50-50 chance that I was either going to stop or head straight into the water all dressed in wool which would have sucked! As luck would have it I came to a stop but by then I was close enough to reach out and touch the open water. I froze and didn’t move a muscle. I knew that that close to the water the ice had to be pretty darn thin. It was so slick there that any effort to push myself backwards away from the hole only inched me closer. :shock:

I was too busy trying to save my own life to look back at the hunters. Eventually I was able to push myself away from the hole and at some point stood up and walked back the way I came. Bucky had a big shit eating grin on his face still standing right where he had stopped. I decided it would be best if I did what I should’ve done in the first place which was lead him by his halter rope so he could see me going first which usually makes the horse a little more confident. I got him to the other side and tied him to a small tree and turned around and looked at the hunters. Their eyes were about as big around is silver dollars and they were both shaking your head left or right as if to say no freaking way!!! I looked at them and said come on give them a kick it’s your turn. It was no surprise that they both refused to even move a muscle. So I walked back across the creek got them out of their saddles (crap!) and tied their horses together. It took me a few minutes to convince the two horses that they weren’t gonna die like I almost did but eventually I got them to the other side. The big boy was afraid to even walk across and quite frankly I was wondering if he was going to break through the ice on foot. We did make it to camp that day but for the rest of the hunt you couldn’t have driven a finishing nail up there butts with a sledgehammer. It was a 10 day hunt but after three days of having to get on the horses they decided California was sounding pretty good and they called it quits and went back home to their wives. Me and Bucky thought the whole thing was hilarious but I’m pretty sure those two pilgrims didn’t see one thing funny about it.

Funny you started this thread because I just told someone the same story a couple days ago. A guy who asked me to take him elk hunting and I don’t want to take him. :lol: :lol:
User avatar
Indian Summer
Wapiti Hunting Consultant
 
Posts: 5247
Joined: 06 14, 2012
Location: Pennsylvania
First Name: Joe
Last Name: Ferraro

Re: Elk, and the horse you rode in on.

Postby saddlesore » 04 19, 2022 •  [Post 3]

I could not possibly type even half as much as Joe did. Llamas, yellow jacket nest on the trail, bears in camp, charged by a moose,and about 100 more in 45 years. I have one about a wild mule and a blue tarp waving that made the mule look like batman. I will have to build up my energy to type it.
User avatar
saddlesore
Wapiti Hunting - Strategy and Tactics
 
Posts: 2162
Joined: 11 07, 2015
Location: Colorado Springs,CO

Re: Elk, and the horse you rode in on.

Postby Lefty » 04 19, 2022 •  [Post 4]

I have a love- hate of horses,,, mostly a total dislike of horses .
They were good for my daughters, All three 4-H'ed, middle daughter rodeoed , and was/is quite the trainer.


For years we had the horses at home ready to pack game out,, As a kid we use to ride, every horse seemed ornery horses, bit, kicked, thrown,, rodeo rounds , just not always happy experience.
My first elk hunt.


I had gutted my bull. And shoveled snow into the chest cavity from a nearby drift., About that time I saw my brother in law coming down the slope, and a rider to the west ponying a younger horse. Both beautiful horses,, and I was a non horse guy; these horse were decked out in fine tack . The other hunter was from Dillon, he wanted his horse to drag my elk up the hill a few hundred yards to the ATV trail. Up at the ATV, my BIL told the other horseman,, hang on, or you're going for a rodeo!
The older horse that had drug my elk up the hill tossed the rider , and the horse was gone, The rifle flying from the scabbard, ,, my brother in law grabbed the young horse, swung up on it with just a lead and headed after the older horse.

45 minutes later My brother in law came back, the old horse bloodied and lathered.



In a deep canyon my BIL had make out some strange sounds, that he thought could be the horse.
The older horse had gotten caught up between two trees and was strangling itself somehow with the saddle. My brother in law had to cut the cinch to save the horse.
User avatar
Lefty
Wapiti Hunting - Strategy and Tactics
 
Posts: 6926
Joined: 06 25, 2012
Location: Pocatello Idaho
First Name: Dennis
Last Name: H

Re: Elk, and the horse you rode in on.

Postby Indian Summer » 04 19, 2022 •  [Post 5]

saddlesore wrote:I could not possibly type even half as much as Joe did. Llamas, yellow jacket nest on the trail, bears in camp, charged by a moose,and about 100 more in 45 years. I have one about a wild mule and a blue tarp waving that made the mule look like batman. I will have to build up my energy to type it.


Vince I went high tech man! About a month ago I learned how to use my microphone on my phone instead of typing. The words are typed for me as fast as I can tell the story! I just gotta go back and fix a few things here and there. Yeah bees and horses don’t mix! :o
User avatar
Indian Summer
Wapiti Hunting Consultant
 
Posts: 5247
Joined: 06 14, 2012
Location: Pennsylvania
First Name: Joe
Last Name: Ferraro

Re: Elk, and the horse you rode in on.

Postby Jhg » 04 19, 2022 •  [Post 6]

Indian Summer wrote:...you couldn’t have driven a finishing nail up there butts with a sledgehammer...


I should make you drive over here and sponge off my computer screen. A perfectly good mouthful of beer, wasted.
Jhg
Rank: An Elk Nut
 
Posts: 864
Joined: 07 18, 2018
Location: Colorado

Re: Elk, and the horse you rode in on.

Postby Indian Summer » 04 20, 2022 •  [Post 7]

Jhg wrote:
Indian Summer wrote:...you couldn’t have driven a finishing nail up there butts with a sledgehammer...


I should make you drive over here and sponge off my computer screen. A perfectly good mouthful of beer, wasted.

Haha… I guess I owe you a beer!
User avatar
Indian Summer
Wapiti Hunting Consultant
 
Posts: 5247
Joined: 06 14, 2012
Location: Pennsylvania
First Name: Joe
Last Name: Ferraro

Re: Elk, and the horse you rode in on.

Postby Tigger » 04 20, 2022 •  [Post 8]

My honeymoon. We went for a horse ride in Grand Teton National Park. The 2 young ladies asked us, the only customers that day, if we wanted to have some fun! Of course we said yes. I should have asked to define fun.

We get to a meadow and it is crisp cool morning. Just beautiful. My wife and the 2 guides take off across the meadow at full gallup. My horse does the same....

Now I am not a horseman and if cowboys had the same problem I was having, they would never father kids. So I was doing something wrong. But every bounce down was excruciating. Finally, I see the group stop ahead. Finally. Oh no, my devil horse is in to this "fun" thing. he starts to jump and buck like a bronco. I go sailing. I pick a bush that I was going to land in....nope, that bush just went by at warp speed....pick another! I hit...and rolled....and rollled....and rolled. Finally, I picked most of my body parts up and put them back together. The guide says to me, "If you fall of a horse, you have to get right back on!". First of all, I didnt fall off. That insane beast threw me off. Secondly, when does the fun start?

So away we go. Every time that horse would start to act up I would pull back hard on the reins and I could care less if I hurt its mouth. But then we come to a stream...

Oh yeah, it was a "huge" stream. Maybe 1 foot across and 6 inches deep. Seriously. But that horse didnt want to cross. the always helpful guide says, "Let him look at it". So that stupid horse looks at it. Puts one foot in the muddy stream, puts the second foot in the muddy stream, and proceeds to get stuck. Then he tips over sideways. On top of me. Luckily it was soft soil, but they beasts weigh a lot and it was along way to the ground.

Wouldnt bother me if all of the worlds horses went to make glue and dogfood. Having said that, I have ridden them a number of times afterwards and survived.
User avatar
Tigger
Rank: An Elk Nut
 
Posts: 2420
Joined: 01 12, 2015
Location: Minnesota

Re: Elk, and the horse you rode in on.

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 04 20, 2022 •  [Post 9]

Thanks mister, I needed that :lol:
User avatar
WapitiTalk1
 
Posts: 8732
Joined: 06 10, 2012
Location: WA State
First Name: RJ

Re: Elk, and the horse you rode in on.

Postby Lefty » 04 20, 2022 •  [Post 10]

Tigger wrote:,,,,Wouldnt bother me if all of the worlds horses went to make glue and dogfood. .
:lol: :lol: :lol:


Next time dnot kick the horse and slap it with the reins
User avatar
Lefty
Wapiti Hunting - Strategy and Tactics
 
Posts: 6926
Joined: 06 25, 2012
Location: Pocatello Idaho
First Name: Dennis
Last Name: H

Re: Elk, and the horse you rode in on.

Postby saddlesore » 04 21, 2022 •  [Post 11]

Back in about 1995, my hunting partner and I packed into the West Elk Wilderness area, north of Gunnison, Co. We had our two good saddle mules, Whiskey and Flash, two Arabian mules, IRS, and BS, (mostly broke), two miniature mules, Kate and Jack, about 44" tall and my good pack mule Jessie.It was about a 9 mile pack. Opening day, I let Whiskey in camp on a high line and rode Jessie, the two Arabians and two small mules stayed with him.

We didn't have much luck and got back in camp midday,only to find my good mule with his on side hind leg pulled up so he could not stand on it.He was in bad way and that ended our hunt. I gave him a good dose of bute and ponied him back out to the trailers with him on three legs. I locked him in the trailer with hay and water and rode back to camp that night in the dark. It was a long sad day and later after we got back home, it turned out he had dislocated his hip somehow. I had to put him down later. In 25 years I have never found better mule than him.

The next day, we broke camp as I had to get that mule to a vet fast. Since we were one mule short, my partner convinced my to ride one of his Arabian mules, IRS, out. So we problem. ( I should have become worried then)

The first thing that I should have noticed was that the blue plastic tarp we had used as a lash tarp on BS, came loose somewhat as he took off thru the brush with it snagging on some limbs.

I had good grip on IRS because I had too much extra stuff tied on to the saddle horn since we were one mule short.Three items in particular were a pair of sorrels, a canteen, and a flashlight on a lanyard hanging from around my neck.

BS had calmed down some after his jaunt thru the brush and figured he needed a drink from a nearby beaver pond. He had hung back a bit to do so.These two Arabian mules were inseparable and IRS started to get nervous that his buddy wasn't around. Meanwhile, BS discovered that the whole pack string was about 100 yards ahead, out in a big meadow. (Not good)

So here he comes at a full gallop with that blue tarp flapping out to the sides like batman's cape. He sees it and starts to come even faster. My mule sees this and panics. He is sure something bad is coming and his buddy is leaving the country so he had best follow. Even before this, he was on the verge of hysteria anyway. I am trying to hold him and he is wanting to follow BS. I guess he figures if I didn't want to go, I needed to get off and he started to buck.These Arabian mules are quick and that bucking is one of the worse I ever rode.

We were first in a field of big rocks and I sure didn't want to get off there. Then we headed for another beaver pond and I sure didn't want to get off there and get wet. He apparently didn't either because he turned and headed for the pack string. Kate and Jack saw this and commenced to buck their packs off.The sorrels on my saddle horn came first,. Then the canteen came up and smashed into my face on the way back down and it left . This left the flashlight free and it started to hit me between the eyes with every buck.We then headed for the timber. I was busting limbs off with my head and was tearing off the lower ones and my coat was fast being shredded.
He came up to a big log that was about chest high to the mule and he stopped to get a good jump at it. I baled off.

I led the mule to the edge of the timber and snubbed him up good. BS came running up to tell IRS how much fun he had. After picking everything that was scattered around, we packed up,making sure that blue tarp was tied down good. My partner commented how good I rode his mule. It was still 8 miles to the trucks and I still had to ride that mule back out. I climbed aboard and snubbed the lead roped tight to the horn so the mule could not get his head down and we rode off.

After that,it was a uneventful ride out,but for three-four days, I felt like I was beat between the legs with a fifty-five gallon barrel.
User avatar
saddlesore
Wapiti Hunting - Strategy and Tactics
 
Posts: 2162
Joined: 11 07, 2015
Location: Colorado Springs,CO

Re: Elk, and the horse you rode in on.

Postby Indian Summer » 04 21, 2022 •  [Post 12]

saddlesore wrote:Back in about 1995, my hunting partner and I packed into the West Elk Wilderness area,north of Gunnison, Co. We had our two good saddle mules, Whiskey and Flash, two Arabian mules, IRS, and BS, (mostly broke), two miniature mules, Kate and Jack, about 4" tall and my good pack mule Jessie.It was about a 9 mile pack. Opening day, I let Whiskey in camp on a high line and rode Jessie, the two Arabians and two small mules stayed with him.

We didn't have much luck and got back in camp midday,only to find my good mule with his on side hind leg pulled up so he could not stand on it.He was in bad way and that ended our hunt. I gave him a good dose of bute and ponied him back out to the trailers with him on three legs.I locked him in the trailer with hay and water and rode back to camp that night in the dark. It was a long sad day and later after we got back home,it turned out he had dislocated his hip somehow. I had to put him down later. In 25 years I have never found better mule than him.

The next day, we broke camp as I had to get that mule to a vet fast. Since we were one mule short, my partner convinced my to ride one of his Araian mules, IRS, out.So we packed Jessie, Jack, Kate, BS and headed out with my partner leading three packed mules and letting his other Arabian mule follow.He said don't worry, he won't be any problem.

The first thing that I should have noticed that the blue plastic tarp we had used as a lash tarp on BS, came loose somewhat as he took off thru the brush with it snagging on some limbs.
I had good grip on IRS with having too much extra stuff tied on to the saddle horn since we were one mule short.Three items in particular were a pair of sorrels, a canteen, and a flashlight on a lanyard hanging from around my neck.

BS had calmed down some and figured he needed a drink from a nearby beaver pond and had hung back a bit to do so.These two Arabian mules were inseparable and IRS started to get nervous that his buddy wasn't around. Meanwhile, BS discovered that the whole pack string was about 100 yards ahead, out in a big meadow. Not good)

So here he comes at a full gallop with that blue tarp flapping out to the sides like batman's cape. He sees it and starts to come even faster. My mule sees this and panics. He is sure something bad is coming and his buddy is leaving the country so he had best follow. Even before this, he was on the verge of hysteria anyway. I am trying to hold him and he is wanting to follow BS. I guess he figures if I didn't want to go,I needed to get off and started to buck.These Arabian mules are quick and that bucking is one of the worse I ever rode.

We were first in a field of big rocks and I sure didn't want to get of there. Then we headed for another beaver pond and I sure didn't want to get off there and get wet. He apparently didn't either because he turned and headed for the pack string .Kate and Jack saw this and commenced to buck their packs off.The sorrels on my saddle horn came first,. Then the canteen came up and smashed onto my face on the way back down and it left . This left the flashlight free and it started to hit me between the eyes with every buck.Then we headed for the timber. I was busting limbs off with my head and was tearing off the lower ones and my coat was fast being shredded.
He came up to a big log that was about chest high to the mule and he stopped to get a good jump at it. I baled off.

I led the mule to the edge of the timber and snubbed him up good. BS came running up to tell IRS how much fun had. After picking everything that was scattered around, we packed up,making sure that blue tarp was tied down good. . It was still 8 miles to the trucks and I still had to ride that mule back out. I climbed aboard and snubbed the lead d roped tight to the horn so the mule could not get his head down and we rode off.

After that,it was a uneventful ride out,but for three-four days, I felt like I was beat between the legs with a fifty gallon barrel


Some people don’t get the full picture of that but with my experience I can picture the whole thing. To guys who haven’t spent years packing and riding in the mountains the term “shit hitting the fan” means one terd going through a window fan. But to me in a situation like that I picture something more like a dump truck full of manure going through a jet engine. Funny how we remember every detail. I always told my guides… sometimes there’s nothing you can do to stop a rodeo. I understand and I won’t blame you unless I know you took lazy shortcuts before you hit the trail. But when it does happen and you watch a mule roll over sideways 15 times before coming to a stop against the side of a tree give me some good news. Say something like “The lantern glasses are all broke but the bread is fine and the toilet paper is dry!” You gotta learn to laugh when you want to cry right Saddlesore!
User avatar
Indian Summer
Wapiti Hunting Consultant
 
Posts: 5247
Joined: 06 14, 2012
Location: Pennsylvania
First Name: Joe
Last Name: Ferraro

Re: Elk, and the horse you rode in on.

Postby saddlesore » 04 21, 2022 •  [Post 13]

It was a toss up one time Joe.I had come out from camp to make another t trip to pack supplies in. I had tied my saddle mule up to a corral pole, not figuring she would roll. Off course they will when hot and sweaty. I had put a dozen eggs and a bottle of Jack Daniels in one of her saddle bags and went to packing the other mules .When I went back to mount up, she had rolled and broken all the eggs and the bottle of JD. Couldn't even make an omlet out of it with all the glass.That was all of the adult beverage for camp and no more eggs.
User avatar
saddlesore
Wapiti Hunting - Strategy and Tactics
 
Posts: 2162
Joined: 11 07, 2015
Location: Colorado Springs,CO

Re: Elk, and the horse you rode in on.

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 04 21, 2022 •  [Post 14]

saddlesore wrote:It was a toss up one time Joe.I had come out from camp to make another t trip to pack supplies in. I had tied my saddle mule up to a corral pole, not figuring she would roll. Off course they will when hot and sweaty. I had put a dozen eggs and a bottle of Jack Daniels in one of her saddle bags and went to packing the other mules .When I went back to mount up, she had rolled and broken all the eggs and the bottle of JD. Couldn't even make an omlet out of it with all the glass.That was all of the adult beverage for camp and no more eggs.


That’s the true meaning of alcohol abuse! ;)
User avatar
WapitiTalk1
 
Posts: 8732
Joined: 06 10, 2012
Location: WA State
First Name: RJ

Re: Elk, and the horse you rode in on.

Postby Lefty » 04 22, 2022 •  [Post 15]

Indian Summer wrote:
saddlesore wrote:,,,,,Some people don’t get the full picture


more like a dump truck full of manure going through a jet engine. !


Some people are too dumb to know better and keep using horses (SS I didnt say anything about mules; and maybe thats a friendly poke to Joe)

My brother in law use to keep horses for elk hunting: so did 5 neighbors. Only one guy still has horses,,, and he doesnt elk hunt anymore :lol: One group went to goats, another lammas.

I now have the phone number of a packer.
User avatar
Lefty
Wapiti Hunting - Strategy and Tactics
 
Posts: 6926
Joined: 06 25, 2012
Location: Pocatello Idaho
First Name: Dennis
Last Name: H

Re: Elk, and the horse you rode in on.

Postby Wyoklaelk » 04 26, 2022 •  [Post 16]

My favorite part of elk hunting is after packing out an elk, I get to ride/pony my horses and mule back up. My best ride was when a buddy shot a cow with a ML and he had to get off the mountain that night with his cow for some reason. I went back to camp and grabbed my 2 best horses, Speeder and Tang, put some saddle panniers on Speeder and rode Tang to the cow. We get to the cow they had quartered and were able to load her up into the saddle panniers. My buddy headed back to camp to pack his stuff and I headed 10 miles down the trail to the trucks. It was just turning dark when I headed out solo, ponying the other horse. I had a headlamp on, but there was enough moonlight to see the trail. About half way out, Speeder was ponying with the cow and starts snorting a lot, dancing around quite a bit, nervously. Finally, he starts stomping randomly, I turn around and he is kicking behind him at something. I turn my headlamp on and all 3 animals just freeze, like what the hell is that bright light on this dark trail. There was a fox just behind ol Speeder. Once they saw it was a little ol fox, they calmed down and treated the fox like an annoying farm dog. That fox followed us for a couple miles then split. We rode out in the dark, crossing creeks and managing some pretty rough terrain in the dark. Once at the trucks, I unloaded the cow into my buddies truck and fed Speeder and Tang a bunch of grain and alfalfa, gave em water and put them in the trailer for the night. I slept in the truck and rode both back up 5 miles each early that next morning. Best ride I ever had. Perfect mountain morning, cool, crisp, sunny, bright blue sky, barely a breeze, enjoying my horses on the trail all by myself.
Wyoklaelk
Rank: New User
 
Posts: 1
Joined: 02 20, 2016

Re: Elk, and the horse you rode in on.

Postby Indian Summer » 04 27, 2022 •  [Post 17]

You only use one animal to pack out an elk? That’s asking for trouble. If I was that horse I’d be letting you know how I feel.

Welcome aboard! This is as good a place as any to introduce yourself.
User avatar
Indian Summer
Wapiti Hunting Consultant
 
Posts: 5247
Joined: 06 14, 2012
Location: Pennsylvania
First Name: Joe
Last Name: Ferraro

Re: Elk, and the horse you rode in on.

Postby Lefty » 04 28, 2022 •  [Post 18]

My father in law use to say he preferred horses that used gasoline.
User avatar
Lefty
Wapiti Hunting - Strategy and Tactics
 
Posts: 6926
Joined: 06 25, 2012
Location: Pocatello Idaho
First Name: Dennis
Last Name: H

Re: Elk, and the horse you rode in on.

Postby Indian Summer » 04 29, 2022 •  [Post 19]

Lefty wrote:My father in law use to say he preferred horses that used gasoline.

I have to say… I love my steel horses! Here they are in the stable. I never have to water them or shovel the floor out.
Attachments
B9399651-89AE-4772-ABC6-5B966259C084.jpeg
908C1AF7-80D8-49A4-B4E0-C6DE81D31E87.jpeg
User avatar
Indian Summer
Wapiti Hunting Consultant
 
Posts: 5247
Joined: 06 14, 2012
Location: Pennsylvania
First Name: Joe
Last Name: Ferraro

Re: Elk, and the horse you rode in on.

Postby Lefty » 04 29, 2022 •  [Post 20]

Indian Summer wrote:
Lefty wrote:My father in law use to say he preferred horses that used gasoline.

I have to say… I love my steel horses! Here they are in the stable. I never have to water them or shovel the floor out.


Nice little stable.


My wife had a horse and two bikes for riding and hunting.

I guess you could call it a date, before we dated, We rode places on their dirt bikes no horse could go. That was when there weren't Forest restrictions.
User avatar
Lefty
Wapiti Hunting - Strategy and Tactics
 
Posts: 6926
Joined: 06 25, 2012
Location: Pocatello Idaho
First Name: Dennis
Last Name: H

Re: Elk, and the horse you rode in on.

Postby saddlesore » 04 29, 2022 •  [Post 21]

I always figured, I would not ride anything that when you let go of the steering it would fall down.My brother was a big Harley fan. Had 2-3 of them .He got hurt worse and more often than me.
When he came to Colorado to hunt with me 15 years or so,he never got hurt once riding one of my mules
User avatar
saddlesore
Wapiti Hunting - Strategy and Tactics
 
Posts: 2162
Joined: 11 07, 2015
Location: Colorado Springs,CO

Re: Elk, and the horse you rode in on.

Postby Billy Goat » 04 29, 2022 •  [Post 22]

yall are making me like my pack goats more and more.

that said..... I've yet to use them to pack an elk out yet, but 2022 is their year!
"First teach a child to love God,
teach them second to love their family
and third, teach them to hunt and fish,
and by the time they reach their teens, no dope peddler under the sun will ever teach them anything".

-Cotton Cordell
User avatar
Billy Goat
Rank: Rag Horn
 
Posts: 285
Joined: 05 08, 2020
Location: Denton, TX