I already posted this on general discussion but didn't have any luck and thought maybe it be better on this thread.
Anyone else use mules or horses to cover ground to hunt gobblers? We're located in Va. it isn't just a way to hunt in the west. on average depending on how many birds we hunt or if we get to hunt or set up on any we can travel 5-15 miles before lunch of national forest land. Keep riding cutting ridges and riding mountain and ridge tops until you find a hot bird ready to be worked. When you find one ride within several hundred yards of the bird then get off tie them up and then close the remaining couple hundred yards on foot. If you kill him great but if you don't guess what you don't have to walk back to the truck with your tail tucked between your legs. just get on and ride back.
We also use them for deer hunting to get way back in on national forest land where no one else walks to. That's where the old big'ens live.
Here is a bird I called into my dad pictured with the bird roughly a 2 hour walk on foot. We made it there in under 30 minutes on the mules.
Jasper one of our Mules. We prefer Mules over horses in the mountains because they are more sure footed, strong, confident, and can go all day.