1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:04,640 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Sportsman's Nation podcast network powered by 2 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:08,520 Speaker 1: Interstate Batteries from your truck to your trail camera. Interstate 3 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:12,480 Speaker 1: Batteries as you covered. Visit your local Interstate Batteries store 4 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 1: today or online at Interstate Batteries dot com. Interstate Batteries 5 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 1: Outrageously Dependable. My name is Clay Nukeleman. I'm the host 6 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:30,960 Speaker 1: of the Bear Hunting Magazine podcast. I'll also be your 7 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:34,560 Speaker 1: host into the world of hunting the icon of North 8 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:40,519 Speaker 1: American wilderness. There, we'll talk about tactics, gear conservation, who 9 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:43,159 Speaker 1: will also bring you into some of the wildest country 10 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 1: on the planet chasing battery. Thank you for checking out 11 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: the Bear Hunting Magazine podcast. On this episode, we're talking 12 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 1: to about using mules to access the back country. My 13 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 1: thirteen year old son and my sixteen year old good 14 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:11,760 Speaker 1: friend's son are on the three day Christmas whitetail hunt 15 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 1: hunting in Arkansas. Bear live in wild places and it's 16 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: an adventure to get to them. Bears are iconic of 17 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: North American wilderness and part of the adventure of hunting 18 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 1: them is getting into wild places. I use a mule 19 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 1: and have chosen to use a mule to access wild places, 20 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: to get deeper, and to stay longer. That is something 21 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:39,040 Speaker 1: just in the last few years that I have taken 22 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:42,320 Speaker 1: on as a challenge, and I have significantly enjoyed it. 23 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:45,600 Speaker 1: I have not enjoyed it because I necessarily think it's 24 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:50,040 Speaker 1: the best strategy for taking game back there. I haven't 25 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 1: enjoyed it because it's the easiest. It's actually quite difficult 26 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 1: and has complexified my my hunting. It has put this 27 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: whole other set around my hunting that I truly enjoy 28 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 1: in my hunting, I am fine tuning the narrative of 29 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:11,640 Speaker 1: how I enjoy hunting and how I want to hunt 30 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:15,640 Speaker 1: in unique ways. Hunting with a mule is not necessarily 31 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 1: the most efficient way or the only way to access 32 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 1: back country, but it's the way that I have chosen 33 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 1: to do it. If my only goal was to get 34 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 1: antlers and meat, I would probably take the money and 35 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 1: energy that I've invested in these mules and buy lease 36 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 1: in Kansas and go up there for you know, a 37 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 1: week and have a chance at a really nice buck. 38 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:40,680 Speaker 1: I have not chosen to do that. I have chosen 39 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:43,119 Speaker 1: to drive and too. Probably some of the most difficult 40 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 1: white tail hunting that there is in low density areas, 41 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: rugged rough mountains, in places where you just don't see 42 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 1: many deer. And that's I say that because I live 43 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: in northwest Arkansas. I could drive two and a half 44 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:00,320 Speaker 1: to three hours and being some of the best tail 45 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: hunting in the country, and I've never done it. I 46 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 1: choose to limit myself and I dear hunt down there 47 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 1: quite a bit, and that fits the narrative in the 48 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:15,360 Speaker 1: way that I want to and choose to limit myself 49 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:19,239 Speaker 1: in hunting, and I do not regret that decision. This 50 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: whitetail hunt is also directly connected to my public land 51 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 1: bear hunting. I want to make that clear because this 52 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:28,480 Speaker 1: is the Bear Hunting Magazine podcast where we talk about 53 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:31,080 Speaker 1: strategies for hunting bear and how to get people involved 54 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 1: in bear hunting, and well, this white tail hunt takes 55 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: place in a region of Arkansas that I bear hunt, 56 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 1: and so intimately knowing the land is critical for public 57 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: land bear hunting where we cannot use bait or hounds. 58 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:51,000 Speaker 1: But we're just hunting these bears basically like deer and 59 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 1: so on this hunt. Even though we're hunting white tails, 60 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 1: bear seasons long over, I am storing up information about 61 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 1: the region for where and how I plan to bear 62 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 1: hunting next year. Lastly, before we get into the episode, 63 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 1: I think appreciating diversity and hunting is critical for the 64 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 1: future of our honey. When I say diversity of honting, 65 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 1: what I mean is you'll see You'll see videos and 66 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 1: here podcasts of me talking about hunting bear over bait, 67 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:21,320 Speaker 1: and I love it. I'm passionate about hunting bear over bait. 68 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 1: I think it's a challenge. I think it's a beautiful 69 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 1: bear management tool to be selective. I think it is 70 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:31,840 Speaker 1: extremely difficult to kill an older, mature mail over bait 71 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 1: no matter where you're hunting. I love it. If you 72 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: pigeon hold me and too thinking that that's all that 73 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 1: I appreciated, you would be mistaken. I also love bear 74 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 1: hunting with hounds. I think bear hunting with hounds is 75 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 1: one of the most underrated, underappreciated, most misunderstood methods of 76 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:55,599 Speaker 1: legal hunting in today's world. Thirdly, I love spotting stock 77 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:58,599 Speaker 1: bear hunting. I love spotting stock bear hunting in the West, 78 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:01,479 Speaker 1: I love spotting stock bear hunting in the East. And 79 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:04,520 Speaker 1: my favorite way to hunt bear right here in my 80 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 1: home state of Arkansas is to just go out in 81 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 1: the mountains and just hunt them like deer. And I 82 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 1: value and appreciate all those different types of hunting. And 83 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:20,159 Speaker 1: I think that sometimes people are so focused on the 84 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 1: method that they prefer that they think that that is 85 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:27,760 Speaker 1: the moral high ground or the elite way to hunt, 86 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:32,200 Speaker 1: and they look negatively, speak never negatively, and look down 87 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 1: upon other methods of hunting. That, my friends, is detrimental 88 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:41,039 Speaker 1: to the whole of the hunting community. We have to 89 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:46,480 Speaker 1: in twenty nineteen be people that are supportive of all 90 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 1: legal methods of hunting, because the anti hunting community is 91 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:57,360 Speaker 1: after hunting through incrementalism. Every single thing that they take 92 00:05:57,400 --> 00:05:59,839 Speaker 1: from us, we have nothing left to give them. Every 93 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 1: ele thing that they take from us at this point 94 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:05,960 Speaker 1: is a win that is going to contribute to more winds. 95 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 1: And so yeah, it may be bear hunting with hounds today, 96 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:12,600 Speaker 1: but in five years, ten years, whatever years, it's gonna 97 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 1: be bow hunting. And after that it's gonna be this, 98 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 1: and after that it's gonna be that. We live in 99 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:22,640 Speaker 1: a critical time and unification is the only way forward. 100 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: And I stand and speak on behalf of those who 101 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:28,840 Speaker 1: are at the bottom of the barrel. Bear hunting is 102 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 1: the target of the anti hunting community, and we are 103 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 1: rallying all of our brothers inside the hunting community to 104 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:38,520 Speaker 1: just stand for it. And by stand for it, I 105 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 1: mean joint organizations that are defending bear hunting. Don't talk negatively, 106 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:46,240 Speaker 1: even in your own camps, even in your own families. 107 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:50,760 Speaker 1: Don't disparage people that hunt in different ways than you, 108 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:54,039 Speaker 1: but build them up and say, man, we don't hunt 109 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:57,960 Speaker 1: that way, but man, ifit's legal and it's conservations based, 110 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:02,719 Speaker 1: scientific based, if it's adding mass to the North American 111 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 1: model of wildlife conservation, that is the most successful animal 112 00:07:07,279 --> 00:07:11,280 Speaker 1: husbandry human effort on the history of the planet and 113 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:14,320 Speaker 1: the history of mankind, and we're for it. That's what 114 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 1: we need to be saying to our kids. That's what 115 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:19,600 Speaker 1: we need to be saying the new hunters, and that's 116 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 1: what that's that's where we need to be. So you'll 117 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:27,640 Speaker 1: enjoy this podcast about hunting in the back country, will 118 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:29,760 Speaker 1: hear a few of our stories, and then we'll talk 119 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:33,320 Speaker 1: about the specifics of how we're using this mule. I 120 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 1: hate it when somebody has to make excuses for audio 121 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:39,160 Speaker 1: quality on a podcast, but you'll have to excuse some 122 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:42,560 Speaker 1: part of this podcast because of the wind. Just view 123 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:46,240 Speaker 1: it through the filter of this is some real hunting 124 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:51,679 Speaker 1: authenticity the wind house sometimes. Welcome to the Bear Hunting 125 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:56,600 Speaker 1: Magazine podcast. It is December twenty seventh, is that right? 126 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 1: Two days after Christmas? Yip? Two days after Christmas? And 127 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 1: I am here with my son, Bear Newcomb and practically 128 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:15,120 Speaker 1: my other son, David Spillmaker practically Bears thirteen, David's six team, 129 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:21,000 Speaker 1: and we are on the right now in Arkansas. There's 130 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 1: a three day rifle season they call it the Christmas 131 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:32,199 Speaker 1: Hunt goes and we are on a back country white 132 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 1: tailed deer hunt. And before we get into the meat 133 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 1: of the podcast, I want to tell you what we're 134 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 1: gonna talk about. Basically, we're gonna try to keep this 135 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 1: podcast fairly short, even though Bear Newcomb is extremely long winded. Um, 136 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:50,120 Speaker 1: we're going to we're gonna talk about access in the 137 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 1: back country using mules, and we're gonna talk about the 138 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 1: way that that we do it. And I'm gonna start 139 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 1: off by saying that I don't profess that it's the 140 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:04,360 Speaker 1: best way, and I don't profess to have a lifetime 141 00:09:04,559 --> 00:09:08,840 Speaker 1: of experience doing this, but in either just David, but 142 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 1: the way that I do. It has worked for us, 143 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:14,440 Speaker 1: and we're learning every single time. And so we've we've 144 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:18,760 Speaker 1: packed back in here on uh well, using my my 145 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 1: mule that I've named Ezy, and so okay, so let's start. 146 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 1: So that's what we're gonna talk about. We're gonna we're 147 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:27,600 Speaker 1: gonna talk about how to use the mule. But before 148 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:29,960 Speaker 1: we do that, I want to talk a little bit 149 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:33,440 Speaker 1: about exactly what we're doing and a little bit about 150 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 1: this hunt. So now we so we we packed back in. 151 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 1: We're in national forest here in Arkansas. We used the 152 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:47,200 Speaker 1: mule using a writing saddle and a paniard, which a 153 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:50,920 Speaker 1: paniard is basically a bag that drapes over a writing saddle. 154 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 1: So in short, what we do is we use the 155 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:59,320 Speaker 1: paniard bags to pack all our gear and then we 156 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:01,320 Speaker 1: get to where and so we lead the mule in. 157 00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:03,000 Speaker 1: So we've only got one mule. There's three of us 158 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:06,320 Speaker 1: hunting and there's one mule. Basically, the mule carried everything 159 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:12,679 Speaker 1: in for us, right bear, not your backpack. So what 160 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 1: we do is we we lead the mule in here, 161 00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:16,760 Speaker 1: so we did have to walk. Well, once we got here, 162 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 1: we unloaded all our gear and then we had a 163 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:24,320 Speaker 1: riding saddle underneath the paniard. And like today, you guys 164 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:29,480 Speaker 1: walked from camp to hunt, but I rode Izzy from 165 00:10:29,559 --> 00:10:34,280 Speaker 1: camp way off and hunted pretty far away using the mule. 166 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:38,760 Speaker 1: The other part of this that would be that's valuable 167 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 1: is that if we killed the deer back here, and 168 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:44,320 Speaker 1: now it's not bear season, but if it were a 169 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:47,560 Speaker 1: bear season and we killed the bear, typically a limiting 170 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:50,439 Speaker 1: factor of being back in like this would be that 171 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:53,480 Speaker 1: if you killed the deer, and we're not terribly far 172 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:56,920 Speaker 1: back in, but if you killed the deer, you would 173 00:10:56,960 --> 00:10:59,640 Speaker 1: have a hard time getting it out. So that's a 174 00:10:59,679 --> 00:11:02,960 Speaker 1: limiting act your butt. If you've got a mule that 175 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:05,319 Speaker 1: will carry game, and that's what I'm gonna get into, 176 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:09,840 Speaker 1: kind of the specifics of some of the things that 177 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:13,680 Speaker 1: people think about mules that maybe aren't necessarily true, and 178 00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:16,440 Speaker 1: so I'm gonna stay the statement and clarify it later. 179 00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:18,720 Speaker 1: If you have a mule that will haul game, if 180 00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:21,839 Speaker 1: then you could use the mule to haul out game, 181 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:23,720 Speaker 1: and then we'd come back in and get our camp. 182 00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:29,000 Speaker 1: But now, so let's start off. I said bear, We 183 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:31,840 Speaker 1: went on this exact same hunt, and camp tried here 184 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:35,920 Speaker 1: about a month ago, is that right? Ye? On your birthday? 185 00:11:36,120 --> 00:11:40,079 Speaker 1: On my birthday, I turned up here. Yeah, you turned 186 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:43,200 Speaker 1: thirteen on this mountain, didn't you. I'll be darning. I 187 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:45,559 Speaker 1: didn't even think about that on this trip. And let 188 00:11:45,559 --> 00:11:47,720 Speaker 1: me let me describe something too about the way that 189 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:51,160 Speaker 1: we're hunting or or or the time period we were 190 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:55,080 Speaker 1: back here on November put out these chick cameras. We 191 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:57,920 Speaker 1: saw some deer, bear actually passed a legal buck back 192 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:02,199 Speaker 1: in here, and uh, all the activity on the trail 193 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:05,360 Speaker 1: cameras was the first week of December, which I've decided 194 00:12:05,360 --> 00:12:08,120 Speaker 1: it's probably a good time to hunt the mountains of Arkansas, 195 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:12,640 Speaker 1: the late November, in the first week of December, because uh, 196 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:15,960 Speaker 1: the big seven point was actually chasing a dough on 197 00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:18,560 Speaker 1: our truck camera. But I say all that to say 198 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:22,360 Speaker 1: that we're right in amongst some pretty good deer for 199 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:28,000 Speaker 1: public land, National Forest. And this is, uh, this is 200 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:32,240 Speaker 1: David's David's hunted, grew up hunting with us some but 201 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:35,760 Speaker 1: but you know, you've not hunted a ton with us. 202 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:40,240 Speaker 1: But so this is your first well it's not your 203 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:42,600 Speaker 1: first back country hunt because you killed the gobbler turkey 204 00:12:42,679 --> 00:12:45,000 Speaker 1: up here. How old were you when we did that. 205 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:48,200 Speaker 1: So it's two years ago to fourteen. Yeah, we did. 206 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:50,959 Speaker 1: We did this exact same thing that the mule, and 207 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 1: except your dad came. My dad came, about six or 208 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:57,760 Speaker 1: seven of us. It's right. Che didn't go quite as 209 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:00,520 Speaker 1: smoothly with the meal that time. Why there's a lot 210 00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:04,520 Speaker 1: of bags falling off and ripping and things like that happening. Yeah, 211 00:13:04,559 --> 00:13:08,640 Speaker 1: we've re sewed the bag, that's right. That's right. Yeah, yeah, 212 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:12,560 Speaker 1: we were. That was one of our earlier back country 213 00:13:12,600 --> 00:13:17,000 Speaker 1: adventures on the mule, and I was intentionally trying to 214 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:20,080 Speaker 1: push the limits. I mean, we had that mule packed 215 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:23,040 Speaker 1: with so much stuff it was unbelievable. So it really 216 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:25,320 Speaker 1: wasn't the mule's fault or the packing fault. We were 217 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:27,640 Speaker 1: just trying to put everybody's backpack on. We were trying 218 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:30,839 Speaker 1: to carry goods for seven guys for two days, and 219 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:34,800 Speaker 1: not just goods, but a lot of goods, water, carrying 220 00:13:34,840 --> 00:13:38,280 Speaker 1: everybody's backpack. The mule was carrying everybody's shotguns. I mean, 221 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:42,160 Speaker 1: it was quite the ordeal. But we So it was 222 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 1: opening day of youth Turkey season, and we got ways 223 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:51,320 Speaker 1: back in here, camped out and opened the morning Turkey season. 224 00:13:51,400 --> 00:13:52,880 Speaker 1: We just walked up on top of the mountain then 225 00:13:52,920 --> 00:13:55,760 Speaker 1: called in to we did we called into gobblers. We 226 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:59,160 Speaker 1: actually we weren't even sitting down and we just spotted 227 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:01,360 Speaker 1: too and then just hit the ground real fast, loaded 228 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:04,360 Speaker 1: the gun and then shot shot this turkey coming by. 229 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:06,520 Speaker 1: It was pretty awesome. Yeah, yeah, we called him in. 230 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:09,439 Speaker 1: They the wind was howling that morning, so we felt 231 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:13,120 Speaker 1: really fortunate that we even got on a turkey. Okay, 232 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:17,720 Speaker 1: so you guys walked out from Camp Bear. You left 233 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:22,520 Speaker 1: camp what time this morning? Like seven fift seven? I 234 00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:25,120 Speaker 1: don't know. We got we still gotta go backwards. It 235 00:14:25,480 --> 00:14:28,520 Speaker 1: rained last night. We got in here, yesterdy and hunted 236 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:33,280 Speaker 1: yesterday afternoon, very windy last night, At like seven pm 237 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:37,760 Speaker 1: it absolutely started to howl. The wind did, and it 238 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:40,360 Speaker 1: started to rain. It started raining at seven pm and 239 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:43,560 Speaker 1: did not stop raining until probably six thirty this morning. 240 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:45,680 Speaker 1: And I mean it didn't just rain. How hard did 241 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:48,120 Speaker 1: it rain? Well, we have this tarp up here and 242 00:14:48,160 --> 00:14:51,920 Speaker 1: it was just like banging and you could hear like 243 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:55,520 Speaker 1: water dripping off of it, and it was like thunder 244 00:14:55,560 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 1: and lighting. The entire tent would us like flash all 245 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:04,080 Speaker 1: of a sudden. It was crazy. So much lightning. It 246 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:08,360 Speaker 1: was a pretty intense night, but we stayed dry. I 247 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:11,160 Speaker 1: think the only we're staying in just kind of an 248 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:13,680 Speaker 1: average two man tent. There's three of us in there, 249 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 1: but it but we we've got a tarp strategically placed 250 00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:24,640 Speaker 1: with about fifteen ties going to different trees. We've got 251 00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:26,600 Speaker 1: our we've got our tent up. I mean, we've got 252 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:28,920 Speaker 1: a tarp over the tent, which helped some. I think 253 00:15:28,920 --> 00:15:31,880 Speaker 1: that's the only reason we really stayed dry. Okay, bear, 254 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:35,160 Speaker 1: so you we want we David's larm went off this 255 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:37,000 Speaker 1: morning at like five thirty, and I told him just 256 00:15:37,040 --> 00:15:40,120 Speaker 1: to turn it off because the rain was just pounding down. 257 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:43,120 Speaker 1: At five thirty, we all went back to sleep, and 258 00:15:43,160 --> 00:15:45,360 Speaker 1: then I woke up and there was just a little 259 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:48,320 Speaker 1: bit of twilight out and it had stopped raining. So 260 00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:52,560 Speaker 1: you left the tent about seven fifteen, And what did 261 00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:55,960 Speaker 1: you do? Well? I went down to the spot that 262 00:15:56,000 --> 00:16:01,240 Speaker 1: I was hunting yesterday, and I was thinking, and maybe 263 00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:06,800 Speaker 1: I should go lower this time because David was hunting 264 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:10,120 Speaker 1: pretty close to me, and so we would have been 265 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:12,960 Speaker 1: like a couple hundred yards apart. So I decided to 266 00:16:12,960 --> 00:16:17,280 Speaker 1: go lower and I found a nice little spot where 267 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:21,400 Speaker 1: I could see way out in front of me, and 268 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:24,000 Speaker 1: I could see the creek at the very bottom of 269 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:27,600 Speaker 1: the mountain. And yesterday we hiked up this mountain, and 270 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:29,920 Speaker 1: then by the time we got up here, I mean day, 271 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:32,320 Speaker 1: would just threw off our bags and just like sat 272 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:34,560 Speaker 1: down because not tired we were. And I realized that 273 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:36,440 Speaker 1: I was at the very bottom and I was gonna 274 00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:39,240 Speaker 1: have to do it again. So I sat there for 275 00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 1: probably an hour, and then I heard some like leave 276 00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:51,200 Speaker 1: shuffling over to my far right, and I I got 277 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:53,600 Speaker 1: I pulled my gun up and I slowly looked over 278 00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:58,720 Speaker 1: there and I saw the head of a turkey and 279 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:02,040 Speaker 1: it's started coming down, and I realized that there are 280 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:05,600 Speaker 1: more turkeys with it. And then six turkeys came out 281 00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:09,520 Speaker 1: in front of me, and they all kind of just 282 00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:14,040 Speaker 1: went down the mountain. And one came and was kind 283 00:17:14,080 --> 00:17:16,840 Speaker 1: of curious to see what I was what I was, 284 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:19,000 Speaker 1: because you know, they see in color. And he came 285 00:17:19,080 --> 00:17:21,880 Speaker 1: really close, like ten yards, and then he went down 286 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:26,080 Speaker 1: and I moved down a little bit. I moved down 287 00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:30,280 Speaker 1: like probably I don't know, thirty yards, so I could 288 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:32,920 Speaker 1: see even further out. But there was also this little 289 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:36,040 Speaker 1: trail an old logging road and I saw another turkey. 290 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:40,480 Speaker 1: Then here's what it got exciting. This is the most 291 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:44,480 Speaker 1: exciting thing that happened to us on this hunt. Squirrel. 292 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:49,320 Speaker 1: Squirrel came up right behind me. Wow, that's exciting. So 293 00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:54,200 Speaker 1: so Bear saw some turkeys. And how long did you 294 00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:59,160 Speaker 1: have Bear all day? I mean Bear walked back to camp. 295 00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:03,000 Speaker 1: I saw him come up the hill at about five 296 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:07,080 Speaker 1: o'clock maybe five, and so he hunted from seven fifteen 297 00:18:07,240 --> 00:18:11,040 Speaker 1: until let's just say five fifteen. So was that ten hours? 298 00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:16,920 Speaker 1: And you didn't come back to camp. I mean, thirteen 299 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:19,800 Speaker 1: year old boy walks out here and hunts for ten hours. 300 00:18:20,359 --> 00:18:22,200 Speaker 1: And I know that he sat there for a long time. 301 00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:25,720 Speaker 1: And David basically did the same thing except you. I 302 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:28,119 Speaker 1: told David to go hunt on this side of the 303 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:31,480 Speaker 1: ridge this morning, come back to camp, have lunch, go 304 00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:33,520 Speaker 1: back to the other side of the ridge. And so 305 00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:37,400 Speaker 1: I mean you were only in camp for an hour today? Yeah, 306 00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:40,960 Speaker 1: less than that, actually, probably about forty five minutes old together. Fortunately, 307 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:43,439 Speaker 1: my day wasn't as eventful as Bear. As I did 308 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:46,040 Speaker 1: see a bird, you know, and and I read a sign. 309 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:49,080 Speaker 1: It was pretty pretty crazy, you know, that's crazy. As 310 00:18:49,119 --> 00:18:52,360 Speaker 1: Bear wasn't no squirrel. But you know, yeah, wow, that's 311 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 1: what's crazy about this back country hunting. And when we 312 00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:58,080 Speaker 1: say back country, what we mean is just in Arkansas, 313 00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:00,480 Speaker 1: we've got big blocks of National Forest which are pretty 314 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:07,800 Speaker 1: much um continual, just big mature timber, very little timber harvest. 315 00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:11,520 Speaker 1: The last twenty years in Arkansas and the National Forest 316 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:13,800 Speaker 1: has been very little timber harvest. And and I mean 317 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:18,240 Speaker 1: this big woods. It's beautiful and we like it. It's 318 00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:22,640 Speaker 1: a good bare habitat, but it's a low densities of animals. 319 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:25,000 Speaker 1: And so I was the only one today that even 320 00:19:25,040 --> 00:19:27,879 Speaker 1: saw deer. And I saw a deer while I was 321 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:30,440 Speaker 1: riding up the mountain on Issy's back, and she always 322 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:34,480 Speaker 1: sees game before I do. I saw her poker ears 323 00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:37,360 Speaker 1: up and look, and I knew she saw a deer, 324 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:41,240 Speaker 1: and immediately it looked up and probably yards away, I 325 00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:44,240 Speaker 1: saw two white tails running up the hill that probably 326 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:47,040 Speaker 1: wasn't hundred and fifty yards behind our camps. So he 327 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:54,040 Speaker 1: stuck a gun between her ears. I am gradually training 328 00:19:54,119 --> 00:19:56,040 Speaker 1: her to shoot off of her back. I haven't done 329 00:19:56,080 --> 00:19:58,440 Speaker 1: it yet, but I think I think she do. I 330 00:19:58,520 --> 00:20:02,480 Speaker 1: shot shoot a bow off her back. I do know that. Well, 331 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 1: that's a great place to to segue into using a 332 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:10,359 Speaker 1: mule to access this country. So I just want to 333 00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:12,800 Speaker 1: give a little bit of a background, and I'm open 334 00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:15,760 Speaker 1: it up to these young men who both have been 335 00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:20,679 Speaker 1: involved in a couple of back country mule hunts. Now, um, 336 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:25,919 Speaker 1: in Arkansas, we're not accessing back country that has twenty 337 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:30,200 Speaker 1: miles of you know, open trail before you start hunting. 338 00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:34,960 Speaker 1: I mean, we're really accessing, comparative to the West, relatively 339 00:20:35,119 --> 00:20:41,119 Speaker 1: small areas of wilderness or national forest. And so that 340 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:43,720 Speaker 1: one of the techniques that I learned from my my 341 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:47,040 Speaker 1: really good friend James Lawrence been on the podcast before, 342 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:51,119 Speaker 1: is packing in using the mule to pack all your garia, 343 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:55,399 Speaker 1: and then using the mule to ride out from your 344 00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:57,360 Speaker 1: camp to go where you need to go, and using 345 00:20:57,400 --> 00:21:02,480 Speaker 1: the mule to huh back any game they have you kill. 346 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:06,600 Speaker 1: I want to give some background. I grew up like 347 00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:09,720 Speaker 1: I had a good friend that had a lot of horses. 348 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:11,320 Speaker 1: I spent quite a bit of time at this house 349 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:13,840 Speaker 1: and we rode and stuff. But but my family didn't 350 00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:18,160 Speaker 1: have econ animals. So I would be just like any 351 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:21,840 Speaker 1: of you guys out there that aren't familiar with with 352 00:21:22,119 --> 00:21:24,359 Speaker 1: mules or horses, as I didn't have a ton of 353 00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:28,840 Speaker 1: experience with them. Um And for those of you who 354 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:32,640 Speaker 1: are experienced horsemen or mule people, then I'm probably gonna 355 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:34,720 Speaker 1: say a lot of stuff that maybe you even disagree with, 356 00:21:34,880 --> 00:21:39,640 Speaker 1: but that's okay, or you you already know. But when 357 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:45,000 Speaker 1: I had this image of own mule, and I've had 358 00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:47,200 Speaker 1: it for years and years, and I think it started 359 00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:51,320 Speaker 1: as a little boy seeing people in the community that 360 00:21:51,359 --> 00:21:54,120 Speaker 1: I grew up in. All these old men had mules, 361 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:59,560 Speaker 1: and mules are really kind of a icon of Southern culture, 362 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:03,040 Speaker 1: and not even Southern culture, but they're an icon of 363 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:11,199 Speaker 1: American agricultural rural regions. And I knew from growing up 364 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:14,840 Speaker 1: to um in the Washington Mountain of Arkansas, I knew 365 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:17,840 Speaker 1: guys that hunted on mules, and I think my dad 366 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:21,440 Speaker 1: probably told me stories about those guys and meeting back 367 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:23,359 Speaker 1: in those days. I thought it was cool when they 368 00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:26,720 Speaker 1: did they were using mules to get back in And 369 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:30,840 Speaker 1: so about three or four years ago, I finally was 370 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:32,960 Speaker 1: in a position in life where I could had a 371 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:36,679 Speaker 1: place for a mule, and I just was like, man, 372 00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:39,400 Speaker 1: I'm gonna buy a mule and I didn't know much 373 00:22:39,480 --> 00:22:42,960 Speaker 1: at all about I figured it was gonna be harder 374 00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:46,000 Speaker 1: than what I thought. But I kind of had a naive, 375 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:50,680 Speaker 1: this naive idea that you just bought a good mule 376 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:52,360 Speaker 1: and it was like right, and the foe with her, 377 00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:55,639 Speaker 1: I mean, he just kind of got on it and 378 00:22:55,760 --> 00:22:58,960 Speaker 1: went and you know, you'd have to be a good writer, 379 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:03,320 Speaker 1: and you have to, you know, take care of it, 380 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:05,320 Speaker 1: and you have to learn how to load it. You'd 381 00:23:05,359 --> 00:23:07,240 Speaker 1: have to learn about all the tack and all the 382 00:23:07,359 --> 00:23:12,359 Speaker 1: gear and of some of which already knew. But I 383 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:17,520 Speaker 1: quickly found out that getting into mules and horses is 384 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:23,720 Speaker 1: a highly complex thing and I had to do a 385 00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:28,720 Speaker 1: lot of learning quick because I don't want to discourage 386 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:31,240 Speaker 1: anybody from getting a mule, of course for the reasons 387 00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:33,560 Speaker 1: that I have, But I will tell you you better 388 00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:37,640 Speaker 1: have you better be ready for difficulty, and you better 389 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:41,200 Speaker 1: be ready to learn to love it. And that's what 390 00:23:41,359 --> 00:23:43,200 Speaker 1: I have. And that's the reason I'm talking about is 391 00:23:43,240 --> 00:23:47,280 Speaker 1: because I truly have learned to love mules now that 392 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:49,840 Speaker 1: I've messed with them and had some bad experiences with 393 00:23:49,960 --> 00:23:52,920 Speaker 1: them too. But Bear, what do you think when we 394 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:58,480 Speaker 1: first started getting mules, h you were you with me? 395 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:01,040 Speaker 1: You getn't think much said, was were you with me 396 00:24:01,119 --> 00:24:05,360 Speaker 1: when we got that first mule out of Lamar, Missouri? Yeah, 397 00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:09,600 Speaker 1: that was yeah. And then to give you a little 398 00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:12,160 Speaker 1: bit of history about my I think it was June 399 00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:16,600 Speaker 1: of twenty sixteen. I guess, I guess it's only been 400 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:19,520 Speaker 1: There'll be three years this June. So two and a 401 00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:23,120 Speaker 1: half years ago. I purchased a green broke mule, which 402 00:24:23,119 --> 00:24:26,920 Speaker 1: a greenbroke mule is a mule that basically somebody it 403 00:24:27,119 --> 00:24:30,720 Speaker 1: started to train, but they're not trained. And I bought 404 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:35,280 Speaker 1: a greenbroke mule, brought it home, started riding it. Had 405 00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:39,560 Speaker 1: some had some good experiences with it, but also had 406 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:43,280 Speaker 1: some negative experiences with it. I got it. The mule 407 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:45,359 Speaker 1: ran off with me a couple of times when I 408 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:48,200 Speaker 1: first got it, which meant I was on its back 409 00:24:48,359 --> 00:24:51,120 Speaker 1: writing it. The mule got spooked and just took off 410 00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:55,840 Speaker 1: running like full throttle. Couldn't get it stopped, I mean, 411 00:24:55,960 --> 00:24:59,720 Speaker 1: basically just out of control. That was the first time 412 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:04,360 Speaker 1: I'd always heard people talk about getting hurt on ecline animals, 413 00:25:05,119 --> 00:25:06,840 Speaker 1: and you know, I knew not to get kicked. I mean, 414 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:08,560 Speaker 1: I know, you get hurt by getting kicked. I know 415 00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:12,639 Speaker 1: you could get hurt by getting bucked off, but that 416 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:16,919 Speaker 1: first experience with the running mule made me realize how 417 00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:19,920 Speaker 1: easily you could get hurt bad on a mule. But 418 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:24,639 Speaker 1: I got her stopped and consulted some good horse trainer 419 00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:28,840 Speaker 1: about what I should do, and UH did that what 420 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:32,480 Speaker 1: he told me, and it actually happened again. It wasn't 421 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:34,840 Speaker 1: because of what he told me. It was my fault 422 00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:38,240 Speaker 1: that it happened again. Anyway, long story short, we actually 423 00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:42,680 Speaker 1: had a pretty good relationship with Ellie May, the mule 424 00:25:43,359 --> 00:25:49,240 Speaker 1: that I actually don't own anymore. But then in I 425 00:25:50,160 --> 00:25:53,520 Speaker 1: got a young eighteen month old mule named that we 426 00:25:53,640 --> 00:25:57,080 Speaker 1: named is He, and uh, this is He is a 427 00:25:57,160 --> 00:25:58,760 Speaker 1: mule that we've got right now. So is He's only 428 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:03,520 Speaker 1: three years old. She's the paint colored mule, which that 429 00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:06,640 Speaker 1: means that she's she's like a paint horse. She's got 430 00:26:07,119 --> 00:26:10,000 Speaker 1: white stocking feet, and she's got some white in different 431 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:14,000 Speaker 1: places on her. But she's pretty much red sorrel. And 432 00:26:14,280 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 1: Uh I trained Izzy from scratch. Uh she had. All 433 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:25,120 Speaker 1: she'd had on her was a halter. She'd had her Uh, 434 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:30,480 Speaker 1: she'd been handled just a little bit, but basically hadn't 435 00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:32,680 Speaker 1: been handled much at all when I got her, and 436 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:36,280 Speaker 1: UH and I and I. It's a long story. I 437 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:39,560 Speaker 1: won't go into all the training details, but basically, UH 438 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:43,760 Speaker 1: did some research and a lot of learning and had 439 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:47,639 Speaker 1: some great advice from some good friends and train this 440 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:52,960 Speaker 1: mule and I called the project Project Huney Mule, and 441 00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:56,639 Speaker 1: we videoed it, didn't we Bear, because we just needed 442 00:26:56,960 --> 00:26:59,000 Speaker 1: we need some content for the YouTube channel. And I 443 00:26:59,080 --> 00:27:00,720 Speaker 1: was training this mule and ever done it before, and 444 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:04,040 Speaker 1: I thought, hey, that'd be cool though. Just every week 445 00:27:04,119 --> 00:27:07,280 Speaker 1: for the next six weeks put out a training video. Uh, 446 00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:09,800 Speaker 1: not trying to teach somebody something, but just trying to 447 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:12,520 Speaker 1: show them what I was doing. I mean literally, I 448 00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:17,080 Speaker 1: was just looking for content and made these series of videos. 449 00:27:17,200 --> 00:27:20,639 Speaker 1: And David, did you know that that episode six of 450 00:27:20,720 --> 00:27:24,080 Speaker 1: Project honey Meal on YouTube has eight hundred over eight 451 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:28,200 Speaker 1: hundred thousand views almost a million views, well maybe not 452 00:27:28,320 --> 00:27:33,080 Speaker 1: almost a million, away from a million. Um, yeah, did 453 00:27:33,119 --> 00:27:36,200 Speaker 1: you know that? Bear? And people cuss your dad every 454 00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:39,840 Speaker 1: day on there, and then some people think I did 455 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:50,320 Speaker 1: a good job, oh ma'am YouTube. But um, let's see 456 00:27:51,040 --> 00:27:53,320 Speaker 1: what I want to talk about. Two is why mules 457 00:27:53,359 --> 00:27:55,080 Speaker 1: do you guys have any questions that do you think 458 00:27:55,160 --> 00:27:58,480 Speaker 1: people ought to know about using mules? If you're getting 459 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:03,600 Speaker 1: in the back country like relevant quite jens widely you 460 00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:08,200 Speaker 1: can mule instead of Okay, that's a good question. Why 461 00:28:08,240 --> 00:28:14,000 Speaker 1: would you get a mule cyner horse? Okay? So horses 462 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:17,040 Speaker 1: are much more readily available to mules. And to start off, 463 00:28:17,080 --> 00:28:21,120 Speaker 1: a mule is a is a cross between a female 464 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:25,200 Speaker 1: horse or a mayor and a male donkey, which is 465 00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:30,240 Speaker 1: a jack. So jack and a mayor breed to make 466 00:28:30,320 --> 00:28:34,040 Speaker 1: a sterile hybrid, which is a mule. And there's something 467 00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:37,560 Speaker 1: that happens when you when you when you make a 468 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:41,120 Speaker 1: hybrid animal, so you reread two different types of animals together, 469 00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:44,400 Speaker 1: but they're close enough to getting together genetically that they 470 00:28:44,440 --> 00:28:47,960 Speaker 1: can actually breed and produce offspring. That you have something 471 00:28:48,040 --> 00:28:52,400 Speaker 1: called hybrid vigor. And the mule is the epitome of 472 00:28:52,520 --> 00:28:56,120 Speaker 1: what they call hybrid vigor because there's basically that's where 473 00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:58,880 Speaker 1: you get a synergy that happens because of across A 474 00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:03,840 Speaker 1: synergy would mean like a ampli amplification of positive traits 475 00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:07,600 Speaker 1: that are greater than the sum of the individuals in essence, 476 00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:12,040 Speaker 1: and so a mule. What we would say is that 477 00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:15,120 Speaker 1: a mule has a lot of the really great traits 478 00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:18,480 Speaker 1: of the horse, but it also has a lot of 479 00:29:18,560 --> 00:29:22,480 Speaker 1: the really great traits of the donkey, but doesn't have 480 00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:25,240 Speaker 1: the bad traits of the donkey, and doesn't have some 481 00:29:25,320 --> 00:29:28,000 Speaker 1: of the bad traits of the horse. And so what 482 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:30,640 Speaker 1: you get in a mule is you get an animal 483 00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:34,840 Speaker 1: that is has more strength and stamina than a horse. 484 00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:37,320 Speaker 1: That's what they say anyway, And I know there's probably 485 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:41,160 Speaker 1: people that have examples where they weren't, but in general, 486 00:29:41,560 --> 00:29:44,680 Speaker 1: a mule has more stamina than a horse. But the 487 00:29:44,800 --> 00:29:46,960 Speaker 1: main thing that a mule has over a horse that 488 00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:50,680 Speaker 1: has more sure footedness. The feet of a mule are 489 00:29:50,760 --> 00:29:54,960 Speaker 1: typically smaller hoofed and harder hoofed like a donkey, and 490 00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:58,840 Speaker 1: in rough, rocky terrain, a mule can pick through it 491 00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:04,520 Speaker 1: with extreme uh intentionality. And that's why that you know, 492 00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:08,880 Speaker 1: in the in the Grand Canyon National Park, they don't 493 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:12,040 Speaker 1: ride horses down to the bottom. They ride mules. Um 494 00:30:12,320 --> 00:30:15,320 Speaker 1: mules are sure footed, They're not gonna fall over. Um 495 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:19,840 Speaker 1: mules are in the South. The part of the reason 496 00:30:19,920 --> 00:30:22,200 Speaker 1: they use mules for plowing and for a lot of 497 00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:24,719 Speaker 1: work on this very mountain that we're on, boys, as 498 00:30:24,760 --> 00:30:27,720 Speaker 1: y'all know this, that they use mules to log this. 499 00:30:28,480 --> 00:30:31,760 Speaker 1: In the early nineteen hundreds, this very mountain, on this 500 00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:35,560 Speaker 1: ridge Gay Roanti, there were men that were up here 501 00:30:35,760 --> 00:30:41,120 Speaker 1: logging using mules to haul logs down. Um. So mules, 502 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:44,120 Speaker 1: But in the South, mules didn't need as much water 503 00:30:44,200 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 1: as horses, and they had more stamina than horses, and 504 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:51,680 Speaker 1: they could tolerate the heat better than horses. Okay, And 505 00:30:51,800 --> 00:30:56,320 Speaker 1: so why do I use a mule? Partly because of safety. 506 00:30:56,920 --> 00:31:02,440 Speaker 1: A mule will almost not A mule has a very 507 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:06,840 Speaker 1: strong ability to not get itself in danger. So, for instance, 508 00:31:06,920 --> 00:31:10,080 Speaker 1: like my mule when it gets tangled up in its 509 00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:15,960 Speaker 1: lead rope, which it does sometimes, UM, when it when 510 00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:19,200 Speaker 1: it feels pressure up against it, it doesn't fight against 511 00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:23,320 Speaker 1: that pressure freak out like sometimes a horse could do. Um. 512 00:31:23,520 --> 00:31:27,920 Speaker 1: A mule won't go someplace that it's gonna hurt itself. 513 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:31,440 Speaker 1: And now that would be in contrast to what people 514 00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:34,520 Speaker 1: would sometimes say about horses is a well trained horse 515 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:37,480 Speaker 1: would probably run off a cliff if you told it to. 516 00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:41,959 Speaker 1: Um and uh. But there's a lot of really positive 517 00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:45,160 Speaker 1: traits about horses. Horses are faster, horses are more comfortable, 518 00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:48,520 Speaker 1: horses are easier to train, horses are more readily available, 519 00:31:48,960 --> 00:31:55,440 Speaker 1: and horses are are are generally easier to get along with. 520 00:31:56,800 --> 00:32:00,280 Speaker 1: A mule does have that stubborn nature of a monkey, 521 00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:03,760 Speaker 1: which in the end is good because when you get 522 00:32:03,840 --> 00:32:05,840 Speaker 1: a read I've heard some I've heard people say this, 523 00:32:06,040 --> 00:32:08,680 Speaker 1: and I believe when you have a good trained meal, 524 00:32:08,760 --> 00:32:11,200 Speaker 1: he'll never go back to a horse. I'm not trying 525 00:32:11,240 --> 00:32:13,640 Speaker 1: to step on horse people's feet because there's tons of 526 00:32:14,200 --> 00:32:17,360 Speaker 1: great mountain horses for doing exactly what we're doing that 527 00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:19,960 Speaker 1: would easily do what we're doing here today, were you 528 00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:25,000 Speaker 1: gonna say something. Also, horses you have to like feed 529 00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:27,400 Speaker 1: them grain every day and you have to like get 530 00:32:27,480 --> 00:32:31,720 Speaker 1: shoes for them. So a mule is much more hardy 531 00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:35,040 Speaker 1: than a horse. I mean, like basically I feed my 532 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:41,440 Speaker 1: mules just regular old fescue and bermuda hay and very 533 00:32:41,680 --> 00:32:45,960 Speaker 1: very little grain, and they stay fit and healthy all 534 00:32:46,080 --> 00:32:50,520 Speaker 1: year round. Um, horses, you gotta you gotta feed. The 535 00:32:50,600 --> 00:32:52,320 Speaker 1: more you gotta feed them more grain, they're a little 536 00:32:52,320 --> 00:32:54,520 Speaker 1: bit harder to take care of. And shooing them. What 537 00:32:54,560 --> 00:32:57,680 Speaker 1: about shoeing them? Bear? You have shot them like once 538 00:32:57,760 --> 00:33:03,560 Speaker 1: every eight weeks. And yeah, and you have to if 539 00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:05,680 Speaker 1: you can't do it by yourself, you have to like 540 00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:11,200 Speaker 1: pay for somebody else. You gotta pay a ferrier. And uh, anyway, 541 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:13,160 Speaker 1: we've we've never shoot any of our mules, and we 542 00:33:13,360 --> 00:33:15,600 Speaker 1: ride them in this rough, rocky mountains and they've never 543 00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:19,840 Speaker 1: had any trouble with them. So mules are cheaper. You 544 00:33:19,920 --> 00:33:25,040 Speaker 1: don't have to spend you know, uh a year on 545 00:33:25,120 --> 00:33:27,760 Speaker 1: a ferrier. You don't have to feed him as much. 546 00:33:28,480 --> 00:33:33,600 Speaker 1: They're just easier to easier to maintain their fitness and health. 547 00:33:35,280 --> 00:33:38,040 Speaker 1: And they're just sure footed in the mountains. And I 548 00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:40,600 Speaker 1: just like them. I think that's the main reason people 549 00:33:40,720 --> 00:33:43,200 Speaker 1: have mules is because they just like them, you know. 550 00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:45,720 Speaker 1: I mean it's like why do you drive a Ford 551 00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:50,240 Speaker 1: over Chevy? Well, it's like a Chevy. You just like it. David, 552 00:33:51,560 --> 00:33:56,920 Speaker 1: can you think of any good did you have a question? Well, like, 553 00:33:57,200 --> 00:34:01,960 Speaker 1: I know, um you said, as he was probably carrying, 554 00:34:02,440 --> 00:34:06,160 Speaker 1: you know, a hundred pounds. I mean, how much can 555 00:34:06,280 --> 00:34:09,520 Speaker 1: they carry? That's a good question. It all depends up 556 00:34:09,760 --> 00:34:14,560 Speaker 1: upon how far you're you're taking them. Now, she was 557 00:34:14,640 --> 00:34:16,959 Speaker 1: carrying a hundred and seventy five pounds of our gear. 558 00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:20,680 Speaker 1: But I've got a saddle that probably weighs forty plus 559 00:34:20,760 --> 00:34:24,359 Speaker 1: pounds heavy saddle, So so she was probably carrying two 560 00:34:24,400 --> 00:34:30,040 Speaker 1: hundred pounds of deadweight coming up here, and she could 561 00:34:30,120 --> 00:34:34,839 Speaker 1: probably carry You wouldn't want to pack a whole lot 562 00:34:34,920 --> 00:34:38,040 Speaker 1: more on her than that. And if we were going 563 00:34:38,239 --> 00:34:40,719 Speaker 1: real far, like let's say we were in Montana and 564 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:44,040 Speaker 1: we're packing back in fifteen miles through rough train, we 565 00:34:44,040 --> 00:34:47,640 Speaker 1: wouldn't have packed her that heavy. But for a shorter 566 00:34:47,760 --> 00:34:52,399 Speaker 1: pack as we had, which is really probably um less 567 00:34:52,440 --> 00:34:56,799 Speaker 1: than a mile, but but straight up a mountain, um, 568 00:34:57,280 --> 00:34:59,520 Speaker 1: we could have packed her probably a little bit heavier 569 00:34:59,640 --> 00:35:04,439 Speaker 1: even um. But most of your packers are only wanting 570 00:35:04,440 --> 00:35:06,359 Speaker 1: to pack about a hundred and fifty pounds on an 571 00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:11,360 Speaker 1: animal that they're gonna take in very far um. But 572 00:35:12,120 --> 00:35:19,480 Speaker 1: so mules are mules. Mules are readily available in the South. 573 00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:22,879 Speaker 1: I helped a guy up north last year by mule 574 00:35:22,960 --> 00:35:24,919 Speaker 1: because he was up in Michigan and wanted a mule 575 00:35:25,200 --> 00:35:27,759 Speaker 1: and couldn't find one. But down in this part of 576 00:35:27,800 --> 00:35:34,959 Speaker 1: the world, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Southeast Kansas, Tennessee, you're gonna 577 00:35:35,040 --> 00:35:37,840 Speaker 1: have a lot of mules, because that's kind of historic 578 00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:43,359 Speaker 1: mule country. But I have I guess the biggest thing 579 00:35:43,440 --> 00:35:46,120 Speaker 1: that I'll say is that if you're gonna get into him, 580 00:35:47,080 --> 00:35:50,279 Speaker 1: you can't if you don't enjoy the process. It's just 581 00:35:50,360 --> 00:35:53,080 Speaker 1: gonna be a lot of work because it does add 582 00:35:53,239 --> 00:35:55,800 Speaker 1: a layer of work. Like, yes, I was able to 583 00:35:55,880 --> 00:35:57,600 Speaker 1: go up to the top of the mountain this morning 584 00:35:57,880 --> 00:36:02,360 Speaker 1: with eavesh you know, I I'm I climbed about feet 585 00:36:02,400 --> 00:36:07,760 Speaker 1: of elevation today and got off my mule with fresh legs. Okay, 586 00:36:08,080 --> 00:36:10,200 Speaker 1: so that's pretty good. That would have taken me at 587 00:36:10,640 --> 00:36:13,320 Speaker 1: least an hour, probably an hour and a half carrying 588 00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:17,400 Speaker 1: a big, heavy pack like I was today. So that's 589 00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:19,880 Speaker 1: the beauty of it is that you can get to 590 00:36:19,960 --> 00:36:23,120 Speaker 1: where you hunt and when you're there you'll have fresh legs. 591 00:36:23,680 --> 00:36:27,399 Speaker 1: But what you guys just woke up this morning, put 592 00:36:27,440 --> 00:36:29,400 Speaker 1: on your hunting gear and just left out from camp. 593 00:36:30,600 --> 00:36:34,200 Speaker 1: It took me fifteen minutes, twenty minutes of pretty hard 594 00:36:34,239 --> 00:36:39,520 Speaker 1: work to get Izzy bridled up, sadalon bags, you know, 595 00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:43,000 Speaker 1: all the everything. Just get her, just get her ready 596 00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:45,560 Speaker 1: to go. And then when I got up to where 597 00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:49,480 Speaker 1: I wanted to hunt, I tied her up and Izzy's 598 00:36:49,520 --> 00:36:54,160 Speaker 1: done pretty good at staying uh, staying tied without throwing 599 00:36:54,200 --> 00:36:57,880 Speaker 1: a fit. Like every aspect of this is is what 600 00:36:58,120 --> 00:36:59,839 Speaker 1: you have to train this animal to do. And by 601 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:02,279 Speaker 1: training it sometimes that means just going out and doing it. 602 00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:05,239 Speaker 1: But you know some animals when your time and leave 603 00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:09,359 Speaker 1: them might freak out and paul the ground and nay 604 00:37:09,640 --> 00:37:12,439 Speaker 1: and throw a fit and make a ruckus and try 605 00:37:12,520 --> 00:37:15,839 Speaker 1: to break loose. So is he's really good? I left 606 00:37:15,880 --> 00:37:18,560 Speaker 1: Izzy today for four or five hours at one stretch 607 00:37:18,680 --> 00:37:20,840 Speaker 1: without going back to her, came back to her and 608 00:37:20,920 --> 00:37:25,319 Speaker 1: she was fine. Um, twice we've let Izzie get away 609 00:37:25,360 --> 00:37:28,719 Speaker 1: from us, bear, hadn't we? Well? Actually it was Elie 610 00:37:28,760 --> 00:37:31,759 Speaker 1: May once tell us about that, Ellie? Or is he 611 00:37:32,160 --> 00:37:34,479 Speaker 1: was Ellie May that got away from us the first 612 00:37:34,520 --> 00:37:38,000 Speaker 1: time we came up here. Do you remember not a lot? 613 00:37:38,880 --> 00:37:41,200 Speaker 1: Well it was it was on your birthday two years ago, 614 00:37:41,600 --> 00:37:44,080 Speaker 1: and we hunted and we came back and Ellie wasn't there. 615 00:37:46,239 --> 00:37:51,560 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, and then you never went back up Yeah yeah, yeah, 616 00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:54,600 Speaker 1: we we bear And I left Ellie May for six 617 00:37:54,719 --> 00:37:58,440 Speaker 1: hours and came back and she was gone, and she 618 00:37:58,600 --> 00:38:02,600 Speaker 1: had chewed her lead rope. She had chewed I didn't. 619 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:05,040 Speaker 1: That was something that was new to me. Elliot had 620 00:38:05,160 --> 00:38:09,239 Speaker 1: chewed her lead rope and uh, we were camped on 621 00:38:09,320 --> 00:38:10,880 Speaker 1: the side of the mountain. So we walked back to 622 00:38:10,960 --> 00:38:13,960 Speaker 1: camp in the dark, carrying the saddle because I had 623 00:38:14,120 --> 00:38:16,520 Speaker 1: taken the saddle off of her way up on top 624 00:38:17,120 --> 00:38:24,959 Speaker 1: and came down the mountain and uh and interestingly enough, 625 00:38:25,480 --> 00:38:30,200 Speaker 1: the closest, the closest residents to where we were hunting 626 00:38:31,239 --> 00:38:35,560 Speaker 1: was a bar. And uh, so I went to the 627 00:38:35,640 --> 00:38:40,520 Speaker 1: bar late at night told Bear, I said, son, stay 628 00:38:40,560 --> 00:38:42,960 Speaker 1: in this truck. If anyone comes to the truck, don't 629 00:38:43,040 --> 00:38:47,400 Speaker 1: open the door, and just duck yourself down and hide. Anyway, 630 00:38:47,480 --> 00:38:51,480 Speaker 1: I went into the to this bar and uh, country bar, 631 00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:54,799 Speaker 1: late at night, Saturday night. Have you heard this story, David, 632 00:38:54,920 --> 00:38:57,440 Speaker 1: I haven't heard that. I think I told this at 633 00:38:57,600 --> 00:39:03,480 Speaker 1: church one time. Do you not remember that? And Uh? Anyway, 634 00:39:03,480 --> 00:39:05,719 Speaker 1: I go into this spar and I'm dressed at all 635 00:39:05,880 --> 00:39:10,120 Speaker 1: camo and I mean every head in the place, which 636 00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:13,360 Speaker 1: are probably ten people in there, turns to me and 637 00:39:13,440 --> 00:39:15,160 Speaker 1: they see me walk up to the bar. And what 638 00:39:15,280 --> 00:39:18,560 Speaker 1: I'm gonna tell this woman is, hey, I lost my mule. 639 00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:21,840 Speaker 1: And if you hear anybody driving down this highway that 640 00:39:21,920 --> 00:39:24,000 Speaker 1: pulls in here and says, hey, there's a mule or 641 00:39:24,040 --> 00:39:26,839 Speaker 1: a horse hip on the highway, like I wanted her 642 00:39:26,880 --> 00:39:30,040 Speaker 1: to call me. I didn't know what was gonna happen anyway. 643 00:39:30,120 --> 00:39:34,520 Speaker 1: I I as soon as the people saw me trying 644 00:39:34,560 --> 00:39:38,160 Speaker 1: to get the waitress the bartender's attention, it was a woman. 645 00:39:38,800 --> 00:39:42,279 Speaker 1: They all every head in the place turned towards me, 646 00:39:43,239 --> 00:39:47,640 Speaker 1: and everybody went quiet. Everybody stopped their conversation and looks 647 00:39:47,640 --> 00:39:51,120 Speaker 1: at me. And I go and there's loud music playing, 648 00:39:51,360 --> 00:39:55,360 Speaker 1: and so I'm yelling and I say, I lost my mule. 649 00:39:56,440 --> 00:39:59,400 Speaker 1: I lost my mule up on the mountain. If you 650 00:39:59,520 --> 00:40:02,800 Speaker 1: see it, I'd like to leave my number and you 651 00:40:02,840 --> 00:40:05,000 Speaker 1: can call me if anybody pulls in here and says 652 00:40:05,080 --> 00:40:10,040 Speaker 1: they saw a mule, and uh and everybody people were like, mule, 653 00:40:10,160 --> 00:40:14,680 Speaker 1: you lost your mule. You'll never find it. Yeah, it 654 00:40:14,760 --> 00:40:19,319 Speaker 1: was it was great. Uh so, yeah that happened bear. 655 00:40:19,680 --> 00:40:22,640 Speaker 1: And then the other time, when we're tracking River's bear 656 00:40:22,800 --> 00:40:25,759 Speaker 1: up here, is he get away from us? And what 657 00:40:25,920 --> 00:40:28,279 Speaker 1: I learned about these mules. Two different mules did the 658 00:40:28,360 --> 00:40:31,000 Speaker 1: exact same thing as they went back the direction that 659 00:40:31,120 --> 00:40:34,040 Speaker 1: they came from, and we were able to catch them back, 660 00:40:34,239 --> 00:40:37,800 Speaker 1: not right back at the truck, but basically en route 661 00:40:37,840 --> 00:40:41,120 Speaker 1: to the truck. Both mules were able to catch hours later. 662 00:40:42,320 --> 00:40:46,040 Speaker 1: But that's no fun. But you know, hunting on mules 663 00:40:46,040 --> 00:40:49,080 Speaker 1: has been extremely rewarding for me. But I really enjoy 664 00:40:49,320 --> 00:40:52,399 Speaker 1: riding in the mountains. And one of the biggest things 665 00:40:52,440 --> 00:40:56,000 Speaker 1: for me is, as I've tried to decide, is hunting 666 00:40:56,040 --> 00:40:59,520 Speaker 1: on a mule, where's your flashlight out there? He is 667 00:40:59,600 --> 00:41:06,920 Speaker 1: hunting on a mule um advantageous to killing game, And uh, 668 00:41:09,520 --> 00:41:12,200 Speaker 1: I haven't made that. I haven't decided if it is 669 00:41:12,320 --> 00:41:15,319 Speaker 1: or if it isn't. Sometimes I think it'd be better 670 00:41:15,400 --> 00:41:16,719 Speaker 1: if I just got out of the truck and just 671 00:41:16,800 --> 00:41:21,080 Speaker 1: walked up the mountain and hunted. But I can guarantee 672 00:41:21,080 --> 00:41:23,920 Speaker 1: you one thing, bear, the big buck that we found 673 00:41:24,120 --> 00:41:28,280 Speaker 1: last year, we would have never found because I've jumped 674 00:41:28,320 --> 00:41:30,759 Speaker 1: the buck while I was on the mule, and I 675 00:41:31,000 --> 00:41:33,239 Speaker 1: was back in a place I never would have been 676 00:41:33,280 --> 00:41:36,000 Speaker 1: if I'd have been walking on foot. And so I 677 00:41:36,200 --> 00:41:40,920 Speaker 1: jumped this buck and then later came back in and 678 00:41:41,080 --> 00:41:44,520 Speaker 1: hunted that deer and passed a few deer while I 679 00:41:44,600 --> 00:41:46,560 Speaker 1: was hunting that one. And that's when we started hanging 680 00:41:46,640 --> 00:41:49,080 Speaker 1: cameras back in here bear trying to find these deer, 681 00:41:49,640 --> 00:41:53,320 Speaker 1: and so the mule just basically opens up more country 682 00:41:53,400 --> 00:41:57,520 Speaker 1: to you. It doesn't necessarily make anything easier. That's my 683 00:41:58,160 --> 00:42:02,319 Speaker 1: assessment on it at this point. And uh oh, I could, 684 00:42:02,400 --> 00:42:05,400 Speaker 1: I could talk and give a whole another thirty minutes 685 00:42:05,440 --> 00:42:10,200 Speaker 1: of commentary on on how to buy mule what you're 686 00:42:10,239 --> 00:42:14,760 Speaker 1: looking for. But I will say this, not every mule 687 00:42:14,840 --> 00:42:21,279 Speaker 1: will carry game. I mean, um is he is? He 688 00:42:21,360 --> 00:42:25,400 Speaker 1: will because I've I've gradually, over the course of training her, 689 00:42:25,880 --> 00:42:28,680 Speaker 1: put game on her. The first thing I put on 690 00:42:28,760 --> 00:42:31,920 Speaker 1: her was a coon. And that may sound like reasonable. 691 00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:35,040 Speaker 1: You're like, well, yeah, I throw a con over your mule, 692 00:42:35,160 --> 00:42:38,960 Speaker 1: that doesn't sound bad. But man equine animals are their 693 00:42:39,040 --> 00:42:43,520 Speaker 1: prey animals. They're designed to flee from danger, and they 694 00:42:43,560 --> 00:42:47,880 Speaker 1: are skittish of almost everything unless you train them and 695 00:42:48,040 --> 00:42:52,560 Speaker 1: expose them to that thing in safe situations where they 696 00:42:52,640 --> 00:42:54,799 Speaker 1: realize that it won't hurt them. So by nature, they're 697 00:42:54,840 --> 00:42:57,480 Speaker 1: almost afraid of everything. So we've coon hunted off is 698 00:42:57,640 --> 00:43:01,520 Speaker 1: he and put mules over this or put excuse me, 699 00:43:01,760 --> 00:43:04,520 Speaker 1: coons over the saddle horn. That was the first thing. 700 00:43:04,640 --> 00:43:07,760 Speaker 1: The second thing last year I turkey hunted on Izzy 701 00:43:08,600 --> 00:43:12,000 Speaker 1: and killed a gobbler turkey and carried out the gobbler, 702 00:43:12,120 --> 00:43:15,319 Speaker 1: just put a piece of peara cord between the turkey's feet, 703 00:43:16,320 --> 00:43:18,920 Speaker 1: put that prayer cord over the saddle horn, and just 704 00:43:19,200 --> 00:43:23,120 Speaker 1: came right off the mountain. Um, we're gonna come back 705 00:43:23,160 --> 00:43:26,839 Speaker 1: to Turkey hunting off a mule. Uh. This year, I've 706 00:43:26,880 --> 00:43:29,319 Speaker 1: yet to kill a deer while I've been hunting back 707 00:43:29,400 --> 00:43:32,120 Speaker 1: like this, But this year when I killed, when Bear 708 00:43:32,280 --> 00:43:34,759 Speaker 1: killed the deer a couple of well months or a 709 00:43:34,840 --> 00:43:41,440 Speaker 1: month ago, Um, I I basically exposed the mule to 710 00:43:41,600 --> 00:43:45,840 Speaker 1: the carcass and uh, and fed the mule with a 711 00:43:45,920 --> 00:43:50,359 Speaker 1: carcass like laying at the laying at the mule's feet. 712 00:43:50,520 --> 00:43:52,279 Speaker 1: So the mule had to come over and eat grain 713 00:43:52,480 --> 00:43:54,560 Speaker 1: right by this deer and got really used to it. 714 00:43:54,680 --> 00:43:56,960 Speaker 1: And so now I think if if we killed a deer, 715 00:43:57,040 --> 00:43:59,040 Speaker 1: Izzy would figure she was about to get some grains, 716 00:43:59,080 --> 00:44:01,680 Speaker 1: so she'd be happy. And I eventually got the deer 717 00:44:01,760 --> 00:44:05,839 Speaker 1: honor back, and so is. He's pretty well mannered when 718 00:44:05,880 --> 00:44:08,320 Speaker 1: it comes to games, so I don't think we'd have 719 00:44:08,360 --> 00:44:10,520 Speaker 1: any trouble with her. Now Bear would be a totally 720 00:44:10,600 --> 00:44:14,760 Speaker 1: different experience. I have not exposed her to bear that smell, 721 00:44:14,840 --> 00:44:18,960 Speaker 1: because they do smell. But that being said, now turkey 722 00:44:19,040 --> 00:44:22,080 Speaker 1: hunting is a whole different story. Turkey hunting in the 723 00:44:22,120 --> 00:44:24,799 Speaker 1: big National for us, on meal back is the way 724 00:44:24,880 --> 00:44:29,080 Speaker 1: to go because you ride the mule and just call 725 00:44:29,320 --> 00:44:31,120 Speaker 1: right off her back, like I don't even get off. 726 00:44:31,600 --> 00:44:33,279 Speaker 1: I don't even get off her back. I just ride 727 00:44:33,360 --> 00:44:37,920 Speaker 1: up this ridge calling and if I when I hear 728 00:44:37,920 --> 00:44:40,200 Speaker 1: a gobble, then just get off, tire up and go 729 00:44:40,360 --> 00:44:42,880 Speaker 1: hunt to turkey. Now, the only negative thing is if 730 00:44:42,960 --> 00:44:46,720 Speaker 1: you were calling like that in one gobbled like seventy 731 00:44:47,040 --> 00:44:49,879 Speaker 1: yards away, I mean you'd have to just act quick 732 00:44:50,400 --> 00:44:52,720 Speaker 1: in the in the mule might end up spooking to turkey. 733 00:44:52,840 --> 00:44:55,000 Speaker 1: But most of the time you're gonna hear a turkey 734 00:44:55,080 --> 00:44:58,080 Speaker 1: gobble further off, and you're gonna be able to either 735 00:44:58,200 --> 00:45:02,359 Speaker 1: turn and ride away for um the turkey. That makes sense. 736 00:45:02,840 --> 00:45:05,160 Speaker 1: Like you hear a turkey gobble it's a hundred yards, well, 737 00:45:05,200 --> 00:45:09,480 Speaker 1: then just turned dead away and ride back fifty sixty yards, 738 00:45:10,080 --> 00:45:13,400 Speaker 1: get off, tie the mule, and then come back up 739 00:45:13,480 --> 00:45:16,840 Speaker 1: to where you were called worked a turkey, or it 740 00:45:16,960 --> 00:45:19,919 Speaker 1: just gets you back into good country like I ride 741 00:45:20,440 --> 00:45:23,120 Speaker 1: last year, I never heard of turkey while I was 742 00:45:23,239 --> 00:45:26,319 Speaker 1: on is He's back. But I got into some good 743 00:45:26,400 --> 00:45:29,359 Speaker 1: country way back in there, tighter up and then went 744 00:45:29,520 --> 00:45:32,279 Speaker 1: hunting on foot, killed the turkey, then used her to 745 00:45:32,360 --> 00:45:36,120 Speaker 1: haul it all out. So turkey hunting on mule back 746 00:45:36,520 --> 00:45:43,719 Speaker 1: is big um, but you know it's dangerous. That's one 747 00:45:44,200 --> 00:45:48,360 Speaker 1: negative about it. Uh. My daughter River was if you 748 00:45:48,440 --> 00:45:51,440 Speaker 1: listen to one of the first podcasts, I talked in 749 00:45:51,600 --> 00:45:55,239 Speaker 1: detail about a mule wreck that my daughter had back 750 00:45:55,360 --> 00:45:58,160 Speaker 1: in October while we were bear hunting. We used our 751 00:45:58,239 --> 00:46:01,240 Speaker 1: mules to haul in bear bait to a secluded property 752 00:46:01,320 --> 00:46:06,360 Speaker 1: that we couldn't take vehicles into. And uh, on the 753 00:46:06,440 --> 00:46:11,000 Speaker 1: way down the same deal, we're using paniards, bags that 754 00:46:11,320 --> 00:46:14,879 Speaker 1: fall that lay over a saddle. On the way down, 755 00:46:15,040 --> 00:46:17,399 Speaker 1: we took the paniard off and River was just gonna 756 00:46:17,480 --> 00:46:20,400 Speaker 1: ride the mule down and the mule got away from her. 757 00:46:20,600 --> 00:46:24,080 Speaker 1: River lost her balance while ducking under a limb. River 758 00:46:25,080 --> 00:46:28,120 Speaker 1: wasn't used to the mule she was on. The mule 759 00:46:28,200 --> 00:46:32,360 Speaker 1: started to run down the mountain and basically the mule 760 00:46:32,560 --> 00:46:35,360 Speaker 1: was loping down the mountain out of control with my 761 00:46:36,000 --> 00:46:39,279 Speaker 1: fifteen year old daughter on her back, and Uh, the 762 00:46:39,400 --> 00:46:42,520 Speaker 1: river came off buster. Her head had to get How 763 00:46:42,560 --> 00:46:45,200 Speaker 1: many stitches did you have, David, I had. I know 764 00:46:45,239 --> 00:46:48,320 Speaker 1: it was like ten or eight. I don't remember. It 765 00:46:48,480 --> 00:46:50,600 Speaker 1: was a lot. I don't remember either. She also got 766 00:46:50,640 --> 00:46:53,200 Speaker 1: a concussion, Yeah, she got. It was a bad deal. 767 00:46:53,280 --> 00:46:57,080 Speaker 1: It was. It was a father fail, you know, Uh, 768 00:46:57,280 --> 00:47:00,200 Speaker 1: to this day, it was. It was a mistake. Had 769 00:47:00,200 --> 00:47:02,719 Speaker 1: a lot of faith in the mule and in River, 770 00:47:02,920 --> 00:47:04,920 Speaker 1: and still have faith in the mule and river, but 771 00:47:05,040 --> 00:47:14,399 Speaker 1: it was wasn't the best combination. And uh yeah, River 772 00:47:15,040 --> 00:47:19,560 Speaker 1: slic eye open, River sliced her eye open. Limb. My, 773 00:47:19,880 --> 00:47:21,719 Speaker 1: my daughter, Rivers had a tough go out it with 774 00:47:21,800 --> 00:47:25,320 Speaker 1: mules and we've made a couple of visits to the 775 00:47:25,640 --> 00:47:31,000 Speaker 1: er because of it. She loves them exactly, but I 776 00:47:31,080 --> 00:47:35,400 Speaker 1: won't hardly let her ride. But no, she a limb 777 00:47:35,760 --> 00:47:40,000 Speaker 1: sliced her eyelid while she was on the mule, and uh, 778 00:47:40,680 --> 00:47:43,160 Speaker 1: I had to take her. She came back to the 779 00:47:43,239 --> 00:47:47,759 Speaker 1: house bleeding all down her face. It was pretty spooky. Um. 780 00:47:48,760 --> 00:47:51,759 Speaker 1: But I guess I'm I guess I'm saying some of 781 00:47:51,800 --> 00:47:53,960 Speaker 1: the negative things too, because I had kind of a 782 00:47:54,120 --> 00:47:58,959 Speaker 1: romantic view of owner the mule and that I didn't 783 00:47:58,960 --> 00:48:01,200 Speaker 1: think it was gonna be easy, But I guess I 784 00:48:01,239 --> 00:48:03,040 Speaker 1: just didn't know how hard it was gonna be. But 785 00:48:04,080 --> 00:48:08,000 Speaker 1: but boys, this is where this is where the story 786 00:48:08,800 --> 00:48:13,360 Speaker 1: turns awesome. Because things that are really hard, that are difficult, 787 00:48:13,680 --> 00:48:17,080 Speaker 1: that stretch you, that caused you to grow, that caused 788 00:48:17,120 --> 00:48:19,440 Speaker 1: you to have to learn a totally new set of 789 00:48:19,520 --> 00:48:26,080 Speaker 1: skills and test yourself tests your fear are good because 790 00:48:27,840 --> 00:48:32,840 Speaker 1: one of the greatest accompliment external accomplishments, let me describe 791 00:48:32,840 --> 00:48:37,880 Speaker 1: it like that, one of my most my favorite external 792 00:48:37,960 --> 00:48:42,680 Speaker 1: accomplishments that I've ever done is training Issy from scratch. 793 00:48:43,120 --> 00:48:45,840 Speaker 1: And I mean, she's a good mule man. She'll go 794 00:48:45,920 --> 00:48:48,080 Speaker 1: where your pointer, she'll do what you tell her, she'll 795 00:48:48,120 --> 00:48:51,000 Speaker 1: cross water, she'll get in the she'll get in a trailer, 796 00:48:51,200 --> 00:48:55,160 Speaker 1: she'll let a hound ride on her back. Um, she's 797 00:48:55,200 --> 00:48:57,319 Speaker 1: a She's a heck of a mule for a young mule. 798 00:48:58,560 --> 00:49:00,600 Speaker 1: And I had to overcome a lot of year, had 799 00:49:00,600 --> 00:49:04,560 Speaker 1: to overcome a lot of knowledge barriers, had to overcome 800 00:49:04,600 --> 00:49:07,279 Speaker 1: a lot of limitations to do that. And so the 801 00:49:07,440 --> 00:49:11,760 Speaker 1: difficulty of it has actually made me into something stronger 802 00:49:11,800 --> 00:49:14,399 Speaker 1: than what I was. And so just because it's hard 803 00:49:14,440 --> 00:49:18,480 Speaker 1: doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. And as a testament 804 00:49:18,560 --> 00:49:22,000 Speaker 1: to that, I remember when you bought Izzy because I 805 00:49:22,120 --> 00:49:24,080 Speaker 1: was there. You were there, weren't you. Yeah, And that 806 00:49:24,280 --> 00:49:28,160 Speaker 1: was crazy. That was she was absolutely out of control 807 00:49:28,200 --> 00:49:31,600 Speaker 1: when that happened. But now, I mean we packed stuff 808 00:49:31,640 --> 00:49:33,920 Speaker 1: on her and you know, let her up the mountain 809 00:49:33,960 --> 00:49:36,920 Speaker 1: and she'll do exactly, like like you said, everything that 810 00:49:36,960 --> 00:49:42,359 Speaker 1: you tell her to do. Yeah, yep, Barry, you've never 811 00:49:42,440 --> 00:49:47,759 Speaker 1: been in a mule wreck, hav you? Nope? No? Uh? 812 00:49:48,560 --> 00:49:52,000 Speaker 1: I once well when we were writing ELI one time 813 00:49:52,840 --> 00:49:55,920 Speaker 1: and I kind of like turned her and ship was 814 00:49:55,960 --> 00:50:01,680 Speaker 1: on the back and he flew off. Yeah. Man, we're 815 00:50:01,760 --> 00:50:04,719 Speaker 1: telling all these bad stories. Yeah, like the first two 816 00:50:04,760 --> 00:50:08,440 Speaker 1: weeks we had a mule, It wasn't even the mule's fault. 817 00:50:08,520 --> 00:50:11,919 Speaker 1: My son just fell off and broke his arm. We've 818 00:50:11,920 --> 00:50:15,400 Speaker 1: had a pretty rough go now that we started stacking 819 00:50:15,480 --> 00:50:19,560 Speaker 1: up the casualties. And um, I had a pretty hard 820 00:50:19,640 --> 00:50:22,239 Speaker 1: fall off elim Ay when I first got her. So 821 00:50:22,320 --> 00:50:27,120 Speaker 1: it's not something that you get into lightly, but it 822 00:50:27,280 --> 00:50:31,040 Speaker 1: has it his you know, I may who knows what 823 00:50:31,600 --> 00:50:33,759 Speaker 1: the future holds, but I doubt they'll ever be a 824 00:50:33,840 --> 00:50:35,520 Speaker 1: time in my life where I don't have a mule. 825 00:50:36,840 --> 00:50:39,720 Speaker 1: I mean, I love them, I really do. I enjoy 826 00:50:39,960 --> 00:50:42,520 Speaker 1: riding them. Hunting these mountains is so much fun to 827 00:50:42,640 --> 00:50:45,959 Speaker 1: cruise around on a mule. It's you gotta be tough, 828 00:50:46,080 --> 00:50:49,040 Speaker 1: but it's I love it. And hunting these mountains is 829 00:50:49,080 --> 00:50:52,279 Speaker 1: different than hunting out west. These woods are thick, you're 830 00:50:52,360 --> 00:50:58,400 Speaker 1: fighting limbs, you're fighting super steep hills, you're you know, 831 00:50:58,719 --> 00:51:02,400 Speaker 1: it's mainly the limbs that make it difficult. But all right, 832 00:51:02,440 --> 00:51:04,520 Speaker 1: and closing, this is just supposed to be a short, 833 00:51:05,160 --> 00:51:07,959 Speaker 1: kind of a short podcast, just talking about backcountry hunting 834 00:51:08,000 --> 00:51:10,160 Speaker 1: with mules. Maybe at the later day we could talk 835 00:51:10,200 --> 00:51:14,839 Speaker 1: about what we packed. But the biggest thing that's cool 836 00:51:14,880 --> 00:51:19,360 Speaker 1: about this is like we could have all carried you know, 837 00:51:19,719 --> 00:51:26,959 Speaker 1: fifty pound packs and walked in, but we are living 838 00:51:27,040 --> 00:51:29,839 Speaker 1: like kings up here on the mountain and and where 839 00:51:29,880 --> 00:51:31,920 Speaker 1: we're honey, we can't. We have to carry in all 840 00:51:31,960 --> 00:51:34,439 Speaker 1: our ouwn water because there's no water sources up high 841 00:51:34,520 --> 00:51:38,759 Speaker 1: on these mountains that are that are predictable anyway. There's 842 00:51:38,800 --> 00:51:42,320 Speaker 1: water now because it rained, but yesterday that before that, 843 00:51:42,400 --> 00:51:45,680 Speaker 1: there wasn't any water up here. They probably won't be tomorrow. Yeah, 844 00:51:45,760 --> 00:51:48,280 Speaker 1: so we have to carry water. So for three guys 845 00:51:48,360 --> 00:51:51,120 Speaker 1: for three days. I mean, you know you're talking, you 846 00:51:51,239 --> 00:51:55,399 Speaker 1: need forty pounds of water or more and so bye bye. 847 00:51:56,160 --> 00:51:58,799 Speaker 1: By having this mule, basically we're able to be real 848 00:51:58,960 --> 00:52:02,480 Speaker 1: comfortable in the back country. Have plenty of food, plenty 849 00:52:02,520 --> 00:52:06,880 Speaker 1: of sleeping bags, plenty of tents and tarps, and for me, 850 00:52:07,160 --> 00:52:09,920 Speaker 1: camera gear because I'm I'm filming a lot of these 851 00:52:10,000 --> 00:52:13,480 Speaker 1: hunts and doing a lot of filming, so I got 852 00:52:14,320 --> 00:52:16,520 Speaker 1: a ton of gear that most people don't have. And 853 00:52:16,600 --> 00:52:19,480 Speaker 1: that's part of the reason I carry right of mule 854 00:52:19,760 --> 00:52:26,040 Speaker 1: closing thoughts, guys, closing thoughts, mules for the wind, mules 855 00:52:26,120 --> 00:52:28,520 Speaker 1: for the wind mules for the ones you're closing. Comment 856 00:52:29,280 --> 00:52:32,319 Speaker 1: one time, is he let me get on her back 857 00:52:32,600 --> 00:52:35,839 Speaker 1: while I was coming from a tree? What do you mean, well, 858 00:52:35,880 --> 00:52:38,279 Speaker 1: you tied it to a tree, I climbed, the tree 859 00:52:38,880 --> 00:52:44,120 Speaker 1: dropped down in her back. When when was this this summer? 860 00:52:44,680 --> 00:52:50,080 Speaker 1: Is he or Ellie? All right? Well, hey, I hope 861 00:52:50,080 --> 00:52:56,120 Speaker 1: you enjoyed our fireside talk. We uh, we're sitting here 862 00:52:56,160 --> 00:52:59,280 Speaker 1: on the side of the mountain and we're gonna hunt tomorrow. 863 00:53:00,160 --> 00:53:03,600 Speaker 1: And uh, but as of yet, we've we've we hadn't 864 00:53:03,640 --> 00:53:07,640 Speaker 1: killed a deer, but such is this mountain hunting. Thanks 865 00:53:07,680 --> 00:53:11,040 Speaker 1: for listening to the Barony Magazine podcast. Do me a favor, 866 00:53:11,680 --> 00:53:15,640 Speaker 1: do all of us a favor? Consider subscribing to Bear 867 00:53:15,760 --> 00:53:18,640 Speaker 1: Hunting Magazine, the only print bear hunting magazine in the world. 868 00:53:19,160 --> 00:53:22,200 Speaker 1: I think it's pretty awesome that for twenty years now, 869 00:53:22,400 --> 00:53:25,440 Speaker 1: twenty years Bear Hunting Magazine has been the only print 870 00:53:25,520 --> 00:53:28,320 Speaker 1: all bear hunting magazine in the world. And you know, 871 00:53:28,440 --> 00:53:30,239 Speaker 1: you may say, well, I'm not that big a bear hunter, 872 00:53:30,320 --> 00:53:32,759 Speaker 1: I don't really want to subscribe to the magazine. Well, 873 00:53:33,000 --> 00:53:40,000 Speaker 1: by your subscription to the magazine, you're supporting a very complex, 874 00:53:40,160 --> 00:53:45,040 Speaker 1: dynamic and awesome aspect of North American big game hunting, 875 00:53:45,640 --> 00:53:50,680 Speaker 1: and Bear Hunting magazine kind of represents that sector of hunting. 876 00:53:51,400 --> 00:53:54,840 Speaker 1: And so you know, really, by subscribing to the magazine, 877 00:53:55,560 --> 00:54:01,000 Speaker 1: you're you're you're you're feeding into meat. You whether it 878 00:54:01,080 --> 00:54:05,360 Speaker 1: be our YouTube channel, are our print magazine or social 879 00:54:05,440 --> 00:54:12,720 Speaker 1: media that's promoting ethical, conservation based big game predator hunting 880 00:54:12,840 --> 00:54:16,120 Speaker 1: for bears, and so check it out. We've also got 881 00:54:16,360 --> 00:54:19,520 Speaker 1: lots of cool merchandise on our website. Check out our 882 00:54:19,520 --> 00:54:23,520 Speaker 1: YouTube channel. You might even if bear kills a big 883 00:54:23,640 --> 00:54:25,759 Speaker 1: buck tomorrow. You'll probably even see a video of it 884 00:54:25,880 --> 00:54:28,399 Speaker 1: up on our channel. But if he doesn't, you'll never 885 00:54:28,520 --> 00:54:31,120 Speaker 1: hear about it, and this, this hunt will be lost 886 00:54:31,960 --> 00:54:35,920 Speaker 1: like smoking the wind. You still want to hear about it, Well, 887 00:54:35,960 --> 00:54:41,600 Speaker 1: if David does too, yes, or if I do. But hey, 888 00:54:42,640 --> 00:54:45,560 Speaker 1: it's a it's an honor, guys to be able to 889 00:54:45,680 --> 00:54:49,640 Speaker 1: hunt in a place like this in the year it's 890 00:54:49,640 --> 00:54:51,919 Speaker 1: almost twenty nineteen. By the time people here, this will 891 00:54:51,960 --> 00:54:56,200 Speaker 1: be twenty nineteen. For sure. It's an honor, a privilege 892 00:54:56,920 --> 00:55:00,120 Speaker 1: that we have public lands and we can carry our 893 00:55:00,200 --> 00:55:04,480 Speaker 1: firearms intwo pack our mules back in here, put out 894 00:55:04,480 --> 00:55:07,920 Speaker 1: our trail cameras and get pictures of nice bucks and 895 00:55:08,040 --> 00:55:11,520 Speaker 1: be able to hunt. So well, we gotta do what 896 00:55:11,719 --> 00:55:13,520 Speaker 1: you boys have to do, what I have to do. 897 00:55:14,280 --> 00:55:17,960 Speaker 1: Let's keep the wild places wild, because that's where the 898 00:55:18,000 --> 00:55:24,320 Speaker 1: bears live in the deer. You didn't see a squirrel 899 00:55:24,400 --> 00:55:26,879 Speaker 1: to well, bear did, and I believe that he saw. 900 00:55:27,360 --> 00:55:29,920 Speaker 1: I saw a monster grace squirrel. I mean like it 901 00:55:30,040 --> 00:55:32,680 Speaker 1: was a shooter. For sure. We gotta go to bed