On the Lighter Side
Oct 30 2007
Pack Horses
By Chris Dahl
I once read the horrific account of a man who, deep in the back country, was kicked in the face by a mule while trying to load an elk quarter. His partners made heroic efforts to get the man out of the mountains to medical help, where fortunately he recovered. Grimly, I nodded. Boy, was he lucky. He got his elk.
For the serious big-game hunter, horses and mules are like you-know-what – can’t live with them, can’t live without them. They carry us far into the elk woods and then carry our game out. But, also – like you-know-what – the misery endured for these simple services can drive a horseman to insanity; or in extreme cases, to llamas.