R
ecently I had an opportunity to speak at the annual Wilderness Skills and Packing Clinic held by the High Desert Trail Rid-
ers, a renowned Backcountry Horsemen Group in Klamath Falls, Oregon. While there, I was surrounded by seasoned trail riders and packers with many decades of experience riding and packing throughout the west coast and beyond. In between gabfests with these excellent horsemen, I inquired for their opinions on these top four posers sent by trailBLAZER readers.
YOU ARE OUT RIDING WITH YOUR DOG, and all of a sudden two coyotes come running up to at ack your dog. —Yours, Dog Gone
I was really hoping the fi rst question this month would be a lit le
less controversial. Dogs and horses go together like peanut but er and jelly. Heading down the trail with Rover in the lead is simply a wonderful way to spend the day—until something terrible happens. T e idea of your faithful companion get ing hurt or worse while on the trail is terrifying. What would you do if your puppy were placed in this situation?
1. Give your horse some heel and try to run down the coyotes. 2. T e coyotes are just hungry, so throw them your lunch. 3. Call 911 on your cell phone. 4. Break out the “heat” it’s coyote season.
Let’s see what some of the veteran members of the High Desert
Trail Riders have to say about this predicament. Compare your reactions to how these experienced Back Country Horsemen would respond.
1. Give your horse some heel and try to run down the coyotes. Try- ing to run down a coyote, or any other wild creature, is a very dangerous proposition for you to at empt. Going hell-bent for leather off trail can quickly result in tragedy should your horse step into a hole or encounter other hidden obstacles.
2. T e coyotes are just hungry, so throw them your lunch. Yes, they’re hungry, but probably not for the spare granola bar in the bot om of your pommel bag. In many areas Fido is far from the top of the food chain, which is to say Fido is on the menu.
3. Call 911 on your cell phone. Chances are help is much too far away even if you are within cell phone range. You’re on your own in most of these situations.
4. Break out the “heat,” it’s coyote season. Whoa there cowboy. Pulling out a gun may cause a lot more trouble for you and the dog.
Coyote at acks are quick, ruthless and likely to be over before you
can at empt to help your pet. Prevention is the best course of action here. As I mentioned earlier, dogs on the trails are a fact of life for many
trail users, horse and mule folk included. Unfortunately that very benign and enjoyable romp can very easily turn into tragedy if you and your dog become separated. Urban and suburban dogs generally have as much wilderness savvy as their owner, which is to say not much. T e safest place for a dog in the wild is on the end of a leash, which poses a real challenge for riders. A story that, unfortunately, has been heard more than once involves
coyotes calling out to dogs riding or camping with their owners and luring the outmatched pup to his doom. T e various creatures that call the wilderness home are hungry, smart and know an easy meal when they see it. T is is especially true when riding in wolf country. T is isn’t to say at all that coyotes, wolves or any other creature is bad, we’re riding in their home and they live by a diff erent set of rules. An equally depressing story is the untold number of dogs that are lost aſt er becoming separated from their owners. Finding lost dog notices at the trailhead is another unfortunate reality that is all too frequently encountered. Again a leash is the answer but how to make that work on horseback is problematic at best.
For all of the above reasons it’s best to keep Rover contained in camp where he’ll be safe, if not especially happy. I belong to a yellow dog named Abby and while she’s a constant companion on front country rides, for her safety she stays home when I’m wilderness bound.
“Urban and suburban dogs generally have as much wilderness savvy as their
owner, which is to say not much. The safest place for a dog in the wild is on the end of a leash, which poses a real challenge for riders.”
42 | June 2013 •
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