I reckon each to their own experience. Killed and been in on recovery of quite few elk in places like the Weminuche and South San Juan. It don’t get much rougher than the Weminuche. My mules went to every carcass and bought every one back to camp. I had to walk and lead’em to a few. They almost always amazed me at where they could go and come out with an elk. Once they were loaded in real steep or bad terrain...l would just pull their halters off and catch with them grazing by my saddle horse/mule.
