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We've all seen the image of an old prospector wandering around with a burro carrying all his gear. They seem to be less common today even though burros might be a practical way to carry gear into a remote camp. Does anyone have experience with burros?

KC

We hashed them over a while back. Check out this old thread: https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...s/donkey/Search/true/donkeys#Post2998990

Rock Chuck:

I read every post in that thread. It started out discussing burros/donkeys but quickly turned into a discussion about mules vs horses. I hope I get more info regarding burros/donkeys out of this thread.

Has anyone used a burro or donkey as a pack animal while hunting elk? Please relate your experiences.

KC

No experience with burros for elk hunting, but we used them for the week-long Boy Scout back country hikes for several weeks every summer for years. Once they knew who was boss, they were great.

Uncle Sam will sell you a few burros...cheap too!

Haven't used them for elk,but have pack several.I saw a darn nice string of them a few years back down in the Swampy pass area and they sure did the job.
Compare a horse and a mule and then the same amount of difference applies to comparing a burro to a mule. They are a darn site smarter and take considreable more time in training,but it can be done. They are also heartier and take less food and can subsist on rougher forage. Personally if I were looking in that direction,I would look at a 12 hd little mule instead.
Probably looking at a weight capacity of 125 lbs. more if they are bigger

I will ride a horse, pack a mule, sometimes ride a mule if its a good one. Having been raised where burros were abundant, I don't want to use them. I have used them to pack salt. We had Candellia wax vats and the Mexicans used them to pack the candellia weed and pack wax to our ranch where we would buy it from them.. They are stubborn and hard to work with albiet they are gentle by nature once broke. Also once broke they are pretty slow moving as a rule..They are also much harder to balance a load on and hard to keep the pack saddles on them and you need to have special pack saddles if your serious about them and the cost is prohibitive...

The summer I spent working with a sheep hearder we use 2 of them to pack out while going to and from different fields both had been used for at lest 15 years and knew the trails by heart,they loved the sheep and dogs and would go just plain raving mad when a yote would show up. The Forest Service in our area used them to pack in new seadlings.Have seen the Mex's pack'em down so heavy I never thought they would move, Like Ray said though if they take in their heads they don't like you , for get getting them to move

We got two very wild burros to practice roping about 16-17 years ago. About the wildest things you could imagine, within a couple years we sold one and kept the other "Burrito".

He was stunted, but must have came from a mammoth jack as he ended up being just shy of 14 hands. With some gentle hands he ended up being a big pet. He lead wonderfully, packed great, even rode fairly well. I used a brow band bridle with quick disconnects on the side for the bit. I'd put the bridle on and than insert the bit and clip in into place.

He was almost to friendly really when it came down to it. He'd follow you around wherever you went. Would have loved to have taken him out to the Mtn.s sometime.

Short on room at my folks' place and I got tired of hearing my step-dad bitch about him as the burro was always the one getting moved around in the barn and if he wasn't fed first he'd start to bray (spelling). Ended up giving him to an old girlfriend of mine who always wanted him. Still doing well and they ride him quite often.

Gray horse in the front is 16'2

I use pack burros here in Colorado. I started a blog and forum at www.originalatv.com. I'm just getting things started so there isn't much discussion yet. I'd be happy to answer any questions you guys may have. My burros packed out six elk this fall.

Saddlesore: I hunt up near Swampy Pass, that might have been me you saw!

Sent you a PM

Several years ago my son built about a mile of fence in a conservation area where no vehicles were allowed. Used a saddle horse and donkey with a sawbuck saddle and panniers to pack everything in and out. Donkey could carry three rolls of barbed wire, or three sacks of post mix. Wrapped the barbed wire in a towel, put one on each side and one on top. Same with the post mix. As I recall they also wrapped the t-posts in canvas.
After the first day, the donkey would follow the horse without a lead rope. One day the donkey fell down the side of a mountain, not too far and nobody got hurt. Waited for the wreck to stop and then carried everything back up to the trail and repacked it.
Just my two cents worth.

Mark

Gonehuntin. This outfit I saw was from Texas I believe. About 6 big Mammoth stock donkeys. All new pack saddels and tack

Before I got my llamas, I looked all over so. Idaho for a couple good donkeys. All I found were minis about the size of my lab. I finally gave up and tried out goats and the llamas.

Rock Chuck,
I have a friend who specializes in the use of goats as pack animals; pretty much an expert. However, Colorado and most of the western states are about to ban the use of goats in areas where there are bighorns and mtn goats. The 2013 Colorado Big Horn hunting brochure (page 3) sited an extensive study that showed a serious problem with the transmission of disease to wild sheep and goats. Right now it is �recommended� that folks leave pack goats at home but I have it on good authority it will soon be enforced.

My animals were rescued �wild� burros. Most, if not all, folks who use formally wild burros will testify they are much preferred over none-wild donkeys. Natural selection has given them more stamina; made them less prone to disease and (my favorite) they have a little more �git-up-and-go�. They are hard workers and will pack gear for miles!

Here are a couple of videos from this fall and one dandy bull a friend of mine took.

https://vimeo.com/78501235
https://vimeo.com/77910252

For anyone in Colorado, I will be at International Sportsman's Expo in Denver Jan 16-19, booth 3042. Stop by and say hello and we can talk about asses!

Eric

Where do you get those "once wild"burros?

Could you transport burros in a truck bed w/rack similar to llamas?

I'd want a stock trailer myself.