Here's who I am

[Painted Horse]

I spend a lot of times in the outdoors. As I got older, I also become more proficient at harvesting elk ( partly because of Utah's elk management and partly because I got smarter) I quickly learned that I didn't like packing elk off the mountain on my back. So I got horses for the elk hunt. Learned real quick that you have to ride horses all year or they are no good during hunting season. So I currently ride a lot. Almost to the point that I've given up many of the other outdoor activities that I used to do.

This fall we did a lot of elk hunting. If you have horses, There are lots of people who think you are their friend when hunting season rolls around, and I had plenty of opportunity to enjoy several different units around the state.

I enjoyed 7 days on the Aquarius Plateau. Saw lots of elk, had one large cougar slink around a meadow and tried to sneek up behind me. I saw him coming and surprised him instead.

I was going to include a few photos. But I guess I gotta post a few replies before I get those rights.

[jman]

welcome fellow Kaysville man. So with a guy with horses, you must live in West Kaysville then? And if you do you know the Stenquists down that way?

[accadacca]

Sup, Painted Horse. I'll send you my address. Please mail me some jerky. :lol8:

Welcome to Bogley. :2thumbs:

[Painted Horse]

Yep, West Kaysville, Been here since 1978 when I moved onto my Grandfathers old place. There wasn't a 100 families back then. Knew everybody west of the Freeway. Can't ride my horses around the block nowday. Too many people. Times Change.

You want jerky from this?
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p259/Painted-Horse/2010/Elk%20Hunting/Elk-Mule.jpg

[Painted Horse]

Since I can post photos now. Here are a couple.

Aquarius Plateau. Looking South toward Escalante
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p259/Painted-Horse/2010/Elk%20Hunting/Elk-Quakies.jpg

Griffin Top
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p259/Painted-Horse/2010/Elk%20Hunting/Elk-BigBuckBowl.jpg

Small 6x6 I passed on
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p259/Painted-Horse/2010/Elk%20Hunting/Elk-small-Bull.jpg

Bare Top mountain near Dutch John
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p259/Painted-Horse/2010/Elk%20Hunting/Elk-Pines.jpg

Flaming Gorge
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p259/Painted-Horse/2010/Elk%20Hunting/Elk-Gorge.jpg

Ogden Canyon off new trail they built this fall up to Cold Canyon to make a loop.
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p259/Painted-Horse/2010/Elk%20Hunting/Ogden-canyon.jpg

Wasatch Mountains South of Duchsene
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p259/Painted-Horse/2010/Elk%20Hunting/Cow.jpg

[Deathcricket]

Welcome! Mmmmm home made beef jerky is the best! So is there a bit of animosity between the hunters on horses vs the hunters on ATV's or do you guys get along? Or is there too few of you that still hunt on horses to even make it worth the effort? I can see pro's and cons of each but am curious how the dynamic works.
:popcorn:

[accadacca]

Excellent photos! You'll get along fine around here showcasing great photography. :popcorn:

[Painted Horse]

I own an ATV. I enjoy riding it. There are times when it is the right option. I probably would still be ridding an ATV hunting it the Forest Service had not closed the area I like to hunt to ATVs in 1983. Since they closed the canyon to wheeled vehicles, it is 7 miles in with very cliffy canyon walls for the 1st 5 miles. You don't get any hunting until you are up the canyon. And Utah's Elk herd over whelmed the deer herd and become the animal that we harvest most years. After dragging an elk out once. I decided there had to be a better way. So I bought horses. Quickly learned that unlike the ATV, you can't leave the horses in the pasture and just use them for hunting once a year. You need to work with them all year round.

Back to your question. I get along just fine with ATV riders who obey the law. If an area is closed to ATV, It's closed to everybody. Problem is there is always somebody who thinks that law doesn't apply to them. I've heard most of the excuses. The Forest Service has no right to close this area. It's not fair they are closing all the roads. We shot an elk and need the ATV to retrieve the animal, it's too heavy to pack out. Oh, I didn't know this area was closed to motor vehicles. After hearing all the excuses, I just programed the Forest Service Law Enforcement officers cell number into my phone and call and tell them where the ATV's are. Take some pictures of the ATV with the GPS showing the Coordinates and let the courts do their thing. We've seen several machines confiscated.

Now if I'm in an area that is Open to ATV's, ( most likely, I'd have mine) I'm more than happy to share the trails. They are outdoors people just like me and I'm happy to gather around a camp fire and tell lies with them.

Athough I have a tendancy to go places that ATV's don't do well in
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p259/Painted-Horse/2010/Chute/WildHorse17.gif

[Painted Horse]

It is somewhat the same with Mountain Bikers. Although most of the trails are open to horses/hikers/bikers.
It is a matter of common curteousy of how to deal with each other. We've all had bikers come flying down the trail at high speed and spook a horse. I know bikers like to ride fast and a lot of trails have blind corners. So it's not fair for me to yell at a biker for coming around a corner and spooking my horse. And yet I see other horseriders ( mostly women) who are yelling at the bikers about who has the right of way and what jerk they are.

On the other side of the coin, I've seen bikers/hikers try to pass the horse or maybe stop right on the edge of the trail and when the horse passes, it flips them with it's tail, bumps them with a shoulder or even swings its head over and knocks them off balance. The biker /hiker thinks the rider is a horrible person for not controlling his horse. Heck it's a 1200lb animal with a mind of it's own. I can't control every movement.

So part of this is understanding who else shares the trails with us. If I hear bikers voices coming down the trail and it's in an area with limited visability. I'm going to call ahead to the riders and try to get my horse off the trail, before the bikers come around the corner. And for the bikers, they need to know that even well trained horses often steps on peoples toes. And the only way to avoid that is to keep your distance.

One evening, just about dark. We had two bikers come flying down the trail. They had an uphill ahead of them and wanted to save all their speed. So they were yelling at us to get out of the way. All the yelling and the fast approach from behind, got the horses excited. So as the bikers flew by, we had two horses that were on a serious andrenline rush. rather than let them buck out through the trees. I let them run after the bikers. ( a horse is a whole lots less scared of something it's chasing vs something that is chasing it) The bikers soon hit the uphill grade and their speed slowed. The horse quickly over took them in the darkness. The shoe was now on the other foot. The bikers hearts were in their throats as they heard the thundering hooves suddenly near them. Payback is sometimes unpleasant. If you want to scare the horses, Sometimes the horse will scare you.
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p259/Painted-Horse/San-Rafel-ledges.jpg

[Pelon1]

You have a great perspective on the horse/ATV/Biker argument, can't we all just get along? Welcome to Bogley great photos:clap:

[oldno7]

Nice pics, I've always been a mule man. I've had up to 12 head of horses and mules in the past but am currently down to none.

p,s.--nice to see you use manty/lash ropes to secure your loads, I've seen to many pack wrecks from lack there of.

[Jaxx]

Possibly the best intro ever? Welcome. Love the pics and opinions!

[PolarXJ]

Welcome :D