Photo © Ralph Hopkins, BCH Flathead DeckerDecker DispatchDispatch

www.bchmt.org The Newsletter of the Back Country Horsemen of - 1,059 Members June 2018 Back Country Horsemen of Montana put on Summer Packing Camp BCHMT’s Youth Program committee hike to Heart Lake to do a rehab project is putting together a summer camp for and learn about the principles of Leave youth ages 14-17, on August 2-5, 2018. No Trace camping and stock use. Participants will meet at Indian Saturday evening includes a camp- Meadows Trailhead near Lincoln, MT at fire chat with Ellie Fitzpatrick, who is noon on Thursday, August 2nd, learning leading the rehab project and LNT train- to pack in the afternoon, and attending ing. a campfire chat with Smoke Elser that Sunday, August 5th, campers will OUR PURPOSES evening. pack up and return to the trailhead by • To perpetuate the common sense Friday morning, August 3rd, camp- noon. use and enjoyment of horses in ers will learn to load up pack stock, then Candidates should apply by going America’s back country, roadless hike into Fickler Meadows in the Scape- to www.bchmt.org, scroll down to the backcountry and wilderness areas. goat Wilderness and set up camp. bottom of the page and click on “Youth • To work to ensure that public Friday evening will include a camp- Summer Camp Application.” lands remain open to recreational fire chat with Amy Pearson. Applications are requested by June stock use. Saturday, August 4th, campers will 15th. • To assist the various government and private agencies in their maintenance and management of SUMMER f o r y o u t h a g e s 1 4 - 1 7 said resource. • To educate, encourage and PACKING indian meadows trailhead solicit active participation by the general public in the wise and sustaining use of the back country CAMP August 2-5, 2018 resource by horses and people commensurate with our heritage. • To foster and encourage Participants will meet at Indian Mead- ows trailhead near Lincoln, MT at noon formation of new state Back on Thursday, August 2nd, learning to Country Horsemen organizations. pack in the afternoon, and attending a campfire chat with Smoke Elser that • To seek out opportunities evening. Friday morning, August 3rd, to enhance existing areas of campers will learn to load up pack stock, then hike into Fickler Meadows recreation for stock users. in the and set up camp. Friday evening will include a campfire chat with Amy Pearson. Saturday, August 4th, campers will hike to Heart Lake to do a rehab project and learn about the principles of Leave No IN THIS ISSUE Trace camping and stock use. Satur- day evening includes a campfire chat National Director’s Column...... 2-3 with Ellie Fitzpatrick, who is leading the rehab project and LNT training. Sunday, Letter from the Chair...... 3 August 5th, campers will pack up and return to the trailhead by noon.

Chapter Articles...... 4-5, 9-12 Candidates should apply by going to www.bchmt.org, scroll down to the Back Country Horse Travel...... 6-8 bottom of the page and click on “Youth Summer Camp Application.”

Decker Dispatch 1 BCHMT Contacts National Director’s Column Chairman Rich Carl By Mark Himmel 406.899.5248 National Director, BCH Montana [email protected] Vice-Chairman Sherri Lionberger 208.691.6218 [email protected] Treasurer BCHA 2018 Convention Dan Marsh 406.587.7578 Spokane, Washington [email protected] The BCHA convention started on hit me hard with questions and complaints. Secretary 4/23/2018. Twenty-four states were in at- It was hard not to take this personal, the 20 Keni Hopkins tendance. minutes took forever. The fourth region was 406.253.4673 There was a New Board Member Orien- really nice and I received a lot of good ideas [email protected] tation for the members who were attending for Media & Marketing. National Directors the National Convention for the first time. After the meeting adjourned for the day Mark Himmel The business meeting agenda was present- I again found myself answering questions 406.771-0809 ed and approved on consent agenda. Randy that went through dinner and well into the [email protected] gave a brief report. evening. (Topics like State Board set up, Mack Long The ten standing committees each gave a communication with FS, grants, resolution, 406.644.7889 [email protected] report on accomplishments of the past year. etc.) The Treasurer reported a net income of 4/25 We broke into committee assign- John Chepulis (alternate) 406.581.6507 $23,771.96. The proposed budget for next ments and proceeded to come up with an [email protected] year has a surplus $15,520. The proposed action plan for the committee. The first sug- Advisory budget for next year was approved. gestion was could BCHA change its name Mark Himmel Afternoon reports from Headquarters and the second was how about changing our 406.771-0809 (Erica), Trailmeister (Robert Eversible), Mission Statement? Not sure how serious [email protected] BCHW membership pilot program, chain they were, although my prediction was that Defensive Horsemanship saw report (Mark). with that change of direction, BCHA would Smoke Elser There was a Meet & Greet Monday eve- be splitting up by end of year. 406.549.2820 ning along with cowboy poetry; all had a Afterwards we got into a very good dis- [email protected] good time. Monday evening I got cornered cussion and established an action plan for Education coming out of the elevator and was quizzed Media & Marketing. When the Board got Connie Long (above) on chain saw certifications and connections. back together each Committee Chair pre- Expansion/Membership Considering no one asked questions earli- sented its action plan for the coming year. available er in the day I was surprised, although the The resolution was read and after brief Issues questions were basic and I was able to an- discussion the vote was taken and the reso- Chuck Miller swer all by 11:00 pm. lution passed. 406.961.5453 [email protected] 4/24 On Tuesday morning the states Elections were held end of day: broke into regions (North East-South East- Freddy Dunn – Chairman Newsletter Editor Deborah Schatz Rockies-West) and were given a list of po- Darrell Wallace – Vice Chairman 406.314.1084 tential questions to ask the ten committee Sherri Copeland – Treasurer [email protected] chairs later in the afternoon. In the afternoon Ginny Grulke – Director on Executive Board Public Relations the committee chairs rotated from region to Mark Himmel – Director on Executive Scott Kiser region answering questions. I am Chair of Board 406.260.8398 Media & Marketing & along with Donations Mike McGlen – Non-Director on Executive [email protected] & Expansion committees we started off. The Board Travel Plan first region asked me questions first and Meeting adjourned. Mack Long I spoke too long and took up the whole 20 The evening banquet was very nice and 406.644.7889 [email protected] minutes. Next region I was not allowed to entertaining, we had a great time. speak which was ok. The third region really Webmaster Dan Marsh 406.587.7578 [email protected] Youth Program Greg Schatz 406.261.5450 [email protected]

2 Decker Dispatch Letter from the Chair When you take on a new posi- Mark Himmel was instrumental in cerned about tion, whether it is with a company or my decision to first join the state board funding trails. a volunteer organization like the Back and become the State Treasurer. Mark From what I Country Horsemen of Montana, some- always said to me not to take too much can see, it is times a person doesn’t realize how on and to pace myself or I may burn important for much is involved. I will be the first out. BCHMT to to tell you, as your new Chairman for Well, Mark, I will let you know how have a pres- BCHMT, I have a lot to learn. When that worked out in a couple of years. ence. I first started on the state board John One thing that has always im- At each Chepulis was ending his term as Chair- pressed me while serving on the state Rich Carl of these meet- Chairman man and Mark Himmel was starting as board is the knowledge everyone ings BCHMT the new Chairman. After that, Connie BCH Montana brings and the passion they have for keeps receiving Long took over the helm as the first the BCHMT mission. It is truly some- praise for the work we do. woman Chairman for the BCH of Mon- thing great to be a part of. tana. What a proud moment that was With summer coming and trail There seems to be no shortage of work beginning it is important to stay for all of us. At that time I started as issues to work on when it comes to our the State Treasurer and Brad Pollman safe on the trail. Make sure everyone public lands. on a project has the required training was the Vice Chairman. Connie guided I recently attended the LAC (Limits me along and helped me succeed. As and looks out for each other. of Acceptable Change) meeting, held Our youth camps will be starting Brad moved into the Chairman posi- in Lincoln, MT, discussing wilderness tion, I also moved to the Vice Chair po- soon. The work Kathy Hundley and areas. The Forest Service holds the sition. Brad has been a great example Greg Schatz have been doing to orga- meeting and discussed how use in the for me to follow. nize these groups has been phenome- back country is changing, and the front Each position I have had at the nal. Please support these youth camps country is seeing an increase in use. state board level has taught me some- however you can. I have also attended a MTC (Mon- thing new. Each Chairman brings a Well, I am off to learn more! different prospective to the position. tana Trails Coalition) meeting in Hel- Observing each of them through the ena, MT. Brad Pollman helped with Rich years and watching how they handle BCHMT becoming a part of this orga- situations is something I hope to cap- nization. The MTC is a collection of all italize on. user groups in Montana who are con- National Director’s Column By Mack Long the specific responses soon or in the vocacy, Education and Coordination National Director, future. with Land Mgmt. agencies. It was in- BCH Montana The first 4 questions were about the teresting but scoring 1 through 3, it local chapter. Essentially, what makes turned out that all the above were es- them strong and what satisfaction do sentially equal. Survey our members get from being a BCH The third section was how the Results member. The top reasons are: Fellow- states are associated with and expec- ship, being with like-minded people, tations from National (BCHA). As to 2018 providing a public/community service what the chapters expect from BCHA At our preconvention Board Meet- (trails & maintenance), packing, being here is the list: Lobbying at the nation- ing in Lewistown, I passed out a sur- in the wilderness/backcountry, educa- al level, information exchange on a na- vey for each chapter to complete via tion, preserve backcountry for future tional level, expansion of BCH mem- the State Directors. The purpose of the generations and access to public lands. bership, shared vision based on our survey was to check in with our Mon- These are not listed in any order. mission, protect public lands, promote tana BCH membership to get their The second set of questions was our purpose. On the questions that perspective on how aligned the local directed at how BCHMT (State) is as- asked about the structural relationship chapters, state chapters and national sisting and meeting the needs of the between BCHA and BCHMT there was (BCHA) are moving forward. Further, local chapters. The short answer is a strong resounding response that it it was an opportunity to check in on that overall the chapters are very satis- should always be a bottom up organi- how BCHMT and the local chapters are fied with their relationship with State. zation. In Montana, it has always been interacting. Only request was to enhance commu- Chapter, then State, then National and Following is a summary of their nication on grant opportunities and is- not the other way around. answers. At the May 19, 2018 State sues that come up throughout the year. In summary, there is an overall Board of Directors meeting, I will pro- Question 3 was directed at prioritizing shared vision of what BCH does and vide the response sheets to Rich Carl, the top activities that we do as BCH. should be. It is also clear that Montana State Chairman and Keni Hopkins, The categories were: Trails Advocacy, is not interested in BCHA taking a top State Secretary should anyone need Training, Backcountry/wilderness ad- down direction. Decker Dispatch 3 A Three Rivers BCH Adventure By Dan Pence, Three Rivers Back Country Horsemen We had ignored the trail for all too sured us they were there. Especially long. Members of Three Rivers Back notable was the amount of turned Country Horsemen gathered in Dillon over rocks and torn up logs left be- early in the morning of July 22, 2017 hind by foraging bears. The lunch for the long drive to the East Fork of stop occurred in a meadow with very Blacktail trailhead. The Chapter had notable elk scent. The sky was so blue adopted the very scenic loop trail up with lots of fluffy white clouds. Wild- the East Fork and around Lawrence flowers were everywhere. Creek several years ago and then es- We only had a bit of gas left in the sentially forgot it. No excuses, we just saw and a very tired saw crew when never took the time. we completed the loop and hit the And then the bark beetles had trail we had cleared as we rode into their way with area lodgepole pine. that beautiful country. Most of the We weren’t sure what we would find riders headed down the trail while but packed up extra gas and oil with a a couple held back to take pictures. chain saw and hit the trail. The area is The lead riders hit the willow bottom a favorite with fall hunters. They had on the creek and chased out a grizzly mucked things out enough to get stock bear quite visible to those who lagged through the previous fall, although of- behind. ten not on the trail, and there were lots We gathered at the trailhead of logs they simply jumped. Winter had to compare experiences of the day, not been kind with lots of new deadfall. then headed down the road. Unfor- And so we sawed, brushed things tunately, the day was not finished for out and sawed some more. It wasn’t all all participants. The road has some work. The day was hot with more than interesting turns at bridge crossings enough biting flies to require liberal and one member’s trailer managed to doses of fly spray on both horses and get hung up on the bridge railing on humans. The heat and bugs pushed one of the turns. most wildlife into cover, but sign as- Otherwise it was a great day.

4 Decker Dispatch Judith Basin Back Country Horsemen Back Country Horsemen of By Billie Ayers, Judith Basin Back Country Horsemen Montana State Chapters Members of the Judith Basin Back Beartooth BCH Country Horsemen Dick Bucsis, Hen- PO Box 614, Absorakee, MT 59001 ry Gottardi and Steve Reesor, installed Bitter Root BCH a new access gate in the Little Belt PO Box 1083, Hamilton, MT 59840 Mountains allowing non-motorized Cabinet BCH access to the Judith Game Range. The PO Box 949, Libby, MT 59923 gate was designed by Bucsis and Got- Charlie Russell BCH tardi and displayed at the recent state PO Box 3563, Great Falls, MT 59403 convention of the Back Country Horse- East Slope BCH men of Montana as a solution to allow PO Box 967, Conrad, MT 59425 easier access for hikers and horseback BCH of the Flathead riders to cross boundary lines where PO Box 1192, Columbia Falls, MT 59912 access is denied to motorized vehicles. Gallatin Valley BCH PO Box 3232, Bozeman, MT 59772 Judith Basin BCH PO Box 93, Lewistown, MT 59457 Last Chance BCH PO Box 4008, Helena, MT 59604 Mile High BCH PO Box 4434, Butte, MT 59702 Mission Valley BCH PO Box 604, Ronan, MT 59864 BCH of Missoula PO Box 2121, Missoula, MT 59806 NorthWest Montana BCH PO Box 9242, Kalispell, MT 59904 Selway-Pintler Wilderness BCH PO Box 88, Hamilton, MT 59840 Three Rivers BCH PO Box 251, Dillon, MT 59725 Trout Creek BCH PO Box 1435, Trout Creek, MT 59874 Upper Clark Fork BCH PO Box 725, Deerlodge, MT 59722 Wild Horse Plains BCH PO Box 640, Plains, MT 59859 If you would like to join us, please contact a chapter in your area. More information is available on our website: www.bchmt.org

Schedule for chapters’ news article submissions E-mail to: [email protected] Issue Articles due May 5th, 2018: Charlie Russell, East Slope, Flathead, Gallatin, and Judith Basin Fall issue Articles due September 5th, 2018: Last Chance, Mission Valley, Missoula, Northwest Montana, Selway-Pintler Wilderness Winter Issue Articles due January 5th, 2019: Beartooth, Bitter Root, Cabinet, Three Rivers, Upper Clark Fork, Wild Horse Plains, and convention hosting chapter

Decker Dispatch 5 Back Country Horse Travel By Stacie Boswell, DVM, DACVS, Hardaway Veterinary Hospital, Belgrade, MT. Submitted by the Gallatin Valley Back Country Horsemen As members of the Back Country for horses. The horse will experience Travel-Related Illness Horsemen, we travel with our horses adverse changes in muscle metabo- Most of the time, horses that travel down long highways and up two-track lism, elevations in stress indices, de- do just fine. The three most common dirt Forest Service roads in our quests hydration, and decreased immuni- travel-related illnesses are wounds, to maintain public access trails. This ty. Even just stopping the trailer for colic, and respiratory diseases. extensive travel for our horses is not a break for an hour or two on a long without risk. Common travel-related journey (more than 12 hours) will al- Wounds in Traveling Horses problems are injuries, colic, and re- low his physiologic stress parameters Lacerations and injuries can occur spiratory problems, and the severity to normalize, and his tired muscles to when horses have rough rides during of these problems can range from mild get some relief. Providing food and wa- shipments. Taking your time to load to extreme. In this article, we’ll talk in ter during the rest stop is ideal. nervous horses and driving conserva- detail about the causes of these prob- Making sure your horses have free tively helps prevent injuries. lems, and how to avoid them. We’ll choice access to food and water prior also discuss treatment. to the journey is important. This has Reasons Wounds Occur When Trav- been proven to prevent muscle prob- eling lems and will help prevent colic. Trailer Inspection and Safety Horses’ high flight drive results in Loose or weak floorboards, a mal- panic when they are afraid. Specialized functioning braking system, or a tire Halter and Tie Horses Properly equine anatomy means that there is blowout can result in a disaster while You should not allow horses to little to no excess skin, particularly on shipping horses. Before every trip, you stick their heads out of your trailer in limbs. The horse also has to learn how should double-check that your trailer any way while the vehicle is moving. to balance while standing when travel- coupler is properly engaged, that your This can result in injuries to their head ing. If your horse is inexperienced or lights and brakes are plugged in, and or eyes. A breakaway halter or tie is an of a flighty nature, he is more likely to that your trailer’s emergency brake absolute necessity at all times in the sustain an injury. battery is charged and connected prop- trailer. erly. The truck and trailer ball or cou- With few exceptions (e.g. hors- Wound Evaluation pling should be properly size matched. es that fight with their neighbors) the Wound depth is a critical factor for Each year you should have your horse should be tied so that he can get recovery. It will help your veterinarian trailer inspected. This inspection his head down below the point of his if you can evaluate and describe a few should include evaluating the floor, shoulder to cough. This helps clear the things: the wheel bearings (and packing them, airway and is key to preventing pneu- ● Pull the skin apart a little bit. if needed), the brakes and emergency monia. A full-thickness skin wound will have brake box, and all hardware and latch- a gap. A superficial wound will not gap es. Unexpected mechanical problems Pay Attention to the Environment when you manipulate it. can occur, but regular inspection and During warmer months, closed ● Walk the horse several strides caution will prevent many problems. horse trailers quickly become 20 de- and determine if he is lame. grees warmer than the outdoor am- ● Look closely and see if flap is Transporting Horses bient temperature, and horses can present or skin seems to be missing, Driver safety overheat, sweating and becoming rather than just cut into. You should be confident with the dehydrated. Horses in enclosed trail- ● Determine if the wound is near truck and trailer in your charge. A con- ers generally do not need blankets as a joint. tingency plan should be in place with a they are more likely to sweat. Sweating ● As you inspect the wound, if secondary driver. A smooth, confident leads to dehydration and loss of elec- you can see muscle, bone, tendon, or ride will help prevent the horses from trolytes. Those losses are the primary other underlying structures, that is a slipping and falling. contributing factors to colic associated deep wound that will need extensive You should be well rested and with travel. treatment. alert; driving drowsy is just not worth If you are hauling your horse in a livestock-type of trailer or one with the risk. This goes without saying, but Wound Treatment an open design where your horses are drivers absolutely should not have cell Start by providing first aid. Move exposed to wind, other considerations phones out while shipping horses. At your horse to the most clean, dry, and apply. Your horse should wear a fly least pull over to use the phone or have safe area you have, and thoroughly mask to prevent particles from injur- a passenger assist with necessary calls, rinse it, if possible. In veterinary med- ing his eyes or face. Cold wind may jus- texts, or maps. icine, we have a saying for this: “the tify using a blanket. solution to pollution is dilution.” Rest Your Horses If there is a lot of blood running Long trips are especially difficult out of the wound, try to apply some ab-

6 Decker Dispatch sorbent material, and apply a bandage tight enough to stop the hemorrhage. This may be all you can do until a vet- erinarian sees your horse. Cleaning or re-cleaning the fresh wound may cause the hemorrhage to resume. Many antiseptic and topical med- ications are toxic to the healthy, heal- ing tissue and will damage cells and slow down the healing process. If you are considering a topical medication, a rule of thumb is: if you wouldn’t put it in your eye, don’t put it on a wound. Talk to your veterinarian before you give your horse any medication or ap- ply topical substances. Wounds that are sutured and treated properly from the beginning heal faster and are more likely to result in full return to function.

Extensive or Deep Wounds Deep and complicated wounds are those that did not heal with sutures, a wound that invades a joint, or is down to the bone. Deep wounds may invade chest cavity, damaging the lungs. These horses can be difficult and expensive to treat. If the deep wound enters the digestive tract, the horse’s odds of sur- vival due to the contamination are low. If a joint is infected, there are a va- riety of treatment options. Essentially, the earlier the infection is noted and which treatment option selected are the two factors that influence outcome. Top: Hip wound before and after treatment. Bottom: Stacie and her husband enjoying a trail ride. Colic in Traveling Horses Colic is a general term for abdom- oughbreds, for example), or a flighty, self of pain. inal pain, and there are a multitude of nervous individual. It is important for you to monitor specific disease processes that result in Colic signs include changing posi- fecal output closely. A decrease in fecal colic. Risk factors for development of tion from standing to lying down re- output or change in consistency may colic include long hours of travel with peatedly, or he may lay down and be forewarn of an impending colic. consequent dehydration, change in unwilling to get up. He may also be feed, change in housing or daily exer- rolling, kicking at his belly, watching Impaction Colic cise levels, electrolyte deficiencies or or looking at his flank, stretching out A common type of colic is impac- imbalances, and stress. About 10% of (which sometimes can look like he is tion, also known as high constipation. horses colic each year, and traveling trying to urinate, but can’t), or just not An impaction occurs when the materi- horses have an extra high risk. acting right. Some horses will exhibit al in your horse’s gastrointestinal tract a wrinkled lip and nostril flair that is moves more slowly than usual leading Signs of Colic characteristic of pain. Your horse may to a “backup “of ingesta. Dehydration The way each horse exhibits ab- also have a decreased appetite. Signs and loss of electrolytes are major con- dominal pain will vary. Some horses that your horse has a more severe tributing factors that lead to this type are more sensitive than others and will problem include a lack of response to of colic. display a more overt pain response. Banamine, and violent rolling, espe- Horses that do this may be young, a cially if he has damaged the skin of his sensitive breed (Arabians and Thor- eyelids or head while trying to rid him- [continued next page] Decker Dispatch 7 Prevention of Colic Air Quality is Key Keeping your horse hydrated is the Traveling with vents open is im- SBFC Volunteer Projects most important thing you can do to portant for controlling both air qual- 2018 prevent colic. Offer water during lon- ity and temperature. Fresh air flow is The Selway Bitterroot Frank ger trips, if feasible. Make sure your critical to reduce ammonia. Ammonia Church Foundation has the following horse has access to water before setting build-up from urine results in damage volunteer opportunities available this out, and immediately upon arrival. to the cells that line the respiratory field season. Please contact Sue Web- Avoid sudden feeding changes. tract, thus increasing the risk of pneu- ster for more information at 208-861- Acclimate your horse to the pellets monia. 2010 or swebster@selwaybitterroot. or cubes he will be eating on the trail Shavings on the floor are not a org. while at home. Access to salt or elec- good idea, especially in open trailers trolytes is important. If the horse has – the dust and particles harm the re- Upper Middle Fork Trail Wild & Scenic refused to drink, or has a reduced fecal spiratory tract. On the subject of par- Rivers Act 50th Anniversary Cele- output, feeding him soaked roughage ticles, if a hay bag is hung, wetting it bration can help. down will drastically reduce the dust Dates: June 26-July 1 that it emits. Trailhead: Boundary Creek; Salm- Veterinary Evaluation and Treat- on-Challis National Forest ment of Colic Treating Respiratory Illness Standard of care is to adminis- The most important factor in suc- Annual St. Mary’s Peak Trail ter Banamine (flunixin meglumine), cessful treatment is early recognition - Dates: July 6-8 which can be given either in the vein watch for coughing, nasal discharge, or Trailhead: St. Mary’s Peak; Bitterroot or orally. Your veterinarian should do general malaise. National Forest an examination per rectum to try to Treatment will be specific to your palpate the reachable portions of the horse’s problem. It is likely to include ICT Marble Creek Part 1 gastrointestinal organs. If we identify anti-inflammatories and antibiotics. Dates: July 25-31 abnormalities, then the problem can The good news is that with early inter- Trailhead: TBA be more specifically addressed. vention, the majority of horses make a The majority of time, your veteri- full recovery. ICT Marble Creek Part 2 narian will also give your horse water Dates: August 22-28 through a stomach tube. A cathartic Summary Trailhead: Thunder Mountain; Payette such as epsom salts, electrolytes, or Trailering horses means we are National Forest mineral oil may be administered with able to explore all corners of Montana, the water. and occasionally other states. Driv- East Moose Creek Trail Veterinarians will then advise you ers should be confident, and the trail- Dates: August 21-26 how to modify your feeding and exer- er should be in good working order. Trailhead: Twin Lakes; Bitterroot Na- cise routine to help resolve the colic. Maintaining good hydration and air tional Forest (Trail #421 is techni- Most colicking horses will normalize quality are critical for preventing ill- cally on the Nez in just a day or two with this treatment. ness. Long-distance travel can be espe- Perce-Clearwater National Forest) cially hard for horses to endure. Stop- Harrington Ridge Trail Respiratory Disease in Traveling ping for breaks is important to you as the driver, as well as to your horse’s Dates: September 3-10 Horses health. Happy Trails! Trailhead: Salmon Mountain; Bitter- Horses that travel are at high risk root National Forest of developing respiratory diseases. Stacie G. Boswell, DVM, DACVS Make sure your horses are vaccinated is an equine veterinarian now based Annual Stanley Hot Springs to prevent Influenza and Rhinopneu- at Hardaway Veterinary Hospital in Dates: September 5-9 monitis (caused by a Herpes virus). Belgrade, Montana. She and her hus- Trailhead: Boulder Creek Trail; Nez There is a variation in the severi- band, Sid, recently moved here from Perce-Clearwater National Forest ty of respiratory illnesses. It can be as New Mexico. They have been active simple as a virus, where your horse members of Back Country Horsemen has a runny nose for a few days, a fe- of America for the past four years. ver for less than 24 hours, and recovers She can be reached at stacieboswell@ quickly. The worst case scenario is that gmail.com a horse develops “shipping fever” or pleuropneumonia, a serious infection that may threaten your horse’s life. Recovery can take months, and may leave long-term airway deficits.

8 Decker Dispatch Charlie Russell Back Country Horsemen Meet & Greet Picnic By Kelli Rohloff, Charlie Russell Back Country Horsemen On Saturday, April 28th, the Char- lie Russell chapter hosted a Meet & Greet picnic in State Park in Great Falls. The idea to do a picnic in the park came up this winter as we discussed new ideas for our year- ly membership drive. The goal of our event was to offer educational stations, a BBQ lunch and a chance for potential members to visit with members and learn about Back Country Horsemen. We provided demonstrations on camp set up, saddle bag necessities, packing techniques, dutch oven cooking and cross cut saw use. We invited the For- est Service to join us and they sent a representative to speak on bear aware- ness and bear safety. We had a beautiful sunny day with temperatures reaching 80 degrees! It was the perfect day to spend outside visiting with fellow horsemen. A steady flow of guests stopped by and everyone enjoyed each of our demonstrations. Guests really enjoyed the ability to practice some hands-on skills with the crosscut saw and tying mantie loads. A great day was had by all and everyone left with handfuls of informative hand- outs. This picnic gave our chapter a lot of exposure and we gained a few more members by the end of the day! A com- mon phrase we heard was that locals had heard of Back Country Horsemen, but were not exactly sure what we did or how to get involved. This is a great reminder of how we need to be active in our communities and continue to strive to reach potential members.

Decker Dispatch 9 BCH Flathead puts on a packing clinic with Smoke Elser and the North Valley Eagles By Greg and Deborah Schatz, Back Country Horsemen of the Flathead. Thank you to Annette Geyer-Leverington for the great photos. In the first part of March a friend all of the trimmings provid- 1 of ours who bartends at the North ed by the Eagles Auxiliary Valley Eagles in Columbia Falls called and there was also a silent and said the bartenders were having auction which went on most a competition to see who could raise of the day. The auction items the most money for a local non-prof- were collected by the North it. Allisha asked if the Back Country Valley Eagles with all of the Horsemen of the Flathead could be her proceeds of both fund rais- non-profit. ers going to the Back Coun- We had already invited Smoke to try Horsemen of the Flat- come up and put on a packing clin- head. ic for us. With his decades of packing After dinner the music experience and good stories, he always was provided by Sonny King. draws a good crowd. So we decided to Of course, Allisha won have our packing clinic in the parking the contest in a landslide 2 lot of the North Valley Eagles. They are and we would like to thank located on Highway 2 coming in to Co- the North Valley Eagles for lumbia Falls, so we had great visibility their support. for the event. The packing clinic was 3 free to anyone who wanted to attend. After Smoke gave his packing presentation, we had hands-on mantying and loading stock for anyone who wanted to participate. After the packing was done, we had a pig roast with 4

Photos: 1] June Burgau shows how to sling a load. 2] Stu Sorensen ex- plains how to tie the sling rope. 3] Smoke Elser entertains the crowd. 4] June Burgau explains mantying 101. 5] Stu Sorensen’s spotted horse was a crowd favorite. 6] What can you pack? Almost anything! 7] Part of the crowd. 5

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10 Decker Dispatch 7

Meeting a Horse on the Trail By Ken Brown, Vice President and Issues Chairman, Back Country Horsemen of Missoula Below is information we put on a small plastic card, front and back, to give to hiker and bikers. We have our members but also Forest Service, other BCH chapters, Foundation, Montana Wilderness Associa- tion and the Tennessee Walker Enthusiast of Montana (TWEAM) giving them out as a way to educate the public. I thought other chapters/states might want to use them.

Meeting a Horse on the Trail Volunteer Packing for the What to do when you meet a horse/rider on the trail BMWF • Horses have the right of way – yield to them. The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation is looking for experienced • Stop, get off your bike and stand still. packers with stock (horses, mules or • Speak up and let them know you are there, especially if you are coming from llamas) to pack food, tools, and gear behind the horse. It identifies you as a human, not an animal that wants to for volunteer projects. There are still eat them. a few projects that need packers for • On a narrow trail, step off on the down side of the trail: the 2018 field season. Volunteer pack support is an integral part in the work o Give the horse plenty of room. Horses may kick with their hind or the Foundation does. Packers help us strike with their front legs if they feel threatened. educate our volunteers about the im- portance of traditional stock use in o Prey animals attack from above. Horses feel safer with people below them. the Bob while assisting in the main- tenance of public lands and ensuring o If the horse becomes frightened it could spook and may run away these lands stay open to private stock from you. use. While packing for Foundation It is easier/safer for the rider to stay on a horse going uphill. trips, volunteer packers are considered o USFS volunteers and are covered un- o If in a group, all the riders need to be on the same side of the trail. der USFS workers comp during that time. • Stay in full view of the horse. Don’t hide behind a tree or bush. They don’t like sneaky. Please consider joining us! See the BMWF schedule at: http:// • Wait for instructions from the rider on what to do. www.bmwf.org/packers • Do not try to pet the horse unless you have permission from the rider. • If on a bridge. Get off the bridge to let the horse/rider pass you safely. Don’t get smucked! Adapted from: an article by Appalachian Mountain Bike Club, a mountain bicyclist club, Blue Ridge Trail Riders, Inc., an equestrian club; and Harvey Broome Group of the Tennessee Chapter of the Sierra Club, conservation and hiking club; by Ginny Fay & Tom Brigham, Missoula, Montana, May 30, 2017. Summarized by Ken Brown, Back Country Horsemen of Missoula.

Decker Dispatch 11 NONPROFIT ORG Back Country Horsemen of Montana U.S. POSTAGE 2130 9th Street W. #109 PAID Columbia Falls, MT 59912 BUTTE MT PERMIT NO 593

A Busy Summer Ahead at Swift Dam Trailhead By LeAnn Hermance, East Slope Back Country Horsemen The Swift Dam Trailhead Camp- of the trail, it will cut off miles of having to go ground is where ESBCH refers to as around through Tubby Creek and Blind Creek our home base. We have improved the to get into the back country. campground with highlines, signage, Forest fires in 2015 (Family Peak fire), and upgrades to the trail, improved the 2017 (Strawberry Creek fire), burned large por- bridge, and painted the building. We tions of vegetation. Runoff from snow melt has are also looking for a grant to replace taken out parts of various trails and one plastic the outhouse. Visitors at the camp- culvert was burned out. Our main projects will ground have mentioned to us that be to repair this damage and to see what dam- this is one of the best primitive camp- age will be caused by the snow melt this year. grounds they’ve been to. Comments Bears are also out of the dens, so please from one of the campers was the hike make sure you have bear spray and know the around Swift Dam is similar to hiking proper use technique. in Glacier Park, without the people. We We invite everyone to come visit us. also do our annual fundraising Poker Ride out of the campground, this year it will be Sunday, August 5th. This year, we are looking at rees- tablishing a historic trail for better access into the back country. The trail was surveyed in 1907 and 1914 and parts of it are still visible today. On the map, the trail will connect trail 105 to trail 121 at Hungry Man Creek. This project is in cooperation with the Forest Service and Fish, Wildlife and Parks. In reestablishing this portion 12 Decker Dispatch Web Extra Page Montanans express overwhelming support for public lands in University of Montana survey ROB CHANEY [email protected] May 10, 2018 Updated May 10, 2018

The University of Montana 2018 most half visit their public lands 10 ness and recreation areas northeast of Public Lands Survey showed wide, times or more a year, and one-third do Missoula also got strong support from bipartisan appreciation for the state’s so 20 or more times. That’s almost the the poll. It found 68 percent of Re- wild places. highest participation of any state in the publicans, 74 percent of Independents “The takeaway for me is, support country.” and 78 percent of Democrats favored for policy to protect public land is go- Three-quarters of Montanans the bill. That support was virtually un- ing up, not down,” said Rick Graetz, di- backed creating a new national monu- changed from the same question asked rector of UM’s Crown of the Continent ment protecting the Badger-Two Med- in 2016, when 74 percent of overall Greater Yellowstone Initiative, which icine area south of the Blackfeet Indian voters approved of the legislation from commissioned the survey. “That’s true Reservation and Glacier National Park. Tester, a Democrat. on both sides of the aisle. Democrats, That included two out of three Repub- Read the entire article at: http:// Republicans and Independents all see licans and three out of four Democrats missoulian.com/news/local/mon- the value of it. That wasn’t true even and Independents who participated in tanans-express-overwhelming-sup- 10 years ago when we started our pro- the poll. port-for-public-lands-in-universi- gram.” Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke ty-of/article_742150a9-6c8a-53e9- The poll found four out of five originally proposed such a monument b416-686806744f77.html Montanans considered public lands at the same time he recommended The poll surveyed 500 Montana an economic benefit to the state, while reducing acreage in several other ex- registered voters, with equal num- just 3 percent said their presence hurt isting monuments such as Bears Ears bers of Republicans, Independents the economy. and Grand Staircase-Escalante, both and Democrats. It has a margin of er- “Montanans use national public in Utah. ror of 4.38 percent. Full results may lands on a very frequent basis,” said Sen. Jon Tester’s proposed Black- be found at crown-yellowstone.umt. David Metz, a Democratic pollster who foot-Clearwater Stewardship Act des- edu/documents/surveys/UM_State- co-led the bipartisan survey team. “Al- ignating about 70,000 acres of wilder- wide-Survey_2018_Results.pdf.

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