Horse Questions
 

Elk hunting with horse's. (Archery)

Found a ranch to get them but it has been a while since I have been around them . Anyone know of a good book or place to go on general care info?
Not sure how much I need to know as far as , Dressing, Tack , feeding , How much to feed. or if you guys know of some good tips I should know. I do know how to ride but I am not highly experienced.

It would be nice to hear some good points from those with experience. :)

RE: Horse Questions
 

Kraton,
I hunt with horses,and it takes a lot of gear to doit.For about every guy you need 3 horses,1 to ride,1 pack gear,1 pack in feed,and also animals.
You can do it with 2 if you plan on making multiple trips,and walk out.
Ansewer a few more questions for me are you going to a spike camp or are you packing in a tent,stove,cooking,gear ect.....
Dose the place you are renting from do they have the equipment for you? pack saddles,pannieirs,hobbles or are you running a picket line,rope,feed ect...
Some places requier weed free hay so you might have to pack in hay,or bags of alfafa blocks.You can also get away with letting them free range but you will have to put hobbles on them.

You might be better off going with a spike camp or have a outfitter pack your gear to your destination and hunt on foot from there.Then you can have them pack out your gear and animals,granted all this for a price.
If you are serious about packing you would be better off paying a good guide school 2700 bucks and learn the tricks of the trade,alot better than any book.
BBJ

RE: Horse Questions
 

Good advice and well said BBJ

RE: Horse Questions
 

My advice......and realize that I am no lover of the equine, but have had some experience "renting" horses for elk hunting......
If I didn't have my own horses or know someone that did, I wouldn't do what you are talking about doing!
Just my two cents worth. If you know anything about horses, you know that you don't know anything about the ones someone is "renting" you!!!! You never know how your own horsewill act in strange environments, let along someone elses. Seen some gentle Texas steeds be nothing but trouble when trying to make them into Rocky Mountain horses!
My last word of caution is that if you do go ahead with your plan and you are lucky enough to harvest an elk, be warned that a lot of horses don't like the smell of blood/elk carcass and sure ain't about to let you put it on their back. If you are renting from a reputable bunch, make sure and ask about the experience of the animals you are getting. They may seem like horses from heaven when starting out, but once you get back to where you are going, if they change they can ruin your hunt.....period.

RE: Horse Questions
 

Wow thanks, I think the plan was to pack up and camp outbutwith all you said ,seems for first timers with horses maybe we should just have main camp and hunt up off the horses..??
I know they will provide the feed and Tack if we wish.
I herd horror stories about the hobbles's but this is why I asked. can they go far with hobble's ? Going to needsome sort of line or electric fence.



Yeah Jeff , I would assume we would get Horses that are used for Hunting and Blood would not be a problem but good point.

RE: Horse Questions
 

Well partner.....Even horses that are used on a regular basis to pack out carcasses, blow up. You have never seen a pack string wreck I quess. Packing in with horses takes a lot of know how. Simply tying a diamond hitch can take experienced horsemen days to learn.I think you arebiting off more than youknow.one thing about it, you'll never learn until you try. Nothing like jumping in the deep end to learn to swim;)

RE: Horse Questions
 

Thats for sure.

RE: Horse Questions
 

Assuming is a terrible thing.... sorry.... however based upon what I have read so far....

*** If you want your hunt to be enjoyable and hunt focused, :Dthenhike inand hunt on foot with back up arrangements made to have someone pack outany elkyou kill.

*** If you want your hunt to be memorable and filled with some off-the-wall experiences, ;)then go ahead and get the horses and have at it; however, it may be more of an epic and less of a hunt. No better way for some one to get hurt than to screw around with horses, especially if you are not "on your game" OR if the horses are knot heads. Nothing worse than a bunch of broncs.

Sombrero Ranch rents horses in Northern Colorado.After the first elk season was over, a hunter showed up at their ranch headquarters witha pickup and horse trailer to return his rental horse "in person" rather than let one of the Sombrero "hands" pick the horse up at his elk camp (as they will do, good service really). The foreman approached the hunter and they exchanged greetings and salutations and then the hunter in a very business like fashion inquired of the foreman as toconfirm the horse rental contract language that stated that if the horse died for any reason while in the hunters carethat the hunter had to pay $1000 for the dead horse (back then, it is more now). The foreman confirmed that $1000 was the fee and inquired if a horse had died. "No, just checking," said the hunter. The foreman indicated that the hunter couldpull the trailerover to the horse corral and he would recieve the horse and sign off on the paperwork.

The foreman walked toward the corral. The hunter walked back to his pickup, grabbed his rifle, opened the endgate, the horse stepped out, and the hunter shot it dead right there. The foreman rushed up in disbelief and anger. The hunter then handed the foreman a check that he hadfilled out in advanceand told him it was the most satisfying money he had ever spent and that he now considered the score even.

Rental horses can be a real crap shoot, especially if the owner doesn't know you and hasn't had experience with you and your treatment of his stock. If it is your first year, then you can't really expect to get his best stock. Lord only knows what had happened out on that hunt to cause that hunter to shoot that horse. Horses can make your huntor ruinyour hunt. Your call. If you go with horses, then a packing school would be superb, however, most folks won't take that step.

RE: Horse Questions
 

BTW.....
that story by the EKM wasn't about me.......but sure comes close!!!
Only thing that saved the first "rental" was that I didn't have a gun on me!!!! I looked through the crosshairs on the "replacement" rental, but a moment of sanity crept in and I realized in that moment that it wasn't that poor mistreated, mismatched creatures fault. Was a little bit the guy that rented them to us, and whole lot on me.
Haven't made that mistake again.

But EKM is correct......we still tell stories about that hunt and we sure do laugh at them now! Wasn't so funny though while the rodeo was taking place!

Last thing I will add......"assuming" about the horses you will get tell's me that you shouldn't be going the horse route! Just my opinion, but anyone that knows horses know there is not a more unpredictable animal on the planet this side of a WOMAN!!! Train wreck waiting to happen for them that aren't capable......and maybe even if they are. Not trying to dissuade you, just trying to inform you. Decisions are best made with all available information assembled.

But if you do go the way of the horse...........let us know how it goes!!!!

RE: Horse Questions
 

Thanks, nothing like talking a guy out of it. LOL;) Thats why i asked. Iwas thinking after the first couple of posts, tojust having main camp and riding out each day, using horses to hunt off of. But maybe it would be better too wait and hoof it.
I have friends with horses so if I can spend the summer helping out and getting used to them a little more, I might change my mind about it.

I really want to try it but I don't want to experience the horror's..LOL