The hard part isn't deciding to go. It's knowing who to call.
View Hunting & Wilderness School, Selway-BitterrootBackcountry
Six days of elk-country fieldcraft, built for the hunter who goes unguided
Six days learning to run your own string, taught hands-on at Cameron Outfitters' Kit Carson base camp and finishing with a real pack trip into the wilderness. Whether you already own stock or have never thrown a hitch, the point is to leave able to get yourself into remote country and eat a steak when you get there instead of freeze-dried and Kool-Aid. The course covers wilderness law, values and ethics; safety around stock; how to choose and use pack stock, tack, and equipment; hitches and knots; horse and mule basics and anatomy; grooming; first aid and emergency shoeing; planning and building pack loads; planning a pack trip; camping with stock; recognising problems on the trail before they happen; dealing with trail hazards and obstacles; the health, safety, and welfare of you and your stock; basic wilderness skills and survival; handling emergencies; and Dutch oven cooking. Classes run during the day. Evenings are free for fly fishing wild western cutthroat trout, riding, hiking, or sitting by the fire. Courses - Mule and horse packing: July and August, from $2,400 per participant - Backcountry horsemanship: group dates available, from $2,400 per participant Class size is capped at 10 students, and group discounts are available for four or more. A 25% non-refundable deposit reserves your spot.
