How to stay away from horses in a nat'l forest

[Deleted member 20812]

I'd prefer the experience of sliding one whole into the back of a truck, quickly followed by cracking open a can of beer.

Those are certainly rewarding, in their own unique way.

 

[Pagosa]

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Wife after 3hr of below 0°
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.5%ers this year
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Horse refusing to walk across a frozen stream

I would just ride my utv or sled up that. For pete's sake you don't need a horse along a road

 

[barefooter19]

I still don't think many on here have much experience with horses. First of all what hassle is it to feed, and saddle your horse in the morning . Get up and put some coffee on while you're waiting for the coffee walk out to the stall....you don't let your horse out in a pasture when you need him early in the morning !!.... and throw down a flake of alfalfa and a can of grain and go back in and get your breakfast, coffee and gear around. When you're done eating go throw the saddle on ( about 5 minutes) jump on and go. If you need to get to the top fast.... click and kick and you're on your way . The trick to hunting on horseback is #1 have GOOD horses !! #2 KNOW how to ride/control a horse !! I hunt/live in one of the toughest unit's in NM and EVERY year I see guys go home early because they are flat wore out from hiking all these steep/nasty canyons I just tell them to have a good one and ride over to the next canyon. Guess you have to love horses and hunting off of them to understand. When it comes right down to it I don't care how anyone hunts !! I'm going to saddle up and go !! MERRY CHRISTMAS.......

 

[JWhunter]

The thing is like everything a bad horse can kill itself and you. No person can out perform a good horse in terms of beating one up the hill and just like any vehicle you should get off the horse and walk into where you want to hunt just use it to get closer or up higher. Elk Magnet I realize what you are saying but, also gotta realize these deer and elk see people on horses in summer months whether its ranchers or trail riders. I've never separated horses up on the hill so I don't know what that's be like. The benefits of using a horse out weighs the benefits of not using a horse, the fact is you just need to know what you are doing and get off them otherwise it's just like road hunting. My dad actually uses horse to shoot deer and elk with a rifle, he will walk behind them because elk don't know how many legs a horse has. It's all just what works for you. To the OP like I said I'd go to areas with a lot of downfall if I wanted to find elk with horse pressure all around. that's my 2 cents take it how you will.

 

[Billy kidd]

Personally dislike horses and all the accouterments that accompany them.

The thing is like everything a bad horse can kill itself and you. No person can out perform a good horse in terms of beating one up the hill and just like any vehicle you should get off the horse and walk into where you want to hunt just use it to get closer or up higher. Elk Magnet I realize what you are saying but, also gotta realize these deer and elk see people on horses in summer months whether its ranchers or trail riders. I've never separated horses up on the hill so I don't know what that's be like. The benefits of using a horse out weighs the benefits of not using a horse, the fact is you just need to know what you are doing and get off them otherwise it's just like road hunting. My dad actually uses horse to shoot deer and elk with a rifle, he will walk behind them because elk don't know how many legs a horse has. It's all just what works for you. To the OP like I said I'd go to areas with a lot of downfall if I wanted to find elk with horse pressure all around. that's my 2 cents take it how you will.

I have seen people hunt from horseback, hunt from trucks (alot) four wheelers, aircraft, boats, and every other conveyance imaginable. I don't call that hunting, but apparently that is how they roll. There are horse people, truck people, dog people..well you get the idea. I have only taken two bull elk in the mountains. One I packed out alone. The other was shot across a canyon and way back in the wilderness so I located him and shot an azimuth to the nearest road on the map which was 800 yards from the elk and 2 miles from my camp. I flagged down the first truck that I saw hauling a horse trailer . Feller had not filled his tag so he unloaded his horse and we quartered that elk and horsed it back to his truck, then my camp. I have been thrown off horses in every country you can name, rolled on, bush whacked and bit, so I personally can not stand the sight, sound or smell of them. But when you need one to pack something, you have to make allowances. Even that was an incredible journey. Big bull was shot 450 yards across a canyon and rolled against a tree on the far side, or else he would have plunged into the canyon. When we loaded the first two quarters on old Gallahad, he freaked out and started kicking and bucking, with us both hanging onto him for dear life; very nearly taking all three of us to our deaths over that canyon rim. Own a horse? Not me, never.

 

[Elkmagnet]

I would just ride my utv or sled up that. For pete's sake you don't need a horse along a road

Had my hand on the horn in the steep stuff so no pics

This is a good point for the op. Find some roads that the last 10+ mi are too rough for horse trailers.

 

[The Hedgehog]

I still don't think many on here have much experience with horses.

Perhaps you could share some photos of you with your nags loaded down with some big NM bulls.

 

[barefooter19]

What's a nag ? I own nice quarter horses.... I'm sure you won't believe me but any pics I have were put on photobucket and now I have to pay for them to see them and IMO photobucket can KMA ! I have to start over with the camera. Like I have said you need GOOD, broke, been there done that mountain hunting horses and know what you're doing, not some horse that stands out in a pasture all year then you take him into the high country. If you are loading quarters on a horse that might blow up I would hobble him then load him. Be safe !!

 

[vanish]

The guys defending horses here are missing the point: You are not the average horse hunter. You're damn good at it. We salute you.

To the OP: To get away from 98% of horses is pretty simple. Get off the trail and walk through some thick timber.

 

[JWhunter]

I have seen people hunt from horseback, hunt from trucks (alot) four wheelers, aircraft, boats, and every other conveyance imaginable. I don't call that hunting, but apparently that is how they roll. There are horse people, truck people, dog people..well you get the idea. I have only taken two bull elk in the mountains. One I packed out alone. The other was shot across a canyon and way back in the wilderness so I located him and shot an azimuth to the nearest road on the map which was 800 yards from the elk and 2 miles from my camp. I flagged down the first truck that I saw hauling a horse trailer . Feller had not filled his tag so he unloaded his horse and we quartered that elk and horsed it back to his truck, then my camp. I have been thrown off horses in every country you can name, rolled on, bush whacked and bit, so I personally can not stand the sight, sound or smell of them. But when you need one to pack something, you have to make allowances. Even that was an incredible journey. Big bull was shot 450 yards across a canyon and rolled against a tree on the far side, or else he would have plunged into the canyon. When we loaded the first two quarters on old Gallahad, he freaked out and started kicking and bucking, with us both hanging onto him for dear life; very nearly taking all three of us to our deaths over that canyon rim. Own a horse? Not me, never.

I'm just curious did you rub blood in his nose before you started loading him up? We rub blood in all of our horses noses and let them stand for 5 minutes. I'm also curious were you both riding him as well? It just seems odd to be you would be on him if he was loaded with meat. Feel free to PM me.



To the OP you have some good advice from a lot of guys on here

 

[barefooter19]

We took a couple of horses up into the wilderness yesterday to have a look around. To the OP, I don't know how you get away from guys like me, I guess you just have to turn and go the other way. Putting blood all over a horses nose will work magic . Some horses take to packing dead critters and some don't. I just bought a new camera and I'm trying to figure it out.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Horses can pack out elk and can do a great job at it, and getting away from guys that ride horses for elk hunting is as easy as getting away from guys that stay in the truck. I may not know much, but I do know that.

nice horses barefoot. I bet lawnboy could offer up some tips on elk hunting, and how to stuff a huge racks onto a sawbuck.

 

[Bambistew]

I'm sure you won't believe me but any pics I have were put on photobucket and now I have to pay for them to see them and IMO photobucket can KMA ! I have to start over with the camera.

You can download all your photobucket pics to your computer and upload them elsewhere. You just can't hotlink them directly anymore without paying.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Maybe Wisconsinhunter could get barefooter's phone number and when he kills an elk, barefooter can load up Wisconsinhunter's elk onto those nice ponies and take a photo. Cause trust me, Wisconsinhunter, you don't want to carry an elk far on your back, it's way over rated. Horses can make life easy after you kill one.

 

[barefooter19]

Bambiestew thanks for the info I will have to study on that for a while and see if I can get them . How do you get into PB to retrieve them without paying them ?

I had some guys from out of state call me last year around July asking about getting packed out if they killed a bull I told them sure will , they asked how much I told them $450 and they said it's not worth $450 I told them have fun.......Second to the last day of the archery hunt I got a call from them. They had one down.... I was hunting with a friend and couldn't pack it out but after spending 10 days in the high country they said they were willing to pay me $600 for a packout. I would have done it for $450 but I couldn't.......Around here $450 is a deal. My neighbor packs out using 4 horses at $30 an hour per horse and he usually packs out 3 0r 4 elk per year.​

 

[The Hedgehog]

barefooter, I've rarely see horseback hunters in the national forest where I hunt, they certainly don't like hunting there, because other than getting up a trail, they have zero advantage until there's a pile of meat next to a trail. I don't seen many elk either. 102# inside the bag, 35# head, and then there's the rifle, optics, etc. Close to 170# (almost 100% of my body weight) on this trip if you count my boots, gaitors and soggy clothes. I would have died for a horseman to ride by.

 

[The Hedgehog]

And since you're not sharing your NM elk photos with horses, I'll share one. 1999, me and 3 friends trailered horses and mules from MT to the GILA wilderness and did unguided archery hunt. 4 nice bulls in 4 days. First two days we went WAY in where "nobody" would go, only to find all the outfitters and horseback guys in the first season had pounded the place. We actually killed almost all the elk, back out toward the truck, where the elk had been pushed by the horseback riders/clients, and guys wearing cowboy boots and chaps.

 

[barefooter19]

Nice bull ! I hike my butt off after I get to where I'm going to hunt. It's really nice to crawl up out of some steep canyon and see a horse standing there waiting.... jump on him and head to the next bugle.

 

[The Hedgehog]

You ride to bugles?

 

[barefooter19]

Not right up to a bugle but if I hear one say a ridge or two away I will ride over to that ridge tie up the horse and take off after it. If I kill one I go get the horses and pack it out if not I go get the horse and find some new country. I don't just tie up in the morning and hunt just one spot.....I'm runnin and gunnin (pretty much only bow hunt )