Loved the video! Cool country. We hunt the Gila most years but that’s up in 16A and 16D. My family used to have the Pueblo Creek Ranch west of Reserve.
Great video and story, would love to make a trip to the gila but being 74 years old living here in the Ozarks well probably not be able to.... thanks again for the great video
Loved it, but I'm 84 now and crippled. My fishing days are over, but I've got the memories! Some backpack into the wilderness, but Mr. Lee is doing it right, horses and a pack train!
I lived on the GOS in 1965-67 something like that I love hearing stories about it I wish I would’ve listened more as a kid my step grandpa was Hub Estes and grandma was Boots Estes they owned it for a while
My daughter has played collegiate softball for WNMU the past 2 seasons and graduates this Friday and Silver City and the Gila are my family's homelands....
Been there many times, fished in Lake Roberts and just below the spillway that becomes part of Sapillo Creek. Trout collect there, trying to jump up the falling water to get into the lake to spawn. I was fishing there with my kids, and my young son was exploring down the creek. He came running. back and asked to borrow my hand net, claiming he'd spotted a fish in the creek. Minnor something, right? But no! He came back with a 12" rainbow!
Enjoyed your video and the storie of old Ben Lilly. Read the book on him a long time ago. It bring back memory. I have mules go down but never like that. but that a mule, his way .
ty: Now I remember why I told you that something you stated was wrong. Chain saws are not allowed to be used in fire supression in wilderness areas, regardless! But my crews ( I was supervisor of the trails rehab in the Missionary Ridge Fire in the San Juans) and I could use ampho and kennapec (sp) explosives to remove hazard trees proximate to the trail corridors.
The way the policy is written is interpreted differently between districts. I agree that everyone should play by the same rules but fire crews use chainsaws all the time in the Gila to fight fires and clear the trail for access to the fire. (I’ve even packed chainsaws for them) They aren’t allowed to use them if they aren’t going to a fire. This is the same policy they use to land helicopters in the wilderness. I remember a few years ago they were going to clear some log jams in the weminuche and San Juan’s but this wasn’t about fires and it got shut down.
Just found your video Ty,......I've hunted the edge of the Gila up north of T or C. Close to Vick's Peak several times over the years for Mule deer. Not as many cats there as one would think since it's cat territory I'd say. Good many bear around there though. Saw the biggest one I've ever seen on the side of the mountain above us.....absolute giant old Boar, hardly had any ears left. We hunt Bear and Hog in TN and GA with dogs. I sure enjoyed this video and I'm gonna watch more of yours tomorrow. Thanks for sharing this.
The bear numbers are really high in the Gila. You will see some big ones occasionally but for the most part they aren’t as big as other places around the country. There is a healthy cat population but as you were saying not as many as you would think. Thanks for commenting.
@@Makingitwild I bet she appreciates it too. Your getting her too hot and she lays down to cool off. You cant make a mule hurt itself, aint going to happen.
Some good stories about Ben Lilly enjoyed that .. I'm about to post a video podcast on my other channel where Dale Lee tells some pretty good stories about him .. (any relation to Dale Lee?) . .. Mules don't you just love them lol
I’m looking forward to listening to that. Thank you for posting all those recordings of Dale Lee. My granddads name was Dale Lee but not the same one. He floated between Reserve and Hillsboro during the time of the Lee brothers (doing ranch work) so there is a good chance we’re related somehow but it would be distant if at all.
Mule Tamales I heard aren't too bad 😂 Yah, Ben Lilly was quite a character. Pretty sure I went to school with some of the Smiths in Silver. Great video
Wow I never seen a mule or horse do that unless they were foundering. Usually if you can’t get them up they die. I really enjoyed watching your video. I have packed and hunted many times in that area. It’s been about 40 years since but it was really good to see it again. Thanks for the great story.JR
I have turkey hunted this area. We did pretty good, too. Didn’t make it all the way into the wilderness because we didn’t have to, but I want to go back and do it again one year.
Enjoyed your video! Accurate information. Have you heard of Nat straw? Contemporary of Ole Ben. Nat lived the same, killed many bear and cat's, was very well liked, clean, and known for kind conversation but he roamed further North in the Gila. Check his story out.
I enjoy stories about Nat Straw. He liked to talk to people so there are a lot of stories from him floating around. There is a good book written about him that has a lot of interesting information about him. In a similar video to this one I talk about him. I don’t spend very much time talking about Nat in the video but if you’re into those kind of guys, check out the west fork video and you might find those stories interesting.
The icon isn’t my brand. It’s just my initials but I check ever time brands expire to see if it’s renewed. There are a couple that are similar that are registered but someone else already has it.
the Gila ... the wilderness is colossal and the tom cats are ripped with steroids. 200 pounders all claws and teeth. Intimidating up close and personal. Take a hike thru that area ... those cats see you first. Good Luck on your Hike .. do'nt forget your girl friend.
I bet the deer, elk and every other animal could smell Ben Lilly coming for miles. How could be you in the woods all the time and not be odiferous and smelly to high heaven?
For trips like this one it’s no big deal to let them rest but most of the time I don’t have the time to deal with them. She was a good mule other than that but I found her a new home within a few days. They won’t be working her very hard.
Ty - your mule is too old to be packing for you on those rough, up-and-down trails. I could tell she's too old because of all the white hair on her face and body. Come on! Would you force your grandmother to carry a pack up and down those rough trails and ridges? I could tell that your mule is too old and suffering from what looks like bad arthritis by the way she was trying to get up after she laid down in that creek. Retire her and go buy yourself another younger mule and you won't have those problems.
lots of cats in that area .. Lily knew that obviously. The Gila ... the wilderness is colossal and the tom cats are ripped with steroids. 200 pounders all claws and teeth. Intimidating up close and personal. Take a hike thru that area ... fyi > those cats are watching you. Good Luck on your Hike .. do'nt forget to take your girl friend.
How Sweet It Is just imagine how sweet it was back in those days when you can travel the country with packs of dogs and mules and go anywhere you wanted can you imagine the natural beauty in the way things were it's hard to imagine but I can smell it right now the Juniper the sage and the Big Timber that used to be around the ancient stuff the Indian Indian camps excetera in the adversity of game you know what I'm trying to say! Just Close Your Eyes it was definitely a different world back before folks came in and changed everywhere
@@markeverson5849 it would be nice to go back. You can still go and roam free but we’ve created a world for ourselves where we are tied down with bills, taxes, and insurance so we can’t just wander for months at a time like they did back then.
@@Makingitwild not only that! there's a real chance of getting robbed blind nowadays while you're away . I used to leave my homesteads for 6 months or a year! at a time ! and everything was fine. a couple of times people walked away with stuff . and generally I assumed it was someone I knew. I built a homestead in Arkansas in the Ozarks up Brushy Creek and had it for 20 years on a half of 40 it was off grid and nobody messed with that! it's best to keep your little cabin or Homestead site off the road and behind trees or Hills where people cannot see it. they hardly even know you're there after 20 years! I also Homestead in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula Michigan wilderness .I lived all over out west did a lot of wandering in the bush. Thinking about just getting rid of most of what I have and going on the road with my old 97 Dodge Cummins with a camper and a trailer behind and waking up to a new place often in the National Forest. I'd rather die that way than being tied down here where I have no friends and have been abandoned by the wife for 14 years already:-) Jesus is coming
I enjoyed seeing your video. I used to go to the mouth of the Sapillo on picnics during the summer. I lived in Hurley at the time.
Man, I love local history... Thank you so much for sharing!
Loved the video! Cool country. We hunt the Gila most years but that’s up in 16A and 16D. My family used to have the Pueblo Creek Ranch west of Reserve.
Thanks. I really like that area up around reserve but don’t get up there very often.
Great video and story, would love to make a trip to the gila but being 74 years old living here in the Ozarks well probably not be able to.... thanks again for the great video
Thanks. I haven’t spent much time in the Ozarks but it’s always intrigued me with the history there.
Loved it, but I'm 84 now and crippled. My fishing days are over, but I've got the memories!
Some backpack into the wilderness, but Mr. Lee is doing it right, horses and a pack train!
I lived on the GOS in 1965-67 something like that I love hearing stories about it I wish I would’ve listened more as a kid my step grandpa was Hub Estes and grandma was Boots Estes they owned it for a while
My daughter has played collegiate softball for WNMU the past 2 seasons and graduates this Friday and Silver City and the Gila are my family's homelands....
That’s great. Tell her congratulations. Best of luck on the next chapter.
This is so great Ty.... Man keep it up...
Been there many times, fished in Lake Roberts and just below the spillway that becomes part of Sapillo Creek. Trout collect there, trying to jump up the falling water to get into the lake to spawn.
I was fishing there with my kids, and my young son was exploring down the creek. He came running. back and asked to borrow my hand net, claiming he'd spotted a fish in the creek. Minnor something, right? But no! He came back with a 12" rainbow!
Those are great memories to have. It’s hard to beat days like that.
Enjoyed your video and the storie of old Ben Lilly. Read the book on him a long time ago. It bring back memory. I have mules go down but never like that. but that a mule, his way .
Thanks. It’s not worth it to keep a mule like that around.
ty: Now I remember why I told you that something you stated was wrong. Chain saws are not allowed to be used in fire supression in wilderness areas, regardless! But my crews ( I was supervisor of the trails rehab in the Missionary Ridge Fire in the San Juans) and I could use ampho and kennapec (sp) explosives to remove hazard trees proximate to the trail corridors.
The way the policy is written is interpreted differently between districts. I agree that everyone should play by the same rules but fire crews use chainsaws all the time in the Gila to fight fires and clear the trail for access to the fire. (I’ve even packed chainsaws for them) They aren’t allowed to use them if they aren’t going to a fire. This is the same policy they use to land helicopters in the wilderness. I remember a few years ago they were going to clear some log jams in the weminuche and San Juan’s but this wasn’t about fires and it got shut down.
@@Makingitwild I use 80v battery powered chain saws in the back country.
Great video and history
Thanks.
Just found your video Ty,......I've hunted the edge of the Gila up north of T or C. Close to Vick's Peak several times over the years for Mule deer. Not as many cats there as one would think since it's cat territory I'd say. Good many bear around there though. Saw the biggest one I've ever seen on the side of the mountain above us.....absolute giant old Boar, hardly had any ears left. We hunt Bear and Hog in TN and GA with dogs. I sure enjoyed this video and I'm gonna watch more of yours tomorrow. Thanks for sharing this.
The bear numbers are really high in the Gila. You will see some big ones occasionally but for the most part they aren’t as big as other places around the country. There is a healthy cat population but as you were saying not as many as you would think. Thanks for commenting.
I think it’s time to trade her in for a new model!!! Great video and thanks for sharing.
Thanks. It didn’t take long for me to find her a new home.
@@Makingitwild I bet she appreciates it too. Your getting her too hot and she lays down to cool off. You cant make a mule hurt itself, aint going to happen.
Some good stories about Ben Lilly enjoyed that .. I'm about to post a video podcast on my other channel where Dale Lee tells some pretty good stories about him .. (any relation to Dale Lee?) . .. Mules don't you just love them lol
I’m looking forward to listening to that. Thank you for posting all those recordings of Dale Lee. My granddads name was Dale Lee but not the same one. He floated between Reserve and Hillsboro during the time of the Lee brothers (doing ranch work) so there is a good chance we’re related somehow but it would be distant if at all.
Mule Tamales I heard aren't too bad 😂
Yah, Ben Lilly was quite a character.
Pretty sure I went to school with some of the Smiths in Silver.
Great video
Mule tamales is worth a try.
Wow I never seen a mule or horse do that unless they were foundering. Usually if you can’t get them up they die. I really enjoyed watching your video. I have packed and hunted many times in that area. It’s been about 40 years since but it was really good to see it again. Thanks for the great story.JR
It’s not very common for them to lay down that long unless something is really wrong with them. I got rid of her a couple days after this trip.
One of these days id like to try and come over from that lower bear mountain rd area and cross over to greenwood cnyn!!
I have turkey hunted this area. We did pretty good, too. Didn’t make it all the way into the wilderness because we didn’t have to, but I want to go back and do it again one year.
There are always a lot of turkeys on the Sapillo. You’re right though you don’t need to go down that far.
I liked!
Ben Lilly hunting grounds was more.on the blue river, he did alot of hunting in N.M. to I'm a distant relative.
It’s amazing how much country he covered at his age. He hunted all over.
Hi, Do you know Brett from "Born 100 years to late" He rides all over that area. Maybe you guys could team up and ride together. Just an idea.
I enjoy his videos. We go to a lot of the same places but I’ve never ran into him in person.
Enjoyed your video! Accurate information. Have you heard of Nat straw? Contemporary of Ole Ben. Nat lived the same, killed many bear and cat's, was very well liked, clean, and known for kind conversation but he roamed further North in the Gila. Check his story out.
I enjoy stories about Nat Straw. He liked to talk to people so there are a lot of stories from him floating around. There is a good book written about him that has a lot of interesting information about him. In a similar video to this one I talk about him. I don’t spend very much time talking about Nat in the video but if you’re into those kind of guys, check out the west fork video and you might find those stories interesting.
Nat straw apparently was one of the last to kill Jaguars in the Gila, one near Hoyt Creek and another up high near Snow Park
@@billhillify4924 I’ve heard that. I don’t think it was ever confirmed but I don’t see why it wouldn’t be true.
What’s it mean for a mule to be “stove up”?
Just stiff from laying down. Same as when you sleep on the ground and the next morning it takes some time to stretch and get moving.
You can call that mule Missouri elk and eat it LOL
You might want to keep that mule at home. It appears unable to handle trips like this.
Lmao that mule knows where to make camp and rest lol😂
@@hatcherhollerhoodlum4418 she picks the spot and sticks to it.
Is your Brand registered?
The icon isn’t my brand. It’s just my initials but I check ever time brands expire to see if it’s renewed. There are a couple that are similar that are registered but someone else already has it.
@@Makingitwild That's because it's mine, in a different state though! 😄 Love the videos. Thanks.
@@chippyhacky it’s a good one.
I guess he never read the ox in the ditch verse.
I guess not. It’s pretty funny
What state is this in?
New Mexico
the Gila ... the wilderness is colossal and the tom cats are ripped with steroids. 200 pounders all claws and teeth. Intimidating up close and personal. Take a hike thru that area ... those cats see you first. Good Luck on your Hike .. do'nt forget your girl friend.
The spelling you put (sapillo) means little toad
Sapio is a toad!
I bet the deer, elk and every other animal could smell Ben Lilly coming for miles. How could be you in the woods all the time and not be odiferous and smelly to high heaven?
I’ve always wondered if he smelled so bad for so long if he stopped smelling bad. I bet he smelled just like his dogs.
She's tired she'll get up when she isn't so tired. I have a man that'll take her. Jim BCC AZ
For trips like this one it’s no big deal to let them rest but most of the time I don’t have the time to deal with them. She was a good mule other than that but I found her a new home within a few days. They won’t be working her very hard.
Ty - your mule is too old to be packing for you on those rough, up-and-down trails. I could tell she's too old because of all the white hair on her face and body. Come on! Would you force your grandmother to carry a pack up and down those rough trails and ridges? I could tell that your mule is too old and suffering from what looks like bad arthritis by the way she was trying to get up after she laid down in that creek. Retire her and go buy yourself another younger mule and you won't have those problems.
Thank you for your concern. There is a lot more to the story but I passed her off to the next person right after this trip.
lots of cats in that area .. Lily knew that obviously. The Gila ... the wilderness is colossal and the tom cats are ripped with steroids. 200 pounders all claws and teeth. Intimidating up close and personal. Take a hike thru that area ... fyi > those cats are watching you. Good Luck on your Hike .. do'nt forget to take your girl friend.
They are definitely watching
How Sweet It Is just imagine how sweet it was back in those days when you can travel the country with packs of dogs and mules and go anywhere you wanted can you imagine the natural beauty in the way things were it's hard to imagine but I can smell it right now the Juniper the sage and the Big Timber that used to be around the ancient stuff the Indian Indian camps excetera in the adversity of game you know what I'm trying to say! Just Close Your Eyes it was definitely a different world back before folks came in and changed everywhere
@@markeverson5849 it would be nice to go back. You can still go and roam free but we’ve created a world for ourselves where we are tied down with bills, taxes, and insurance so we can’t just wander for months at a time like they did back then.
@@Makingitwild not only that! there's a real chance of getting robbed blind nowadays while you're away . I used to leave my homesteads for 6 months or a year! at a time ! and everything was fine. a couple of times people walked away with stuff . and generally I assumed it was someone I knew. I built a homestead in Arkansas in the Ozarks up Brushy Creek and had it for 20 years on a half of 40 it was off grid and nobody messed with that! it's best to keep your little cabin or Homestead site off the road and behind trees or Hills where people cannot see it. they hardly even know you're there after 20 years! I also Homestead in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula Michigan wilderness .I lived all over out west did a lot of wandering in the bush. Thinking about just getting rid of most of what I have and going on the road with my old 97 Dodge Cummins with a camper and a trailer behind and waking up to a new place often in the National Forest. I'd rather die that way than being tied down here where I have no friends and have been abandoned by the wife for 14 years already:-) Jesus is coming
@@markeverson5849 getting robbed is definitely a problem these days. It’s a crazy world we live in.