Drop camp or horse rental suggestions
- Thread starter ToddT
- Start date
Well, it's a quiet Sunday night.
First off, I don't know what plans you have for your wife, that is not an option on this forum.....but go ahead.
As to the balance of your question.....a drop camp is almost always the prefered option. They take you in, dump your junk and come back for you in X days. Simple.
This is assuming you don't have your own horses and are renting some that you know nothing about.
Unless you are an experienced horse wrangler, it is a pain in the azz to try to hunt and care for rented horses and pack stock. For the most part, they are undependable and require more attention than 10 year old children.
They don't like you.
They don't care if you like them. You won't.
They are skittish.
They require food and water.
They have to be hobbled.
They are noisy.
They stink.
They will run off.
They bite.
They kick.
They step on you.
They get hurt.
They don't know anything, so you have to lead them constantly.
They are hard to pack.
They are hard to unpack.
They die.
You will want to shoot them...but they aren't yours.
There's more, but thank God, I can't remember it.
Now that I think on it, all the above can be used to describe most packers as well as the stock.
Somewhere in the middle of all this rodeo, you have a hunting issue?
While a string of horses and pack mules is a beautiful thing to see, the talent, work and time it takes to keep it all from turning into a major wreck, is lost on the general public.
Now, if you have a non hunter with you, willing to "tend the stock", and even then, he better know what he is doing, take the horses.
I have been around horses/pack stock, all my life and I would NEVER take a hunting trip without a packer who knows the stock we are using.
All that being said, if you absolutely, possitively, have to take animals on your trip, find a good pair of mules that you can pack and WALK them into your hunt camp. It's still like babysitting, but at least you have something to cary your junk.
First off, I don't know what plans you have for your wife, that is not an option on this forum.....but go ahead.
As to the balance of your question.....a drop camp is almost always the prefered option. They take you in, dump your junk and come back for you in X days. Simple.
This is assuming you don't have your own horses and are renting some that you know nothing about.
Unless you are an experienced horse wrangler, it is a pain in the azz to try to hunt and care for rented horses and pack stock. For the most part, they are undependable and require more attention than 10 year old children.
They don't like you.
They don't care if you like them. You won't.
They are skittish.
They require food and water.
They have to be hobbled.
They are noisy.
They stink.
They will run off.
They bite.
They kick.
They step on you.
They get hurt.
They don't know anything, so you have to lead them constantly.
They are hard to pack.
They are hard to unpack.
They die.
You will want to shoot them...but they aren't yours.
There's more, but thank God, I can't remember it.
Now that I think on it, all the above can be used to describe most packers as well as the stock.
Somewhere in the middle of all this rodeo, you have a hunting issue?
While a string of horses and pack mules is a beautiful thing to see, the talent, work and time it takes to keep it all from turning into a major wreck, is lost on the general public.
Now, if you have a non hunter with you, willing to "tend the stock", and even then, he better know what he is doing, take the horses.
I have been around horses/pack stock, all my life and I would NEVER take a hunting trip without a packer who knows the stock we are using.
All that being said, if you absolutely, possitively, have to take animals on your trip, find a good pair of mules that you can pack and WALK them into your hunt camp. It's still like babysitting, but at least you have something to cary your junk.
DonVathome
Very Active Member
- Messages
- 1,717
Todd, FYI no AK moose tag for us. For 76, the only outfitter in the area you will want to hunt will pack you in but it will cost a fortune. Give me a call, I can tell you exactly how to do it easily and cheap. There really is no need. I have heard of horse rentals but from my research I agree with last post. No freakin way I am dealing with horses myself.
R
Rem308
Guest
I havebeen on three equiped drop camps where everything is supplied except your food and sleeping bag.This is a real nice way to go.These were in elk areas and we all saw elk and took a few.This would be the best bang for your buck comming from my experience.
T
TK
Guest
I have hunted 76 quite a few times with and without horses. Like Nickman said they can be a real hassle. I used to rent horses in Pagosa and bring them over to Creede in my own trailer. That beng said, there is a lot of country you can hunt that is very accessible on foot. If you fill your tag you can then hire a packer. The guy I used to rent horses from was Harry Landers w/ Wild Horse Outfitters. He may not be in the business any more? Some of that unit is pretty rough so hopefully your wife is in good shape. Should be some local dude ranches that pack. Check with the Creede Chamber of Commerce and they should have a list of all the ranches that run pack trips and have horses.
I have hunted across the Divide in unit 66 quite a lot and go along with the previous post. Renting horses is a half day of work to tend for the horses, plus packing feed, and that is rough country to get into trouble with horses.
I would also recommend finding a local outfitter that arranges for a packing service and contact them prior to hunt and give them a general idea where you will be hunting at. I have used a outfitter in the past and it has always worked and usually cost about $200 to $300 for a 3 to 5 mile one way pack with two pack horses, a wrangle, and a riding horse for myself. It depends on the outfitters schedule and if he has paying clients with other elk/deer to pack out.
Once I kill an elk I get it skinned, quartered, and pack it to some nearby logs in the shade to cool down. I leave a coat at the site and urinate around the area. They usually want the quarters to weight within 5 to 10 lbs of the opposite quarter.
Unit 76 would be a fun hunt.
I would also recommend finding a local outfitter that arranges for a packing service and contact them prior to hunt and give them a general idea where you will be hunting at. I have used a outfitter in the past and it has always worked and usually cost about $200 to $300 for a 3 to 5 mile one way pack with two pack horses, a wrangle, and a riding horse for myself. It depends on the outfitters schedule and if he has paying clients with other elk/deer to pack out.
Once I kill an elk I get it skinned, quartered, and pack it to some nearby logs in the shade to cool down. I leave a coat at the site and urinate around the area. They usually want the quarters to weight within 5 to 10 lbs of the opposite quarter.
Unit 76 would be a fun hunt.
