Glenn
Dunning is a member of New England Outdoor Writers Association
(NEOWA) and contributes monthly to Outdoors Magazine
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Outdoors Magazine, December '06 Issue, Traveling Outdoorsman col. Submitted by: Glenn Dunning |
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Mountain Horses & Mules Experiencing Equestrian Extreme |
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| I remembered reading through the hunt prep material I had received from Bald Mountain Outfitters: "Night riding is generally part of each day's hunt…." At the time it just seemed curious, at the moment it seemed surreal. Out ahead of me somewhere was outfitter Terry Pollard leading the way on his big white gelding, tethered directly behind him, two pack mules, and in between the mules and me were six anxious elk hunters from Wisconsin. I couldn't see any of them. A crescent moon accented the clear Wyoming sky barely illuminating the jagged ridge line of the Wind River Range. The horses clamored forward the sound of metal shoes against rocks and limbs, with the occasional snort of a mule or the whispers of the hunters to each other or their mounts. The soft rattle of the aspen leaves as they chattered in the mountain thermals or the gurgle of a nearby brook providing a background mantra. It was dark, it was very, very dark. I had grown up with horses but it had been three years since my previous trip to the Rockies and that was the last time my butt had been pressed into saddle leather. I had wondered how long it would take me to stretch out and how sore I would be in the morning but at the moment these thoughts were less pressing than the incredible rush of riding sightless through the dark. Over the next couple of weeks I would learn a great deal about the importance of the stock that most western outfitters own and rely on to access the wild mountainous terrain known as elk country. We always had a horse or two around when I was a kid; got a mare for my 13th birthday, my parents raised appaloosas and that familiarity gave me a leg up on being able to trust my mount and be reasonably comfortable, an advantage a lot of green-horn elk hunters don't have. How important is trust? Well, consider that the first thing we all had to get used to was trusting that horses actually can see in the dark and that having four feet on the ground really is an important stability factor when traversing difficult terrain. Now, I know there are folks here in the Northeast that have considerably more experience with horses than I do. They are, in fact, pretty fashionable pets, and riding in my neighborhood dates back to when Justin Morgan used to race his famed steed just a few miles from my house. Recreational riding on a somewhat spoiled family horse is however, very different from the typical ride into elk camp. A couple of weeks after my night ride, I was on another pack-in. This time with Robin Kohl of Kohl's Outfitting in Idaho's rugged Bitterroot Mountains. Picture this if you can; He was ahead of me on a horse with a pack mule in tow while I brought up the rear on a tall mule named Jerry. Robin was sitting side saddle, turned halfway around to face me and we talked as we rode. The day was gray and overcast but not too cold. Sounds great, right? Now, consider that while we are riding along chatting we are on a boulder strewn path, 24 inches wide at best, traversing the side of a cliff, 500 feet above a raging river. You think I'm kidding? To make matters worse every hundred feet or so Jerry would stop and look over the edge. "I wish to heck he'd stop doing that" I commented, trying to hide the fear in my voice. "Big difference between mules and horses besides the smoother ride" Robin yelled over his shoulder, still turned half way around in his saddle, "A mule sees that sprig of grass over the edge of the trail and knows it's not worth dying for, horses aren't that smart." While both horses and mules can cover approximately 3 miles an hour, when it comes to packing and endurance, mules are tougher and have twice the expected working years as a horse. During the elk rut, horses and mules are also effective decoys which outfitters take full advantage of. The 4-step rhythm of a pack train sounds a lot like a herd of cow elk and on more than one occasion bulls actually revealed themselves by bugling at our passing. By bugling back from horseback a guide can sometimes bring a bull right out into the open for a shot. Because would-be elk hunters are not very often equestrians, mountain horses have to put up with all kinds of riders and situations. Most can be mounted or dismounted from either side; they are tolerant to rifles going off next to their heads and frequently fulfill the dual role of pack animals. Furthermore, the only way you are ever going to get back into the country where the big bulls bugle is on the back of a good mountain horse or mule and that in itself will forever help preserve the west's most impressive and rugged wilderness areas. |
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