No hunt

[Elkeater]

Due to a mishap on the trail, sprained wrist, I was not able to hunt.



Correction:Squares on map are .5 mile. Previous posts cut mileage in half.
Base camp at 8400', near trail head. High camp at 12000'.
On the way up at about 11000' in a steep valley a party of 4 archers and 3 mules were on their way down. The first man stopped and took notice of a small trail that paralleled the main trail; there for just such a situation. He led his mule on it; I thanked him. A youngster appeared, he could not get his mule to follow the first, here he comes. Seeing trouble I dismounted
and began backing Paladin. Not fast enough. The boy and mule where soon upon us when the mule screamed. Paladin jumped to a 180. I did a down hill forward flip landing on my back. Looking back up I see the boy still pushing Paladin down the trail, I informed him to stop till I get to my horse. When all said and done one of the men said I must be feeling pretty bad. I said I would feel better if he told me of his elk hunting. Got some good intel there. We all agreed it could have turned out much worse.
Arrived at high camp while the sun is setting. After putting Paladin up for the night it was dark. Rolled out the bedroll and opened a can of salmon; never tasted so good. Small tent went up in the morning.
The week wrist took away my ability to pack an elk out. So I spent my time studying the land and map. Played with Paladin and appreciated what I do have. On the way back down 3 grouse flushed at Paladin's right front foot, he did not twitch.

[URL=http://s1281.photobucket.com/user/brownelectric/media/2015%20Elk/IMG_0501_zpskry7m8ab.jpg.html]

 

[bowkill]

HEY! i want to do that, minus the injury...

 

[Sean Gadhar]

Well shoot Were you in Colorado? The one good thing I have going is I have helped hump out a lot of game. I have a long list of folk I can ask help from.

I understand how you felt though, if you can't do right by the game you DON'T hunt. :thumbsup:


I hunted 3-4 days once with out taking a boot off because I twisted my ankle badly and was sure I would not get the boot on again once off, by day 3 the sock felt like wet rawhide :barf:

 

[Elkeater]

Yes and I would do it again too.

NW of Wolf Creek Pass, no communication. Great weather for hanging out. Next time hook and line will be with me.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Shucks, bad but I am still impressed. And thanks for sharing :thumbsup:

 

[BrownBear]

Your account reminds me of the old packer I worked for in the 1960's. We had a string of 16 mules about 10 miles back in a no-motors wilderness area, approaching a suspension bridge when three guys on Honda 50's came ringadingdinging up behind us, then and onto the bridge.

We had a genuine trainwreck with mules and tack everywhere as the guys rode on out of sight upriver.

We got it all put back together and were about halfway cross the bridge when here they come back down the river to the bridge. Two guys stopped on the approach while one rode right up Otis and sat there revving his motor.

Otis got off his horse and the idiot got off his bike. Otis walks up to the guy, and quick as a wink, picked up the Honda and threw it over the railing into the river below.

The guy started yelling and Otis kept walking toward him. Guy took to running back across the bridge, hopped on the back of one of the remaining bikes screaming "Go! Go! Go!".

Back up the river they went. We went upriver too, but never saw them again. Next morning when we came back across the bridge, the bike was gone.

Otis was probably still smiling when they closed his casket 30 years ago! :thumbsup:

 

[Patocazador]

IMO an equine's only purpose in life is to try to maim or kill you. I've seen too many instances of that to ignore it. :shake:

 

[cynthialee]

that sucks!

You were serious gonna hunt, even had the horse working.

Better a sprain than a break.

Heal that arm up hun and better luck next time.

 

[Elkeater]

The idiot was lucky Otis didn't throw him from the bridge.
Probably another young skull full of mush.

I have a great wife and family. A few years ago I got the itch for a horse. There is nothing like developing a relationship with a young horse. There have been many mishaps but have always been gaining in trust. One little step at a time.

Thanks all for feedback.

 

[Sean Gadhar]

:idunno: I am not a horse guy :surrender: Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against them. It is my disposition that they don't like.

Hounds expect (when they do wrong) you to get mad and stay that way for a bit (lets say 60-90 seconds or so) this fits me to a tee Get mad stay grumpy cool down. Seems just about the worst thing with a horse

The horse people I know all turn on and off like a light. I watched Ival Hurst an old old farrier slap a young horse so hard it Ped down both legs....and talk to it 3 seconds later like they were lovers.

My disposition seems to keep them on edge, so I have to curb it, and I think they can sense the falseness there as well

 

[BrownBear]

My disposition seems to keep them on edge....

There's a lot to that. Years back we had a young aspiring hand who could set off animals of any sort just by showing up. Cattle, horses, dogs, you name it. Never seen anything like it. The poor guy could be standing there doing nothing and a cow dog would sneak up from behind to bite him. He sent a bull over a fence once just by walking into the sorting pen.

He's a truck driver now and happy. So are the rest of us!

 

[Elkeater]

Chi......body language......disposition..........what used to be known as horse sense

 

[BrownBear]

....what used to be known as horse sense

There ya go. These days it's in pretty short supply away from animals, too. :wink:

 

[longcruise]

Tough luck, but you made a good experience of it. Like life itself, its all about what we make it.

This horse thing is not all that attractive to me. Just don't trust the dang things! Funny thing is, I found when my daughters rode in Westernaires I had to work a lot with the horses and apparently I have this "horse sense". I was able to groom and do hoof care with the nastiest horses in the stables without incident. Several of these animals (pony's) had racked up quite a scoreboard of injuries to other parent helpers. One of them wore his ears in permanent "helicopter" position. :haha:

 

[Elkeater]

Man & horse; horse is 10 x stronger, man has 10 x brain mass.
I find it a good partnership. We should be able to stay a step or two ahead of them. I never tire of the places he can take me.

 

[longcruise]

An interesting perspective.

In any case, I have considerable respect for those who can work with horses and enjoy it.

 

[Elkeater]

In my dreams I am rid of work and responsibilities. I am on my way to Kentucky to purchase another young Tenn Walking Horse.

From May to October I would be gone where no one could find me. Except maybe another mountain man.

 

[Sean Gadhar]

In my dreams I am rid of work and responsibilities. I am on my way to Kentucky to purchase another young Tenn Walking Horse.

From May to October I would be gone where no one could find me. Except maybe another mountain man.

Hay you can wave at my dream as you go by :wink: I'd be out there with a pack of rabbit hounds, my two sons and maybe a few grand kids, young enough to still think I know what I'm talking about :grin:

Man can you hear those hounds.....man they are pushing that rabbit now!! Can ya hear um?

 

[Greenmtnboy]

Great pics!!
I have spent a bit of time guiding near Wolf creek pass. Sorry about the injury :shake: will you be able to get a "B tag" and hunt rifle season?

 

[Elkeater]

B tags were available on "private land only" in my unit.
Units east of wolf creek do have B tags on public. It is such an under taking to pack up and travel: I am alloted 2 weeks each year for elk. One hunt.

If I do not draw a ML tag I can hunt in the rifle season in the same unit.

But much closer to home I am hunting deer. Does not interfere so much with work. I have been seeing does with their young here recently. If given the choice do I take the doe or the youngin?