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

[The Hedgehog]

Impossible to do that in 95% of the usfs I hunt in MT.

Just how many elk have you actually taken doing that?

 

[BuzzH]

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.

I thought you said you were getting too old for chit like that?

 

[The Hedgehog]

I had a coming to Jesus that night. No more. It's why I'm thinking of road hunting for elk in WY as opposed to a Cody hunt.

Last time I got on a horse I was in the ER with a broken back, I hate them things.

 

[Carnage2011]

What you do is take the most useless inbred hillbilly llama you can grab for free. (so when he gets shot you arent out very much) walk him about 50 ft past the t/h and tie him right next to the trail. Now this will not stop all the horses but the ones who aren't spooked will be being ridden for half the day chasing those who went wacko. Then the obligatory trip to the ER to stitch up some head wounds from going through branches at mach 10 in the dark...

I was once deep in WY backcountry and yelled at an approaching guy on horseback with one pack horse behind. "I HAVE LLAMAS" Thanks he yelled back "but its ok i have a good horse" Well... he had ONE good horse. His pack horse was about ten degrees of rotation from giving him a Pamela Anderson waistline when he just managed to slip off the tag line from his horn, then they went by at about 35 mph and were last seen a mile down valley tearing through the twelve foot tall willows as if there was a trail , and there was not. Not sure how that turned out but it did not look pretty, cowboys say a lot of bad words when stressed.

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This is the best advice i've seen in a long time. Thanks for the laugh...I needed that today!

 

[mtmuley]

I want to see barefooters horses meet up with squirrels inbred hillbilly llama. mtmuley

 

[Dinkshooter]

I had a coming to Jesus that night. No more. It's why I'm thinking of road hunting for elk in WY as opposed to a Cody hunt.

Last time I got on a horse I was in the ER with a broken back, I hate them things.

Sounds like you need some Misery training in the off season, WWCHD?

 

[utahminer]

Horse guys who know how to hunt elk, can be absolutely lethal. But those guys are about .5% of all the guys that saddle up. 99.5% of them just push elk around and make places that would otherwise be great, tough to hunt.

Truer words have never been spoken

 

[Drake4]

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.

#nobodycaresworkharder

 

[Nunyacreek]

Wow, I just find it hard to believe that horseback elk hunters and foot elk hunters don't have a little more in common than this thread would indicate. Maybe that's why I'm so conflicted, sometimes I do both on the very same day.

 

[el unit]

Wow, I just find it hard to believe that horseback elk hunters and foot elk hunters don't have a little more in common than this thread would indicate. Maybe that's why I'm so conflicted, sometimes I do both on the very same day.

Me too.

 

[The Hedgehog]

#nobodycaresworkharder

Although WWCHD is excellent, this is probably the best reply ever to my cockitude on hunttalk!

 

[windymtnman]

I think your post is wrought with a few sweeping generalizations. I guess I'm wondering what your experience level with horses & mules are in the Rocky Mts.?
I think of my boys as super athletes when I watch them negotiate what the terrain throws at them.
As for the comment " most guys I've encountered on horses couldn't walk a 100 yards", well I'm 67 years old. Last Summer I spent doing the Western Pack Burro Racing circuit in the mountains of Colorado. Myself and my Burro I adopted wild from the BLM last April finished in the top 1/3 of every race, with no age classes, so we ran against super marathoner's half my age. Of course we only competed in the "short course" races as some are 29 miles long, going up to the summit of a 13,200 ft. peak and back. The short courses are only 15 miles long and like in Leadville, start at over 10,000ft, and go up to 12,500 ft elevation. So tough guy get a Burro and step to the starting line. We'll see who can get up the mountain! Hahahahahaha

 

[Badger_55]

I had to peak at this thread.. too funny. I find that way more hikers tend to be much more lazy than the guys with horses. Wyoming and Montana I have been able to get in a lot farther than hikers.. The phrase lazy is way wrong when you are talking about people who care for themselves and their animals. When led they can go places that will surprise you.
Its too bad that to see so many people annoyed by men who ride. Both ways are stwerards for the land we enjoy. The only problem I have is those with atvs and trucks that leave their designated trails. That burns me.

 

[schmalts]

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

That is called lope hunting. Besides the "followed by cracking open a beer" because that usually happens first

 

[Badger_55]

Im sure there are those that just jump on their horse and ride trails until they come across animals or sign... Not a terrible tactic... but i dont see the difference from what i do vs someone on foot. I hike as much as the next person, except i choose to ride in tie up and then walk the extra distance... Also ethically getting an animal out is a huge plus when you are bowhunting early season. Horse hunters have every right as the next guy. Dont understand why there is so much trash
on horses.
So my answer to the initial question is just like any other hunter on public land, you know what you need to do. Just work a little harder and hunt a little smarter than the next mab.