Pack horse experience or drop camp...

[DTP]

For all of your guys who hunt with horses or who use guides with horses, this is directed to you. Is it worth trying once in my life or am I over playing it in my head?
When I see pictures I just think it looks so awesome to watch people pack in miles with horses and come out with big racks on the horses backs.
Don't get me wrong, I love the self satisfaction of carrying my elk out in my pack, but as someone who hasn't used horses before.... the idea has always excited me.
So to go back to my original statement, is this something worth trying once? Or am I just playing it up in my head....
If the general feedback was good I was considering changing up my NM apps one year and putting in for something a bit more off the beaten path. Maybe a Colin Neblett archery elk hunt, Colin Neblett deer hunt, 45, a gila unit, etc....
Next question...... do I fork over the coin for a guide with horses just to get the experience or do I just find someone with horses and pay them to come hangout for a while? I personally don't feel I need the guide for the hunting assistance, but I also don't know many people who would pack some horses out there for me to just hang out.
This is also a potential option for a WY hunt some year. Maybe I'll just hirer a guide with horses so they can take me into the wilderness country. Then I can get into the wilderness country and get to experience some horses? Who knows...
Thank you for any feedback!

 

[woodardd]

I am on the same exact thought path.  Heading to CO this year, and have the ability and fitness to go as far as I want.  Something about the pack in service though makes me think it is there for a reason and there is more that I am missing.  I hope you drum up some good conversation on this one.  Thanks for posting.


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[DRUSS]

I am headed to nm 45 this year, and I think this is the route we are going to try . I am hoping to see the feedback on this topic.

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[Boom]

I have used a horse service. But only for my fishing trips.


I think you just reserve a service and call, them if you tip one over, no?

 

[DTP]

I have used a horse service. But only for my fishing trips.


I think you just reserve a service and call, them if you tip one over, no?

It's not even so much the pack out that I want. I can carry the elk out on my back in most of the places I hunt anyways.


I like the idea of being able to pack up all my gear and ride in as far away as everyone else that I can, set up a nice base camp, and then pack it all out (with a big rack on the back) when I am done. Even if I just do it once in my lifetime I think it would be neat.
Probably sounds silly, but I want the "cowboy" experience. I could pack in my canvas tent and cook on a cast iron pan.

 

[woodardd]

Throw on your cowboy hat Dan and go for it. Heck, if you need a partner give me a shout.  I plan to do just this for this years hunt.  We are going to give it a 3 day test run in southern CO in May. 


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[cnelk]

Dan


There is something special about riding deep into elk country on horses and setting up camp and hunting for a week.


Definitely something to do...


But it comes with some drawbacks.


Horses are extra work at elk camp. And that takes more time.


What if the area you picked has lots of other hunters doing the same thing? This happened to us in Wyoming wilderness in 2015. There was more horse camp 5 miles in, that in my OTC Colorado areas


But it is rewarding. You should do it

 

[Bowhunter65]

I have horses, using them all depends on the hunt and how deep I may be in or the big question is where. I am lucky I am also married to a cowgirl who is willing to bring in the horses depending on how far away we are for our hunt.

The number one problem I have any more is the work you have to put into the horse at camp. If you are on forest service you have to bring certified hay with also.

Just a lot of what ifs and then you get into a spot of, I wish we had the horses with us.

The pack system they have through Outfitters supply is a awesome option also.

Terry

 

[DTP]

Dan


There is something special about riding deep into elk country on horses and setting up camp and hunting for a week.


Definitely something to do...


But it comes with some drawbacks.


Horses are extra work at elk camp. And that takes more time.


What if the area you picked has lots of other hunters doing the same thing? This happened to us in Wyoming wilderness in 2015. There was more horse camp 5 miles in, that in my OTC Colorado areas


But it is rewarding. You should do it

That's an awesome picture right there. I see it and just imagine myself in the mountains. I would definitely have to come up with some backup plans like you are saying. I never even thought about that, but it could be very possible. If I do find people I'll need to have a few other back up spots.

I'm thinking this might be something I put together next year...

 

[DTP]

I have horses, using them all depends on the hunt and how deep I may be in or the big question is where. I am lucky I am also married to a cowgirl who is willing to bring in the horses depending on how far away we are for our hunt.

The number one problem I have any more is the work you have to put into the horse at camp. If you are on forest service you have to bring certified hay with also.

Just a lot of what ifs and then you get into a spot of, I wish we had the horses with us.

The pack system they have through Outfitters supply is a awesome option also.

Terry

It's very cool that your wife is willing to bring the horses back with you.
If you don't mind me asking, what type of additional things do you have to do with them once you are in the back country?  With no experience with horses I am thinking that feed and water are big, but do you also have to give them exercise every day? I cant imagine a horse wants to be tied up for a few days straight.....

Any pics from your past trips? I love seeing them

 

[Boom]

i get it.

i love having a beast of burden carry my arse up into the country.

i've never done a drop camp. 

on a side note:  hunting boots SUCK in the stirrups.  slipping them in sucks, pulling them out sucks..when we do our fish trip, we wear cowboy boots, and the horse guys take them out for us they leave them at the pack station..we lace up our hiking boots.

 

[DTP]

i get it.

i love having a beast of burden carry my arse up into the country.

i've never done a drop camp. 

on a side note:  hunting boots SUCK in the stirrups.  slipping them in sucks, pulling them out sucks..when we do our fish trip, we wear cowboy boots, and the horse guys take them out for us they leave them at the pack station..we lace up our hiking boots.

I enjoy walking my behind up to where I need to be too, but I also want to experience the entirety of having horses, bringing in a camp, setting up, etc. It's not a "I want an easy way into the mountains" hunt.

I'm so used to my trailer camping. I also want to do a bivy hunt just to experience it once.

 

[DTP]

I'll give you an example Cliff, the unit you're going to in NM with your brother could be accessed with a Prius. I used to scout there a few times while I was searching other units to apply for.  So when you draw hunts like that you don't need horses. Similar to the unit I generally draw in NM.... it's easier.

So the idea of getting a wilderness hunt and getting way back there with some horses sounds so cool to me. Sure.. I could walk there and bivy with minimal stuff. Or... I could bring back some stuff on horses, set up a neat little camp, and live this little dream of mine!

 

[cohunter14]

I've had this same dream Dan, and here is why I've concluded that I'm not going to probably end up doing it:


1) The extra time involved. You have to get up early to get the horses fed and saddled. And when you get back at night, same thing. Days are already long in the elk woods and if you add this extra work to the trip, you are taking even more time away from your sleep. The only way to avoid this aspect is to pay someone to do this part, i.e. an outfitter.
2) Safety. Most horses are safe and you don't hear of many accidents. However, one that sticks forever in my mind is from Jay Houston, the owner of elkcamp.com. He has a number of books out and in one of them he details his trip to the backcountry on a guided horseback hunt. They were on horses each day heading to their spots. One day they are on their way up and his horse got spooked (by a skunk if I remember correct). He got bucked off and was in bad shape. The backcountry is no place to be in bad shape. Luckily, someone was able to ride out and notify the right people and flight for life showed up and bailed him out. That doesn't sound like fun to me.


Even if he was okay, they still had to go find his horse, which ended up taking them another day I believe - add that to the possibility of extra work above if a horse disappears on you. That happens and the hunt stops and the new hunt for the horse begins.


Like I say, I'm like you and think it sounds awesome, but I just see too many negatives to give it a shot. Maybe someday I'll pay someone to do the majority of the work on one of those trips and hope I don't get the 'bucking' experience.

 

[Boom]

oh, i get it.

this one trip we did;  my good friend actually worked for the pack station.  he got us the chance to go after trout people rarely see. it was my first time.

when we got there, he unsaddled and unloaded the horses.  he kept his horse the let the others go!!  i freaked and pictured my ass hiking home. 

it was awesome.  the herd never left the lead horse..which was tied near camp.  we took turns taking care of it..the other's fended for themselves. 

 

[woodardd]

I?m doing it, without taking care of horses.  I spent 2 hours on the phone today with an outfitter that told me he could pack us in and drop us off with all of our gear for cheap!  He only had one other group that does this and has had success 3 yrs in a row southern CO OTC.  The key he said is to get 6 hours in to a center point where other outfitter would have an greater than 6 hour pack for their permit area to do the same thing.  We then hunt his boundary area over two different units, chasing and sleeping with the elk.  If we take an elk out of his permit area and can?t pack it back into his area, fish and game has a system where packers retrieve off of other permit areas, or call that packer, so the meat doesn?t spoil.  We are heading up for a 3 day test run in late May.  If the snow is too bad still by then we will push to June.  He told me we aren?t off on our thought process of everyone else wanting to do this same thing, but he said you?d be surprised how many people either don?t do it, or have a ton of gear and base camp that restricts there pack in distance by time or what they are willing to forego in time on a horse.  I?ll keep you posted on how it goes.


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