Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Horseback elk hunt

Dwayne--thanks for taking the time for your response--I'll try to adhere to your advice,it appears to be sound and measured. I don't have a clue what a moose-hide short chap is--but I will be wearing my tight fitting under-armour bottoms.Akmthuntr--I haven't given any info on the folks I'm using, because it's my first time with them--I'll be sure to let you know about them when I get back--thanks for allowing me to share your thread--KC-The getting off and walking a spell ever so often makes a lot of sense-I'll try it--Thanks all --Bill

billg;
You are most welcome for any chaffing and discomfort that I might help you avoid.

Moose hide short chaps are also called C-H-I-N-K-S up here, but the built in spell thing here apparently thinks I'm using an old slur for folks of Asian extraction. It's actually short for something in Spanish I've been told - chinquaderos - spelling very suspect there of course. They are nothing more than chaps cut off to hang to about one's boot tops and are seen quite often in the semi desert country up here.

Somehow this is the only photobucket picture I have handy with them on. I apologize for the photo quality, it was pre -digital.


On the walking thing, I always rode with packer boots on, as we have another saying in the BC mountains, "If you ride, you'll walk too!"

I look forward to hearing how your hunt went sir, all the best luck during it and the rest of your hunts this fall.

Regards,
Dwayne

The Bob is a great place to do a horseback hunt.

I would also highly recommend Prophet-Muskwa (www.prophetmuskwa.com). There is a 6-point minimum on elk and consequently there are quite a few mature bulls. Along with different lengths of hunts, you can also add other species. I did elk and moose, and saw quite a few of both.

One thing I would caution against is going cheap on a horseback elk hunt. Many of those turn out to be expensive horse rides.

On very cheap and nasty horses fit only for dog food.


Another thing that will help prevent chaffing, steal a pair of your wifes pantyhose.
Apparently they help the skin slide and prevent chaffing.

I would also recomend jake clark in wyo, know his family and several friends hunt with hime every year. He is a mule man and has first class stock. Check out his web site. For saddle sore, under armor and prep-h medicated wipes, in the back country the only way to go! Just got home from a 40 mile pack trip, it was truly enjoyable.

I like to wear C h i n k s or shotgun chaps depending on the weather, The c h i n k s are not as warm as the full length Shotgun Chaps. But both can keep water off your legs if you are riding when the brush is wet or dripping. But during hunting season, I feel like I'm already over loading my horse with rifles, binos, my heavy clothing etc. So I usually don't wear my chaps while hunting.

The two guys in the middle have c h i n k s on and the two on the outside had full length Shotgun chaps.


Mine happend to be Buffalo hide. So c h i n k s/chaps can be made from almost any leather. Although I find Elk hide to be almost too soft.

C h i n k s are lighter and a little more manuverable. The shotgun chaps seem to restrict my movements more.


As far as distance. I've done a lot of 50 mile endurance rides with no monkey butt. So I really suggest that its more about staying clean than it ever will be about the distance or time in the saddle. Your kinees and ankles will be more the problem than monkey butt.

Wet Denim jeans are almost like sandpaper on skin. Stay dry.

I've worn Filson canvas bird-hunting chaps on more than one horseback hunt, and if well-waxed they keep the water out and are good for leg protection too. They're noisy, however. I mention them as an option if somebody already has a pair.

Weatherby used to offer some really well-made wool chaps that worked great. They keep your legs warm when riding, but if hiking gets too warm they can be taken off. Somehow they never caught on, however.

All right, I do a lot of riding. I have NO IDEA what in the heck this MONKEY BUTT and keeping yourself clean is all about. My biggest problem would be my knees!!! I get off and stretch every once in a while just like I do when operating machinery. Need to move the legs/knees a bit. But Monkey Butt!!!.....Are you talking about hemerroihds??? Heck, I hear you can get them being a desk jockey!!!

BTW, I hope you can get a horseback hunt set up. It is on my short list as well!!

Robster;
I'm not sure exactly what all folks here would put down for a definition of your "monkey butt" question, but....

One fall gather we had about 50 or so calves to ship to the stock yards using a trailer that would hold 10 a trip. So that made 5 stops and we had to sort the bulls and separate some cows or replacement heifers too. As with a lot of less than happy events in my past, my mind seems to have blocked out some of the little details.

Well those tasks weren't all that onerous and things would have gone swimmingly if it hadn't started snowing with the usual quarter sized, sopping wet Okanagan snow flakes.

Every time we'd unhorse to take a load of calves, the snow would pile up an inch or more on the saddle. It would pile up behind you when riding as well, then melt and works its way in slowly but surely. The final result was even though we finally pulled the slickers out of the pickup, the saddle seats became very, very wet....

Eventually, in the fullness of time as "they" like to say, my rancher buddy and I were soaked from about the knees and up to - oh I'd guess my 11th and 12th vertebrae or close.

Our girls were much smaller then, the youngest still in or just out of diapers as I recall. As such I was quite familiar with diaper rash and so help me, when I showered that night I felt an unusually strong empathy for little ones suffering from that particular ailment.

Now I might be wrong here sir and that might not be anything close to what others might give for a definition.

That said, I can't recommend the experience in good conscience to anyone that I like even a wee bit.

All the best to you and yours in the upcoming week and good luck on your hunts this fall.

Regards,
Dwayne

I've been riding horses, on and off, for most of my 62 years and I will always remember a bit of advice that I heard many years ago.

The saying goes..."If your butt hurts, your stirrups are too long. If your knees hurt, your stirrups are too short. If everything hurts about the same, your stirrups are just about right!"

You may want to contact Terry Pollard, owner of Bald Mountain Outfitters, out of Pinedale, WY. Terry hunts the Wind River Range and has exclusive outfitter rights to the area. He claims 100% draw success for non-residents on elk.

donsm70

I will be leaving for Montana to hunt the first week of rifle. I will be changing my scabbard configuration to the right side and more vertical. I carried it parallel with the horse on the left for years but my hip and left knee won't tolerate it any more. Need to learn a whole new technique when bailing off.

Dwayne....I loved your descriptive rendition of monkey butt!!!!!

The mental image it provoked definitely hits home.

Thanks for that

I fortunately have not been on the recieving end of monkey butt....yet. Here's hoping I never do.

I just wasn't sure what the comments were all about. If the saddle time is causing hemerroids or what. I guess I have just been lucky all these years.