NChunter
New member
I am planning an elk hunt to Colorado this year. Does anyone know someone that rents horses or mules? I am planning on being near Steamboat Springs, if I draw the tag I want.
horse rental?
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NChunter
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Thanks for the information. I will look them up and give them a call.
TOM IN TENNESSEE
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Personally, I have major trouble tying a diamond hitch and use my son for shoeing if one is thrown. For that reason, I would not rent unless a wrangler came with the deal.
putm2sleep
New member
Dito on Sombrero out of the 'boat! Plan on putting down a chunk for deposit and ~4 ben franklins
NChunter
New member
I looked up Sombrero online, but I have not called them yet. A second recommendation makes them sound even better.
NChunter
New member
I don't have a lot of experience either. I plan on telling them that and hopefully I will get some gentle horses. I also am going to see if I can find a packer nearby and see what that costs. I have hiked in before, but riding sounds better.
Whats the general terrain like around steamboat springs? and also how much public land is there in the area. i've only been in montrose and durango. in my experiences i think you are generally better off to hike in and if you get an animal down, then get a horse and wrangler. you can ususally rent by the day. Dont know anything about steamboat but have some i'd recommend around durango if anybody interested
wyoming556
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I hunted deer in that area during 3rd rifle season this year. It looked like tough country to be packing an elk very far without horses. Almost all public in unit 14, acattered in 214, 441, and 4. I think those are all OTC elk tags for 2nd and 3rd season so I assume you are putting in for 1st season drawing. It seemed that at least some if not most of the elk at higher elevations had moved by 3rd season because of snow. It is my understanding that most of the migration is heading west to the lower elvations and private land. I did see some elk sign on BLM land in unit 4. Hunters not as welcome in Steamboat as they are in Hayden or Craig. If you need a place in steamboat rabbit ears motel is about as affordable as it gets in that town.
Topgun 30-06
Active member
I really have to agree with Tom on this one. I've been on one guided horseback hunt and that was great when I had people to take care of the stock morning and evening so I could hunt. I also did it on my own twice and would never do it again. I didn't have any problem with the animals because I know horses, but the big problem is in a DIY it takes a lot of your valuable time in the morning and evening taking care of them. You also need to take the proper amount and type of feed with you and know for sure there is plenty of readily available water where you will be because a horse drinks a lot of water a day. If you don't know how to hobble or highline them or replace a thrown shoe, again, don't do it! I really would say you would be better off to have somebody readily available to haul your game out if you get anything and use all your time for the hunt itself. Take it from me that you will be exhausted enough without having to worry about proper care of a friggin horse on your trip!!!
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trevore
New member
Ever considered using llamas? I've used them on a number of occasions and will be doing so again this year.
wyoming556
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trevore,
I have concidered using llamas on previous hunts and never followed through. It sounds like you have some experience using them so I gotta ask a few questions. What kind of daily time requirements were involved taking care of the animals? Were they easy to get along with or did they require constant attention? thanks for your time.
I have concidered using llamas on previous hunts and never followed through. It sounds like you have some experience using them so I gotta ask a few questions. What kind of daily time requirements were involved taking care of the animals? Were they easy to get along with or did they require constant attention? thanks for your time.
trevore
New member
The llamas we rent are a breeze to work with, IMO.... Spent about 15 minutes a day tending to them. They do get tangled up in brush and stuff fairly easy when staked out. It's best to stake them in an open area. They eat very little, which negates bringing in food, and they drink even less. We'd offer them water every evening and move them to a "fresh" spot and stake them again. We carry a treat that they are used to getting just in case one gets off the lead, it helps entice them back.
The most time consuming part is brushing. Which, has to be done before you put the panniers on. If they have a burr or sticker in their wool they will lay down in a hurry if it's rubbing them. We loaded as much as 95 lbs on the larger llamas without any problems.
We only had one occasion where we had a spitter, but he didn't spit at us. He and another one of our "rentals" didn't get along. We kept them seperated and no more problems
The most time consuming part is brushing. Which, has to be done before you put the panniers on. If they have a burr or sticker in their wool they will lay down in a hurry if it's rubbing them. We loaded as much as 95 lbs on the larger llamas without any problems.
We only had one occasion where we had a spitter, but he didn't spit at us. He and another one of our "rentals" didn't get along. We kept them seperated and no more problems
NChunter
New member
We are planning on hunting an area in GMU 14 that we have hunted before. We were exhausted last trip from all the miles of hiking and thought horses might make it a little easier, especially packing out the meat. But it sounds like it would be just as much work with horses. Maybe a packer is the way to go. or Llamas.
NChunter
New member
The llamas sound pretty good. Do you know if someone rents them in Colorado? How much does it usually cost?
TOM IN TENNESSEE
New member
Or then their are mules......
