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Just wondering when you all ride into a tree how far back do you all leave your horse or mule tied back to aviod a wreck?

I ride mine right to it and tie them to whatever is close but I haven't had problems riding right into a tree

This pic isn't clear but we are standing at a lion tree and you can see where ours are tied

Good greif Brady that looks like blizzard! LOL!


I love it when I can ride right up under the tree and tell the lion hello. That however happens very rarely or at least it does for me anyway. Usually I have to tie up and climb down thru boulders and slag and brush or climb up over the same crap to get to the tree. This is very rough country around here and at best a lot of it is marginal horse and mule country. But then again unless you have Ben Lilly's legs or really nothing else to do a horse can get you around to hunt a lot of it but gnerally when the dogs jump the lion he doesn't head for those nice open parks with a big spreaging Poderosa Pine in the middle that looks like a nice place ffor a family picnic or a game of croquet. They usually end up in some hell hole and you are just hoping you can find your horse again when the fun is all over. I have had lions bail and go bail and go and left my horse miles behind. I find it is very wise to take flashlight and mark your four legged friend on your GPS before you dive off into oblivion. GERONIMO!!!!

Mike is right! Brady that makes my teeth chatter.


I think that it depends on the horse or mule. For me, I like to ride right up close if possible. I always tie back far enough so that my ride isn't in the middle of the dogs. I'm possibly the exception to the rule, as I have never tied my dogs back. Therefore, things tend to get a little wild around the tree. My gelding loves following the dogs, and my mule is starting to understand that that's why we're there. I don't have any concerns with my horse, but I don't want to put my mule close enough to the action to be able to get mad and stomp a dog or something. My dogs are more valuable to me than a mad mule, and I'd hate to put myself in the position of walking out packing my saddle because I didn't protect my mule's potentially bad attitude, therefore setting off my potentially bad attitude!

It makes my teeth clatter too...Why do you think I'm working on a dry ground dog? I'm not even old and I'll admit I'd rather put a log on the fire on days like this and hunt in fair weather!

I also agree it sure depends on the horse or mule. Mike, we too do a lot of walking to a tree but man it's nice when you can ride right up to it huh!?

If I can ride up to the tree, I tie up about 50 yard or so from the tree. I can ride right up to the tree, doesnt bother my mules. I like some space just in case. Like Mike said they almost always tree where you cant ride anyways

A good friend treed a bear last year. They rode right up to the tree and tied up. The bear comes out of the tree and runs right between the legs of his mule with 10 screamn hounds in hot pursuit. He said it was quite an entertaining rodeo after that. Wish I could have seen it!!

Now that's the picture I had in my head reading this post Mike!!