Animal Packer

Duties

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Packs on horses or mules; trail crews and equipment such as food, tents, and various tools such as crosscut saws, chainsaws, rock drills, rock bars, explosives, grip hoists, wheelbarrows and sleds.

Packs construction materials such as poles, cables, lumber, sand, gravel and bridge materials. Provide pack support for fire crews including food, water, saws, fuel, hoses and portable pumps.

Supports a variety of resource crews by packing netting, plant presses, screens and fragile survey equipment.

Selects the proper type of pack equipment for the loads to be packed.

Arranges animals and pack loads in the proper order when putting a string of animals together. Builds balanced loads using pack bags, slings, boxes, manty loads with sling ropes, pack racks, etc.

Ties multiple hitches (e.g. box, diamond, sling, etc.) as appropriate to the load.

Properly fits all types of riding saddles, pack saddles, and work harnesses to mules and horses.

Evaluates and responds to medical conditions and emergency situations safely for animals and humans. Acts as "Wilderness First Responder" for the animals, providing first aid as needed including administering shots and wound care.

Must be able to dispatch a horse or mule if necessary; safe use of restraints for doctoring, shoeing, training, or containment purposes.

Ascertains and assigns correct shoeing of horses and mules for working in a mountain environment.

Responsible for ranch and pasture management including the design, building, maintenance, and safety inspections of stock facilities.

Building and maintaining fences (including board, pipe, wire, and electric fencing).

Flood irrigation of native pastures and forage utilization monitoring of annual grassland pastures.

Operates ranch equipment such as a tractor with an auger to make post holes.

Pulls up to 24 foot gooseneck stock trailer and bumper-pull stock trailers to safely haul up to 8 head of stock on rugged mountain roads.

Hauls gear, equipment, supplies, and hay on flatbed trucks and trailers. Hauls tractors and equipment for other functions.

May spend up to 10 days camping in the wilderness utilizing Leave-No-Trace skills. Responsible for all animal care in wilderness settings.

Provides guidance and instructions to student or intern packers. Functions as their work leader on pack trips.

Teaches stock safety classes; puts on packing clinics and demonstrations for beginner, intermediate and advanced level students.

Trains firefighters, trail crews, wilderness rangers and volunteer groups how to work safely around pack stock.