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If I’m planning a backcountry outing I try to utilize National Forest that is closed to off-road vehicles.  That’s because the sound and smell of an off-road vehicle such as an ATV has been proven to cause animals, like elk and deer, to abandon an area completely and head for inaccessible areas such as private land or wilderness areas.  Although there are several factors at play such as terrain and forage, most animals will avoid roads for a distance of at least 2 miles. Burros are great for what I do. I can get into the wilderness without disturbing the...

We’re happy to announce that Original ATV and Mountain Ridge Gear will have a booth at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s Hunter Christmas Expo, presented by Cabela’s!  The expo, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center on December 4-7, is the place to check out the latest and greatest in firearms, archery, hunting gear, hunting seminars, and lots more!  We’ll have all of our gear on display at the booth, and OATV/MRG owner Eric Lynn will be on hand to answer questions and show you all of our products.  Stop by and see us!

Please enjoy my videos and add a comment below to let me know what you like. XL Hunting Pannier Pannier Weight Test Picketing Portable Corral Mantie Tie Burro Packing Diamond Hitch (One Man) Picketwire Canyon Paul's Elk Hunt Levi's Colorado Elk Hunt 2013  

I prefer wilderness areas in the back country of Colorado to hunt, fish and spend quality time. That is because I enjoy the remoteness and lack of mechanized modes of travel. As I get up in years my old football injuries and years of treating my body like an amusement park are making it harder to carry a 60 pound pack for a week-long archery elk hunt. A few years ago I was heading down the trail, deep in the West Elk Wilderness. As I made the long trek back to the trail-head, several groups of folks on horseback passed me. I must have looked pretty pitiful with my big pack and carrying my bow because they would say, “you need a horse”. After the third person mentioned my need for a pack animal I began to get a little irritated. As I plodded along I decided the next person who stated the obvious was going to get some snarky remarks from yours truly. I stopped to take a water break and as I sat there on an aspen log wiping the sweat from my brow and rubbing my throbbing knee I began to realize they might have a point.

My family and I loaded up the burros and headed down south of La Junta to Vogel Canyon Picnic area. Vogel Canyon is a tributary of the Purgatorie River Drainage that cuts through the Comanche National Grassland and is a beautiful place with an abundance of petroglyphs within 1.5 miles of the camp that date back 5,500 years. Thursday morning after breakfast we loaded up the burros and gear and drove 15 minutes to the Picketwire Canyon trailhead. The temps were supposed to be in the 90’s and we had a 12 mile round trip ahead of us. We brought...