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I'll take my mules any day. The supposed "stubbornness" of a mule is easier to deal with and think through than to deal with the "airheadness" of a horse and we own 6 of the airheads

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Originally Posted by laker
I'll take my mules any day. The supposed "stubbornness" of a mule is easier to deal with and think through than to deal with the "airheadness" of a horse and we own 6 of the airheads



Funny how these "stubborn" mules have a zest for living. They recognize danger.

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Originally Posted by Oldelkhunter
Originally Posted by laker
I'll take my mules any day. The supposed "stubbornness" of a mule is easier to deal with and think through than to deal with the "airheadness" of a horse and we own 6 of the airheads



Funny how these "stubborn" mules have a zest for living. They recognize danger.


Exactly

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Originally Posted by BluMtn
I have seen it happen many times. Several years ago I was in the mountains bear hunting and stopped by an outfitters camp to visit and see if they had seen any bears. They had just loaded the pack string (mules) and was getting ready to head into the back country. As I was talking to the one outfitter his partner was climbing onto his horse, as his butt hit the saddle the horse exploded. He dropped the leadrope for the packstring and was hanging on for dear life. But after about the 6th jump he parted ways with the horse in a nice big ark through the sky landing on his hip on the graveled parking lot. Now this gentleman looked to be about 60 so I was figuring that I was going to be calling lifebird but he layed there and finally got up limping but unhurt. The funny thing was the packstring never moved, they just stood there and watched the whole thing.


Our packstring of horses were a couple miles out from the trailhead when we observed a packstring of four mules loaded with elk and mule deer led by a wrangler on a horse coming our way. Two mule deer bucks broke out of the timber into the meadow just behind the mules. Rear mule spooked and took the other three with him right at us and they passed us bucking and braying. Panniers and horns started flying everywhere.

Our horses went wide-eyed and fidgeted a bit but stayed in formation. Thought sure we were in for a wreck.


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All things come with a certain amount of risk. I was Elk hunting with Mules in Colorado a few years back in the second season and it was icy and slick up high. We were leaving every morning before daylight and using the mules to get us above timberline. I was thankful we had those sure footed beast but I'll admit I was nervous about the trip thru the dark timber before daylight. Too many old mining holes for my taste but I know with those silver dollar sized eyes they could see much better than we could. Elk

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Last edited by Elkhunter49; 11/09/15.

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Originally Posted by Elkhunter49
All things come with a certain amount of risk. I was Elk hunting with Mules in Colorado a few years back in the second season and it was icy and slick up high. We were leaving every morning before daylight and using the mules to get us above timberline. I was thankful we had those sure footed beast but I'll admit I was nervous about the trip thru the dark timber before daylight. Too many old mining holes for my taste but I know with those silver dollar sized eyes the could see much better than we could. Elk

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Good-looking mules!

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You did not "seen" anything, you "saw" it.
A "creek" has water in it, a "crick" is what you get in your neck.
Liberals with guns are nothing but hypocrites.
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The heavier you are, the harder you're going to hit the ground. If he's been hunting Colorado for 30 years chances are pretty good he isn't as spry as he used to be. If he only hits the back country with a guide once a year he isn't as seasoned as you think he is.

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Horses are not atvs. More like NASCAR. If you do not know how to operate them ..... pass. If you do know.....you will choose to never NOT use them if possible.


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A horse knows its rider..

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I likey a good mountain horse. Never tried a mule, but I hear good things.

I will say this: a horse would make me damn nervous if I didn't know how to ride one. Although if I didn't know how to ride one, I probably wouldn't know enough about them to be nervous, so maybe I wouldn't.


Originally Posted by shrapnel
I probably hit more elk with a pickup than you have with a rifle.


Originally Posted by JohnBurns
I have yet to see anyone claim Leupold has never had to fix an optic. I know I have sent a few back. 2 MK 6s, a VX-6, and 3 VX-111s.
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We have a bunch of hunters in our church. One of them bought a mule a couple months ago, picking it up before church. He had it in his trailer in the parking lot during the service. Afterwards, several guys wanted to see it so he unloaded it. It was a good looking mule but a full 18 hands tall. I don't think I could throw a saddle that high, let alone a 75lb pannier. For a packer, give me a 15 hand critter any day over one like that.


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Originally Posted by blairsvillexdave
Friend of mine got thrown off a horse near Craig, CO. The way I'm hearing it the horse thru him about 12 feet. Several broken ribs and in the hospital for about 3 weeks. I think he got to fly back to GA in the last few days. Most of the CO hunting accidents I hear about Elk hunting involve horses. I guess the people that provide these basically wild horses don't have any liability? I'm posting this with the hope hunters will be aware they aren't being give trained saddle horses. Dave


Horses are dangerous--period.

Yeah, some outfitter might own, or somebody rent, a hammerheaded screw-up of a horse, but even the best horses and/or riders can have a wreck......


Casey


Casey

Not being married to any particular political party sure makes it a lot easier to look at the world more objectively...
Having said that, MAGA.
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Originally Posted by Rock Chuck
We have a bunch of hunters in our church. One of them bought a mule a couple months ago, picking it up before church. He had it in his trailer in the parking lot during the service. Afterwards, several guys wanted to see it so he unloaded it. It was a good looking mule but a full 18 hands tall. I don't think I could throw a saddle that high, let alone a 75lb pannier. For a packer, give me a 15 hand critter any day over one like that.


At 6-1, I like tall riding stock, but 18 hands is getting ridiculous.

I'm seeing more of those tall mules these days..........


Casey


Casey

Not being married to any particular political party sure makes it a lot easier to look at the world more objectively...
Having said that, MAGA.
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Originally Posted by alpinecrick
Originally Posted by Rock Chuck
We have a bunch of hunters in our church. One of them bought a mule a couple months ago, picking it up before church. He had it in his trailer in the parking lot during the service. Afterwards, several guys wanted to see it so he unloaded it. It was a good looking mule but a full 18 hands tall. I don't think I could throw a saddle that high, let alone a 75lb pannier. For a packer, give me a 15 hand critter any day over one like that.


At 6-1, I like tall riding stock, but 18 hands is getting ridiculous.

I'm seeing more of those tall mules these days..........

Casey


The problem here is more and more people are wanting to get into mules. However few know that they don't need as big a mule to do the same work as a horse does. So they had a 15 hd horse and figure they need 15 hd mule. Unless a person is 6'-4" or thier feet drag too low or they weigh 300 pounds, a 14 hd mule in good condition will do everything a person needs to. Since I am only 5'-5" I now ride a 13&1/2 hd mule and my pack mule is only 13 hd. I don't put a full elk on him, but he packs a half an elk great. My 15 hd mule would pack a full elk , but I could not lift quarters that high anymore.

I am probably unique in that if I didn't use mules(or horses for that matter) I would be sitting home on the sofa as my disabilities would keep me from hunting. As it is, I have already added 5-8 years to my hunting career and I figure I can get another 8 or so. By that time I will be 80.

My rides now. Woodrow and Roscoe.

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My previous ride, Jewel and Jessie and Jessie my 30yr old pack mule, now deceased. Jeanne Horne has Jewel now.

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[Linked Image]

Last edited by saddlesore; 11/10/15.

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When hunting with a horse it is not a "horse" it is a piece of "hunting equipment". Its a animal that can and will do just about anything you ask of it. Know the animal and there will be no problems. Would you take your 4-wheeler on a slope so steep you can not stand? A horse will pack your elk out on that same slope you can even add snow and ice.......I'd l ike to see the wreck your 4-wheeler will have on that same slope.

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One year an outfitter gave us a mule rather than a horse. I was apprehensive because I had always heard they were stubborn and I worried that I might have trouble. During the hunt it was a great pack animal. The only time it balked was when the human leading it was at fault for some reason or another. Over the week I got to really appreciate that mule.

Last year’s rental horse was an interesting animal too. She was said to be un-rideable as a mount and we never tried. She was very muscular and seemed to have some mule-like qualities about her. I was very impressed with her strength dropping down into and climbing out of the steep banks of mountain creeks while loaded with ½ an elk.

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[Linked Image]


We killed 2 elk at the bottom of the valley in the picture below and I was grateful for that paint horse. It certainly extended our hunting range. We were able to have a spike camp down in that valley.

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

Rental horses don’t always get treated well and they get real good at evaluating their renters. The outfitter we rented from had another group that had rented 3 horses in another part of the unit. The first horse ran off and they lost a 2nd horse trying to recover the first one. The guy with the 3rd horse told them they were on their own and that he had come here to hunt. My experience has been that they usually don’t have reason to try to get away if they are treated right.

25 years ago when I wasn’t so fat I didn’t care so much how strong a horse was. This horse would actually stop and alert my of elk up ahead by pointer her muzzle and ears – just like an upland dog.

[Linked Image]

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My dad always said a bum ride beats a good walk any day. I have been riding horses for 65 years. I have been busted up a few times. Mostly broken ribs, but never spent any time in a hospital. I am 70 years old. Four years ago got bucked off, broke 5 ribs and seperated my shoulder. Was my fault, knew the old pony was cinchy, I cinched him up and stepped on and he swapped his head. I rattled around on top of him four 4 or 5 jumps then didn't get down pretty lol. Like someone said if you ride them you are going to get hurt lol. Beats walking lol

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Originally Posted by elkin44
When hunting with a horse it is not a "horse" it is a piece of "hunting equipment". Its a animal that can and will do just about anything you ask of it. Know the animal and there will be no problems. Would you take your 4-wheeler on a slope so steep you can not stand? A horse will pack your elk out on that same slope you can even add snow and ice.......I'd l ike to see the wreck your 4-wheeler will have on that same slope.


Perhaps. On the other hand, my 4-wheeler has never lost its damn mind in the dead of night on a narrow trail because something startled it, sending a 20 horse pack string into a full on panicked dash through the forest! Yes, horses and mules can be very useful, but they can be huge PITA's too. Given a choice I'll take the quad. It can't do everything a horse or mule can, but it good enough for me.

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You won't take your quad where we hunt. Even if it was legal, which it isn't, the mountains are too steep, too rocky, and the trails too narrow.


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IMO, most horse problems are caused by guys who don't ride them enough - which means that both parties dont get the saddle time they need. Of course, only one party is culpable for that fact.

I've never had a bad experience with a mountain horse that gets adequate trail time in the off season.


Originally Posted by shrapnel
I probably hit more elk with a pickup than you have with a rifle.


Originally Posted by JohnBurns
I have yet to see anyone claim Leupold has never had to fix an optic. I know I have sent a few back. 2 MK 6s, a VX-6, and 3 VX-111s.
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