collapse

Advertisement


Author Topic: Who hunts with a jack ass?  (Read 2519 times)

Offline 375HHM

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Pilgrim
  • *
  • Join Date: Dec 2020
  • Posts: 13
  • Location: Spokane
Who hunts with a jack ass?
« on: October 01, 2024, 11:21:03 AM »
My family (New Mexico ranchers/farmers) were all horse-people. I remember my grandfather talking about how he preferred horses. However, he mostly worked cattle or trained cutting horses.

Lately, it seems like mules are becoming all the rage for hunting. But I'm curious what people think about a donkey, either a larger one you can ride or just as a pack animal? I haven't ridden since I was 12 years old or so, and I'm just thinking about it since I want to get into more back-country hunts. But I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on here!

Yay, or Neigh for Donkeys. Would you prefer a mule over a donkey?

Offline Oldguy

  • Trade Count: (+2)
  • Longhunter
  • *****
  • Join Date: Apr 2007
  • Posts: 679
Re: Who hunts with a jack ass?
« Reply #1 on: October 01, 2024, 11:51:09 AM »
Glad you cleared this up for me. I was expecting guys talking about their "Jack Ass" hunting parners.

Offline ghosthunter

  • Political & Covid-19 Topics
  • Trade Count: (+19)
  • Old Salt
  • ******
  • Join Date: Apr 2011
  • Posts: 7435
  • Location: Mount Vernon WA
Re: Who hunts with a jack ass?
« Reply #2 on: October 01, 2024, 12:40:33 PM »
Back in my 20s I had a trail horse and for a time a pack donkey. But it didn’t work well because the horses stride was quicker than the donkey. Thus you were dragging him every where. On one trip his neck swelled from being pulled.

Now if you led him and walked he did well. They are great watch dogs.

I gave him to a friend who had a cattle ranch. They used him to teach their show cattle to lead. They clipped a led to a cow and to donkey. The donkey drug the cow every where.
Eventually the cow learned to walk on a led.

Donkeys have been used as pack stock for  hundreds of years, they are just slow.
GHOST CAMP "We Came To Hunt"
Proud Parent of A United States Marine

We are all traveling from Birth to the Packing House. ( Broken Trail)

“I f he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” ― Theodore Roosevelt

Offline Southpole

  • Political & Covid-19 Topics
  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Frontiersman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Sep 2012
  • Posts: 4194
  • Location: Northport
  • Groups: NRA
Re: Who hunts with a jack ass?
« Reply #3 on: October 01, 2024, 12:54:08 PM »
Glad you cleared this up for me. I was expecting guys talking about their "Jack Ass" hunting parners.
:yeah:
$5 is a lot of money if you ain't got it

Offline 300rum

  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Aug 2008
  • Posts: 2342
Re: Who hunts with a jack ass?
« Reply #4 on: October 05, 2024, 08:29:15 AM »
My suggestion is to just stick with a mule, they have the best of both the horse and the Donk.  Easier to find quality fitting tack too and you can sell it pretty easy.  Just look for a mule who likes people. 

Offline Machias

  • Trapper
  • Trade Count: (+5)
  • Explorer
  • ******
  • Join Date: Mar 2007
  • Posts: 18831
  • Location: Worley, ID
Re: Who hunts with a jack ass?
« Reply #5 on: October 09, 2024, 02:12:24 PM »
I had a really nice mammoth donkey that was broke to ride, pack and pull a cart.  He loved being with you, so leading him into the back country was easy enough.  He would not have done well as a pack animal behind a horse.
Fred Moyer

When it's Grim, be the GRIM REAPER!

Offline 375HHM

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Pilgrim
  • *
  • Join Date: Dec 2020
  • Posts: 13
  • Location: Spokane
Re: Who hunts with a jack ass?
« Reply #6 on: October 09, 2024, 02:17:58 PM »
My suggestion is to just stick with a mule, they have the best of both the horse and the Donk.  Easier to find quality fitting tack too and you can sell it pretty easy.  Just look for a mule who likes people.

That sounds like a good plan. I'm still a few years away from buying one, or even being able to take care of one. But I'd like to keep my pulse on prices and where a good mule can be picked up at. It seems like they're pretty expensive, like a good horse. From what I remember as a kid, mules were a lot cheaper than horses 20 years ago. It doesn't seem that way anymore.

Offline 375HHM

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Pilgrim
  • *
  • Join Date: Dec 2020
  • Posts: 13
  • Location: Spokane
Re: Who hunts with a jack ass?
« Reply #7 on: October 09, 2024, 02:19:21 PM »
I had a really nice mammoth donkey that was broke to ride, pack and pull a cart.  He loved being with you, so leading him into the back country was easy enough.  He would not have done well as a pack animal behind a horse.

Did he need to be around another donkey or mule, or was he okay being alone? How did he compare to mules?

Online Boss .300 winmag

  • FLY NAVAL AVIATION
  • Washington For Wildlife
  • Trade Count: (+22)
  • Explorer
  • ******
  • Join Date: Oct 2010
  • Posts: 18270
  • Location: Skagit Valley
  • How do you measure trying, you do, or you don’t.
Re: Who hunts with a jack ass?
« Reply #8 on: October 09, 2024, 06:45:10 PM »
Used to have one in my camp, I left because of him.🤣
"Just because I like granola, and I have stretched my arms around a few trees, doesn't mean I'm a tree hugger!
Hi I'm 8156, our leader is Bearpaw.
YOU CANNOT REASON WITH A TIGER WHEN YOUR HEAD IS IN ITS MOUTH! Winston Churchill

Keep Calm And Duc/Ski Doo On!

Offline 300rum

  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Aug 2008
  • Posts: 2342
Re: Who hunts with a jack ass?
« Reply #9 on: October 10, 2024, 04:56:19 AM »
If its a riding mule, you are going to pay for it.  A pack mule can be had pretty inexpensive.  If a guy is a "backpacker" type, a smaller or even mini-mule would do whatever you need to do, carry your pack, carry out an animal, make things much more comfortable then an ultralight backpack setup.  They could also be hauled in a small trailer or even the back of a smaller pickup. 

My suggestion is to just stick with a mule, they have the best of both the horse and the Donk.  Easier to find quality fitting tack too and you can sell it pretty easy.  Just look for a mule who likes people.

That sounds like a good plan. I'm still a few years away from buying one, or even being able to take care of one. But I'd like to keep my pulse on prices and where a good mule can be picked up at. It seems like they're pretty expensive, like a good horse. From what I remember as a kid, mules were a lot cheaper than horses 20 years ago. It doesn't seem that way anymore.

 


* Advertisement

* Recent Topics

"GO" 2024 H-W 14th Annual Christmas Gift Exchange by asmith
[Today at 10:33:43 AM]


What does "Bang Flop" mean to you??? by highside74
[Today at 10:30:36 AM]


Stock interchangeable? by RightPlace-RightTime
[Today at 10:14:34 AM]


Kodiak vs Rancher by Twispriver
[Today at 10:03:31 AM]


Bergara vs fierce by safehunter
[Today at 09:48:54 AM]


Drizzle of honey on venison jerky? by jackelope
[Today at 09:48:27 AM]


High Buck Hunt Pack Dump by PacificNWhunter
[Today at 09:25:49 AM]


Chelan sheep by Pudelguy
[Today at 09:24:35 AM]


WDFW commission meeting Dec 12-14th Cle Elum by Rainier10
[Today at 09:01:30 AM]


What's your black bear caliber/bullet? by Twispriver
[Today at 08:54:07 AM]


Found Luggage Bag near clemen mtn by fishngamereaper
[Today at 06:26:48 AM]


Scope Throw lever by Sakko300wsm
[Today at 06:16:03 AM]


Oil pics ? by 6haase6
[Yesterday at 10:36:27 PM]


Olympic mountain outfitters by 2MANY
[Yesterday at 10:01:12 PM]


First catch of the year by Humptulips
[Yesterday at 09:00:40 PM]


North Idaho Bull - 5x5 by idaho guy
[Yesterday at 08:34:30 PM]


Colville NF Closure by hunter399
[Yesterday at 08:08:16 PM]


turkey ammo by Russ McDonald
[Yesterday at 07:31:41 PM]


WTS Daiwa tanacom 750 by Crunchy
[Yesterday at 07:26:18 PM]


2024 Turkeys - Share Your Toms & Jakes Photos by Codyfly26
[Yesterday at 12:33:31 PM]

SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal