A common denominator in success

[WildRose]

Update! ¡!, I recently was recently talking to a fella about purchasing a mule for my property and to hunt from . After looking over the animal and riding a bit the fella offered to let me go with his group on the mule in question. So my plans are now changing from hiking in to sleeping in a hotel and mounting up well before daylight and hopefully be perched with glass in hand at shooting light.

Adding horses and mules to the mix is expensive and gets complicated in a hurry logistically.

That being said, in the mountains there is absolutely nothing better than a good mule.

I'd take him up on the offer but agree that the sale will be completed AFTER the hunt.

I will buy a horse after riding it a mile and putting it through it's paces. I would not buy a mule without riding it at least fifty miles and putting it through everything I can think of.

You get a mule with a bad and/or conniving attitude and sooner or later they will find a way to hurt you and hurt you very badly.

 

[porkchop401]

Adding horses and mules to the mix is expensive and gets complicated in a hurry logistically.

That being said, in the mountains there is absolutely nothing better than a good mule.

I'd take him up on the offer but agree that the sale will be completed AFTER the hunt.

I will buy a horse after riding it a mile and putting it through it's paces. I would not buy a mule without riding it at least fifty miles and putting it through everything I can think of.

You get a mule with a bad and/or conniving attitude and sooner or later they will find a way to hurt you and hurt you very badly.

I agree ,I have only ridden this mule about 5 miles now and hope to make another ride before we head out. I am so hoping she works out , 15 hand mules are not common in Louisiana but is necessary for my size.I should have a good handle on her buy the time we head home.this mule has about 10 years experience packing out elk and would still be with her original owner if his age/health were better. The reason I was given for her sale is she is just too big to suit the current owner who is quite a bit shorter than I am.

 

[Barrelnut]

The best thing I ever did was hire a local guide. He charged fifteen hundred for three days and two hunters. We used his horses that were use to the mountains and in great shape. His camp and local knowledge. These things made for success and a very enjoyable hunt. You can not own horses and all the equipment for that. Plus this takes a lot of the work load off you and your partner.

Yes. Absolutely the best way. Unless you know the land well and herds well enough. The difference between success and failure, is most times, knowing where the elk are. And if they are undisturbed elk that are not pressured by "common man" public hunters. The better. Most every year successful people I know do this. Unless they own or have access to private property

To hunt elk, ya gotta go where the elk are.

The "common man" was a joke. I am very much a common man myself.

Plus, that's a good price, Geo. Mind naming guides?

 

[porkchop401]

Fellas , I am with ya on going where the elk are is most important priority when beginning a hunt. Coming from the south we are at a disadvantage when arriving . The biggest problem for me is that I only have so many walking days of walking in me before my legs are shot. After a few days of scouting all day on foot I am pretty burnt out and then it is time to start hunting. The fella I will be hunting with called yesterday and said to bring some spike gear and with the lack of snow this year we may spike up high if the elk are holding near the rock line, this is to avoid so much riding in the dark.

 

[blackdog]

unless your horses are acclimated to the elevation and terrain they will be hurting as badly as you are.

Porkchop401 - PLEASE heed this advice!!! Not only will your horses or mules likely be out of shape, you're very likely putting them in harms way and there could be a very strong chance of serious trouble and injury to them. Simply bringing a pack animal from Louisiana to the Rocky Mtns sounds like a HORRIBLE idea to me.

A way better idea would be to do more research to ensure you're in a good area, get in TOP shape, and simply work your *** off trying to find elk. Successful elk hunting is simply hard work most of the time.

 

[geo4061]

Barrelnut, I hired the guide several years ago. I have forgotten his name. The Game Warden checked us and he new him well. We drew into a wilderness area north of Chama, New Mexico. The guide was a local and lived in Chama. I shot a 6x6. My friend passed on an average 5x5. The next day he shot at and missed one about the same size. Without the guides and his horses help this would have been impossible for two flat landers in a wilderness area. Without a doubt some great advice in the above posts.

 

[porkchop401]

Porkchop401 - PLEASE heed this advice!!! Not only will your horses or mules likely be out of shape, you're very likely putting them in harms way and there could be a very strong chance of serious trouble and injury to them. Simply bringing a pack animal from Louisiana to the Rocky Mtns sounds like a HORRIBLE idea to me.

A way better idea would be to do more research to ensure you're in a good area, get in TOP shape, and simply work your *** off trying to find elk. Successful elk hunting is simply hard work most of the time.

I appreciate your concern. It is more of a choice for me, do I want to pack out a elk out on my back or not and I choose not to. There will be three of us and I certainly don't care to waste my hunting days humping somebody else's elk out nor would I ask someone to pack mine instead of hunting. I can certainly understand your concern for the animal's we ride, the mule to will be on is 14yrs. Old and this will be her 10th trip to CO. And has been on the trail most of the summer. The areas we are hunting show a lot of promise but they are in excess of 5 miles from a road. A guide told me once that if he had to hike his client's as far as he rode them he would have long been out of business. Do not take my remarks as sarcasm, your point of view is appreciated , it is that them there hills are rough on a flatlander.

 

[WildRose]

Barrelnut, I hired the guide several years ago. I have forgotten his name. The Game Warden checked us and he new him well. We drew into a wilderness area north of Chama, New Mexico. The guide was a local and lived in Chama. I shot a 6x6. My friend passed on an average 5x5. The next day he shot at and missed one about the same size. Without the guides and his horses help this would have been impossible for two flat landers in a wilderness area. Without a doubt some great advice in the above posts.

On that note... .

If you call around well ahead of time to local feed stores and mom/pop outdoor gear stores you can usually find wranglers who for a reasonable fee will rent you horses that are raised and live in the same area you are hunting. There were quite a few years that a friend of ours who was a wrangler near Antonito, CO would pick our horses up in July and keep/use them until the end of the season. That got my dad a few very nice guided Elk hunts for free as well over the years.

 

[WildRose]

Porkchop401 - PLEASE heed this advice!!! Not only will your horses or mules likely be out of shape, you're very likely putting them in harms way and there could be a very strong chance of serious trouble and injury to them. Simply bringing a pack animal from Louisiana to the Rocky Mtns sounds like a HORRIBLE idea to me.

A way better idea would be to do more research to ensure you're in a good area, get in TOP shape, and simply work your *** off trying to find elk. Successful elk hunting is simply hard work most of the time.

It's not a horrible idea in his case since the mule is apparently a mule with considerable experience at elevation.

You just have to be aware and pay attention because you are absolutely right, an exhasted animal can get you hurt or killed very easily in the Rockies or even in the foothills for that matter.

A guy needs to walk as much as he can and when the animal starts to blowing hard and legs get shaky get the hell off and walk some more!

The nice thing about mules is that they'll generally balk before they get that tired.

A funny line from an old man we talked to when we were looking for our first mule was, "The nice thing about a good mule is they'll never get you hurt by accident because they don't want to hurt themselves".

That's been stuck in my head for over forty years and it's as true today as it was then.

 

[geo4061]

We are all just trying to make sure you and your friends are safe and enjoy your memory making hunt. Good Luck.

 

[porkchop401]

I have never gotten anything butt genuine concern from the members of this forum. When somebody expresses an opinion about your plans it is what you asked for or else you would ask only for positive feedback which would only bolster unrealistic or dangerous notions .
Thanks again for all feed back !

 

[blackdog]

Having packed for a number of years in the Selway in ID and throughout Montana, I've seen my share of horse, and to some degree mule, wrecks. And the thought of bringing an animal out from Louisiana to anyplace in the Rockies made me cringe. I've personally seen what happens after an animal dies on the trail (thankfully not any of my animals) and it ain't pretty! So it's good to hear this critter of yours has some mountain experience.

Good luck on your hunt!

 

[porkchop401]

Having packed for a number of years in the Selway in ID and throughout Montana, I've seen my share of horse, and to some degree mule, wrecks. And the thought of bringing an animal out from Louisiana to anyplace in the Rockies made me cringe. I've personally seen what happens after an animal dies on the trail (thankfully not any of my animals) and it ain't pretty! So it's good to hear this critter of yours has some mountain experience.

good luck on your hunt!

Some experience in the Rockies or at least the Ozarks was a requisite for my candidate mule as was at least 10 yrs. of age. This mule I was told has packed no less than 20 elk out of them there hills! I do not care to hunt directly from a animal, I intend to use them to access the back country and then hunt from foot limiting the amount of hazards I will expose the animal to. I am planning on many hours of glassing! I leave on Wednesday on what will be a 14-15 hour drive plus a stop for some rest, walk around time for the critters. Any pointers on traveling with a mule this far is appreciated. thanks Mike

 

[blackdog]

Any pointers on traveling with a mule this far is appreciated. thanks Mike

I wish I could help with that but the farthest we ever had to trailer our stock was about 3 1/2 hours. I'm sure the Google machine can come up with some answers for you though.