Horses & Hunting

By Tom Carlsen, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Wildlife Biologist in Townsend

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Montana’s early trappers, mountain men, and miners considered packing their gear on horses an essential skill. Packing wild game out of the backcountry during hunting season is also a long-time Montana tradition.

Most of us modern day packers learn the ropes from a friend or mentor and we’re hooked. Packing my wild game out is an important part of the hunt for me. It is a tradition that is based on simple, very practical skills.

Packing wild game out after a hunt calls for especially sound animals, ones that won’t spook at the smell of a deer or elk carcass. There is no way to simulate the real experience in advance, so be prepared. A horse could easily blow up and you’ll have a rodeo on your hands. Some packers will tie their pack animals 25 or more yards away where they can watch as the game is skinned and quartered and grow accustomed to the smell.

Packing also demands patience and the ability to use time-tested hitches and pack saddles to secure the load. A hitch is the term used to refer to the conformation of the ropes and knots you tie to secure the elk quarters or any other load.

A load has to be hitched and balanced properly, and you have to weigh factors such as weight, horse or mule temperament, terrain, trail conditions, weather, and many other things that may affect your animals. More often than not, failing to think ahead results in a spooked horse or a wreck that can be dangerous or deadly to you and to your animals.

I got into horses almost by accident when my boss died. No one wanted his horse, so I gave "Ol Scamp" a home. One horse leads to two and two horses become a handful of horses and mules and so it goes. I learned a lot from Ol Scamp and every horse or mule that followed him.

I’ve also been fortunate to have friends who have taught me how to pack elk out on stock and I try to emulate them as well as I can. There is no right or wrong way to pack quarters of elk on stock other than to do so without hurting yourself or your stock. Experience may be the only way to learn to manage the many "unpredictables" you’ll encounter.

Two books that I highly recommend contain valuable information on packing stock. They are "Horses, Hitches and Rocky Trials—The Packers Bible" by Joe Back, and "Packin In on Mules and Horses" by Smoke Elser and Bill Brown.

Both of these books go into the details of packing. There are a number of choices for packing meat. The easiest for a beginner is to use panniers held in place by hooks on a Decker pack saddle. You can skin the hide off the deer or elk quarters, wrap it in a canvas mantie and put it in the pannier. This way is easier for the horse to accept. Or you can do it the traditional way by putting the hide side down on the horse and basket or barrel hitching the quarters directly to the pack saddle. In either case, the load must be balanced and not ride in a way that would, over time, create a sore on the horse.

I use a Decker pack saddle, and the sawbuck pack saddle is often seen too.

It takes time to become a half-way successful packer. I can’t imagine making the journey without the help of the books I’ve recommended, and an experienced friend or mentor to help you learn the routine and the finer points in the field.

If you love horses and mules as I do, and think you might have the patience, an eye for details, and the desire to be part of a time-honored tradition, packing might be for you. There is a very satisfying feeling in completing a successful hunt and being able to pack the meat out yourself on your own animals.