If you have ever packed with horses or mules into the backcountry, you know how important it is to have your animals trained properly.
Those who recreate or hunt with pack animals truly enjoy this form of transportation when maneuvering the tough wilderness terrain that Montana has to offer.
That’s why Arlyn Lemer, from Lolo, decided to put together a hands-on problem-solving workshop for horses, mules, and teams of horses and mules.
Bob Stockton, from Livingston, Tenn., will be the special guest for the three-day workshop from May 3-5.
Stockton brings with him two-generations of experience in the field of training. “He specializes in starting to finishing for single or team driving and riding stock,” according to Lemer. “Also, his unique way of training transfers right into riding or packing mules or horses for total control and a safe experience.”
This unique training style will cover harnessing-collar sizing and different styles of harness, driving handling and reining techniques, how to harness and hook to a wagon, and proper voice commands and how to train to voice and touch.
It sounds like this might be a great workshop for both potential horse and mule owners as well as current owners. For more information on the workshop, give Lemer a call at 406-273-6337.
BOAT RAMPS — The World Wide Web has done it again. For current information on boat launching facilities on various lakes around Montana, all you have to is go online. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has produced a web site that covers various reservoirs in the Northwest including Montana.
If you want to know which boat ramp is usable based on water level on reservoirs like Canyon Ferry or Tiber Dam, then you simply log on. An easy way to get to the site is to log onto www.montanaoutdoor.com/fishing.php3 and click on the link on that page.
With another low water year for much of the state, this will help save you some time when trying to find out what ramp is usable.
ICE FISHING — The ice is still on Seeley Lake, or least it was as of Tuesday. It is fishable, according to Larry Marx from Rovero’s Ace Hardware. Marx told me that a couple of pike were caught in the 11-pound class last week. The ice-anglers are using tip-ups with smelt. They have caught a couple of pike in the 20-pound plus class the last couple of years out of Seeley Lake. There are some big ones in the lake, so make sure you bring your gaff hook to retrieve the monsters out of the hole. For current information on the area lakes, call Marx at 406-677-2445.
