Last October, the team from Backcountry BC and Beyond took a string of horses into the mountains for a moose hunt. They came out with a moose — and one more horse than they went in with.
Horses don’t typically give birth in late fall, but accidents do happen. While hunting moose in the backcountry of the Yukon, one hunting camp woke up to a pack mare named Princess giving birth to a very late-season colt.
This two-video series begins with the origin story of Joey, a cream-colored palomino colt born deep in the heart of the Canadian backcountry. But the challenge lies in the second video, “The Trail Out.” A 3-day trail out from their hunting camp requires the one-day-old colt to be packed on horseback, by humans on a Stone Glacier pack frame, and on his own volition.
It’s hard to not appreciate the natural toughness of Joey, the resourcefulness of professional guide Dustin Roe and his crew, and the sheer intensity of the landscape as this team navigates the high country with a newborn in tow.
Watch the first part of the “Joey: A Colt Is Born” series here
