Hauling Deer

Officers'Wife said:

We all perform our own sort of risk assessment. My horse, Icheb, is a Morgan cross that quite frankly is bigger than I am at the shoulder and could easily kill me if it decided to do so. It is also far more dependable in the swampy areas and the brush than the ATV or trucks. Our wood lots tend to have a large population in a small area and motorized vehicle simply aren't suited to work in them. Since the animal and I are accustomed to working together… Quite frankly I trust it's intentions more than I do some of the employees.

Since a high percentage of the deer are harvested in either the wood lots or along the bank of the brush covered river the horse tends to be a better tool than a tractor. Using draft animals is an acquired skill that that my grandfather felt was important to pass on. While I will pass no judgments on your misgivings of their use… I choose to accept that risk as I have seen firsthand how effective the animals can be in certain situations. The use of their muscle is often the difference between cutting meat inside a building out of a cold and cutting wind or out in the open where you do not only deal with the chore at hand but the elements as well.

Click to expand...