First real job?

We don’t have moose in the Appalachians, but we have plenty of white tail deer.

My elder son hunts here annually, and bags at least a half dozen, some big bucks, weighing maybe 200+ pounds. I don’t have a big place (75 acres), but some of it is steep and quite a ways from the house or road. We often use a single horse to drag the gutted carcass back to the barn where it is skinned and hung for a while.

I do use my oldest and most experienced horse, Wedge. He is always quite alert and somewhat worried about the job, which may be related to the smell of the fresh kill, blood and guts. But he does it for us every time. The point is that this horse is very experienced and has developed an attitude of he can do whatever I ask him to and is brave about it given my encouragement and comforting reassurance and positive driving. Of course with blinders once he is hitched he doesn’t know what he is pulling, it is just getting him to the carcass and hitched the presents some worry for him.

So it is a tricky question as to a really green horse doing such a task. It will probably depend on how far you progress in getting him to drive and respond to your signals prior to this request.

Maybe someone else will have advice on this question.

Good luck.

Jennifer,
At this point I think it is a good idea to be thinking about the intricacies of real working situations, like pulling moose, because it will help you to visualize the enterprise, and I think it is important also that you are brave enough to seriously consider real work that will challenge both you and your horse.

That being said, I have never pulled a moose, but have been contracted before to do so. I have shot several deer in the woods, accompanied a friend who shot a bull elk, and I have come across many moose in the wild. In none of those experiences have these animals been in terrain that was easily accessible, and quite often I found myself in areas where I had never been, or been very few times.

The challenges to pulling moose are not merely issues of power and weight, but more often terrain, obstacles, and orienteering. These contribute to significant challenges to the teamster/animal relationship.
I know many people who use one horse for a moose because ease of moving around, but end up over-working the horse because of length of skid, or other terrain issue.

I have always agreed to pull moose with two horses because of my experience of working regularly in the woods, I have just as much confidence driving two as one, and I know that the obstacles will be more easily overcome with two. I have nothing to prove about the power of any of my animals (“Go light and go often, gets a day of work done”)Also I am inclined to find my own route out of the woods if I don’t like the choice of the hunter.

I have set a price of $200 before I open the trailer, and $50/hr after that. This is why my last client shot his moose 800 feet from the road and called 10 of his best friends to help him drag it out. I did get some steaks though, just for being on call for the 10 day season.

Also just for conversation, if the animal is shot on National Forest, you will need outfitters permits, and possibly the same on some State-Owned Wildlife Management Areas.

You will know by then, but you will want to have challenged you animal significantly, if you want it to be a certain success.
Carl

I’m not sure that with the horses I’m working right now that I will be open to moose pulling this year. Also, I have already over-booked myself with other engagements such as a series of On-farm Slaughter Workshops thru NOFA-VT.

As I alluded to before, when I was contacted before, I was on-call, as it is impossible to schedule the event, and although you would be welcome to come along, we might find it difficult to coordinate.

Andre’ Palmer and Pat Palmer both have pulled moose in their area, and may be open to your accompanying them. You might just want to tag along with your friend while they hunt to get some idea of the terrain.

Great subject, Carl