Hello TJ, hopefully you can find some assistance with what I've written here.
I've been using a packdog for some time now, both in multi-day backpack hunting/hiking trips, and on the trapline during the winter. Other than the obvious companionship that a dog brings, their ability to pack heavy loads over long distances is invaluable, especially for someone who hunts alone as I often do. Anyone who has packed meat out after harvesting their animal can appreciate the ability to lighten your own pack by 30 lbs or more, and potentially bring all your meat out in one trip which reduces the risk of spoiled meat should it need to be left overnight. As well, their footprint, or impact on the environment is very minimal compared to other pack animals used by hunters, such as horses. A few horses can graze off & destroy vegetation, and disturb the sod/soil especially in wet conditions. They can also introduce foreign plants into an area through their manure. Dogs on the other hand, will pack their own food & water, and pack out any garbage or waste that you might have which removes the need to burn your garbage in the backcountry. My dog also packs supplies, bait, traps, etc for my trapping activities in the winter. This keeps the cost of operating a snowmobile to a minimum and also reduces emissions produced from burning gasoline/oil required to run a snowmobile.
Another great asset of a packdog is their awareness of bears in the area. Having my dog along on hunts has kept me out of possible conflicts with bears on quite a few occasions. My dog is a Rottweiler/Bullmastiff cross, and an excellent guard dog. His keen sense of smell and hearing has warned me of bears in the vicinity many times, thus preventing a surprise encounter which in turn keeps me safe, and reduces the chance of a bear being put down in a self defence situation. One recent encounter that comes to mind was with a sow grizzly bear and cubs. I was gathering up some water bottles before heading down to a nearby creek, when my dog jumped up and gave a few low growls, and began sniffing the wind with his nose toward the creek. I peeked over the edge of the draw through the timber to see a very mature sow grizzly with cubs coming up the creek not 40 yards away. Had it not been for the dog, I would have walked square into that old sow without knowing until we were face to face. That is just one example of many - I've had bears come in while sitting and glassing, while taking a nap during the day, while in my tent at night, and also when caping/de-boning a downed animal getting ready to pack it out. My dog never fails to warn me of their presence long before I would be aware of it, which I feel is one of the most effective ways to reduce conflict with bears.
One issue that gets mentioned with regard to taking dogs in the backcountry is the potential to chase game animals. Packdogs should generally be kept on a leash unless crossing difficult terrain, and as well they should have strict training against chasing other animals. Most hunters who hunt with packdogs have extremely well trained/well behaved dogs as we will spend countless hours training and keeping our dogs fit for packing. One does not simply throw a pack on the family dog and go for a 14 day hunt on a whim - it takes a lot of effort on the owners part, and the result is a dog that is trained and suitable to be in the backcountry.
To not allow the use of packdogs is foolish and unnecessary in my opinion, as the benefits far outweigh any negative aspects. My dog comes along on just about every hunting/hiking trip I do, and has kept me out of trouble many times. Not only with preventing bear conflict as I mentioned, but he's also packed an incredible amount of my own gear after I was injured during a stone's sheep hunt - all told around 30 extra lbs of food and gear that I would have left behind otherwise, as my injured knee could not support a full pack for the hike out. He has also led me down off of a mountain by following our backtrail in the dark when I got into a bad situation, which basically kept me from having to spend the night soaked in cold weather, with no light or ability to start a fire. Situations like that are what bring you to appreciate what a good dog can add to your outdoor adventures.
I plan on many more years of hunting & hiking with my dog packing alongside me, and hope that more outdoorsmen and women will find interest in it as well.
T. Serle
Fraser Lake, British Columbia
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