From: Michael Leven
Sent: Saturday, September 12, 2009 3:10 AM
To: LANTISGUNSEL@aol.com
Subject: Yellowstone Trail Ride
Howdy Bob
It has been a month now since we were on the trail
with you in Yellowstone and I guess that fall is well on the way with you and the
Buffalo Round Up will be coming soon.
We all agree that our four days trail ride with you
was the high point of our two week trip to the Rockies. We reckon if you haven’t
been off the road you haven’t seen Yellowstone and what better way is there to get
off the road and onto the trail than on horseback. And we don’t believe that there
could be a better way to do that than with you and your team. We enjoyed it all:
the riding, the scenery, the camping the wildlife (Grizzly Bear from horseback
being a highlight), the food, the campfire (especially Mike) and the company of
yourself, Levi and Matt. We really got the feeling that sitting round the campfire
with your guitar and the cowboy songs and stories was ‘the real thing’ and it is
great that Levi and Matt are carrying on the tradition.
So a big thank you (and to Matt and Levi) from all
of us. We hope to see you on the trail again – Black Hills in June 2011 if all goes
well!
All our best wishes
Mike, Liz and Katie
9 – 4 - 08
Bob:
With great appreciation, the Boman family thanks you and Butch for the horses and
trail riding through canyons, rivers and Buffalo herds.
Also many thanks for the poems and cowboy songs that we enjoyed each evening around
the campfire.
Thanks for the cowboy stories and lessons you taught us working with the horses.
Again thanks Butch and Bob, Cowboys of the Black Hills and legends in our eyes and
memories.
Jerry Boman, Troy Boman, Tanner Boman, Tim Boman, (Thanks, Good times never forgotten),
Jeremy Feller, (Thanks ), Trevor Boman, Todd Boman.
South Dakota Buffalo
By
Rod Stevenson
I was reading Western horseman
On a Saturday after noon
Tellin about a South Dakota happening
And it’s happenin fairly soon.
It says they gather Buffalo
At Custer State Park in the fall
The public is invited
All you have to do is call.
They said call Gunsel Horse Adventures
Tell Bob Lantis when you call
You want to be horseback in South Dakota
Gatherin Buffalo in the fall.
Bob said bring your horse or ride mine
It’s up to you--- ya know
The great state of South Dakota
Will provide the Buffalo.
So I loads up my horses
And calls my cousin Steve
I says “they’re gatherin Buffalo in South Dakota
He says what time do we leave?
So, with the trailer behind my pickup
And my horses both in tow
We’re bound for South Dakota
Gonna stampede some Buffalo
We’ve rode the trails of this here park
Spent evenings around the fire,
Heard some really pretty singing
Cowboy poetry, cowboy smiles.
But the gatherin’s tomorrow
I can’t wait to see the show
The Great State of South Dakota
Gonna gather wild Buffalo
Buffalo Roundup Day
Doug Studer
4:15 comes mighty early, I think my bedroll wants me to stay,
But there’s no sleepin’ in when Bob sounds the horn, it’s Buffalo Roundup Day.
So we crawl outa bed and into our clothes, it feels like 20 below,
We tack up the horses and jump into trucks, to Bluebell Lodge we go.
We wolf down our grub and swallow some joe, there sure ain’t no time to dally,
It’s back down the road to French Creek Horse camp with the sun just peeking into
the valley.
We grab up our gear and get back to work, there still are horses to load,
Then we’re all set, it’s back in the trucks to head out on Lame Johnny Road.
We drive through the park and head to the pens, with 22 horses in tow,
Soon we’ll be riding the best seats in the house to watch riders move buffalo.
As the briefing gets started we all feel the pride, that’s Bob up there leading
the pack,
Looks like he, with his family and friends are the ones that keep this thing on
track.
The riders head out they’re split into teams with armbands of red white or blue,
They make their way out to the north, west and east all knowing what they need to
do.
As they ride out of sight it’s finally our turn, our horses seem anxious like us.
With Levi and Matt we ride up on the ridge feeling just like old Woodrow and Gus.
When we get to the top we pick out a spot, we see a small herd and some riders,
There’s more on the ridge just south of our hill, excitement is building inside
us.
With whip cracks and shouts it gets underway, the buffalo move all as one,
Even our horses stand with their ears cocked ahead all tensed up and ready to run.
They move down the valley we follow along wishing we were all down in the fray,
We ride ridge to ridge and keep them in sight least it’s better to watch it this
way.
When the crowd catches sight of the cowboys and buffs a roar can be heard all around,
As they charge toward the gates above all the cheers you can feel them rumble the
ground.
They’re mostly all through when a group breaks away and gallops back out to the
plains,
The riders give chase try to turn them toward home, our horses all tug at their
reins.
They bring ‘em back in and they rush through the gates to join their herd in the
pen,
Then the loudest cheer that you’d ever hear goes up for the last riders in.
Now I don’t believe I’ve ever seen such a sight, if I have well then I just can’t
say,
As the spectacle viewed by 10,000 or more that Buffalo Roundup Day.
Uncorked
Doug Studer, Gunsel Horse Adventures Guest
Buffalo Roundup Ride, 2008
Was a little more’n a year ago, when answering nature’s call,
I grabbed my Western Horseman and took it with me to the stall.
As I flipped through the magazine an article caught my eye,
And the more I read, the more I thought, I gotta call this Lantis guy.
So we came to South Dakota, hoped to see some buffalo,
Bob picked us up on Friday, that was the beginning of the show.
As we made our way to horse camp, I saw pens all full of buff,
I saw cows with calves and I saw bulls thinking “Man I love this stuff!”
When we made camp I saw the string with bays and paints and apps,
I saw the wranglers waiting there with their boots and spurs and chaps.
Then came Bob with his bright green list to see which horse we’d get,
My answer; “Well I’m a decent rider” became one I might regret.
They were saddling the horses so I thought I’d lend a hand,
But as I tried to saddle Corky, that horse just would not stand.
The more I tried the more he pawed and pulled and start to rear,
Bob came by and said “Let me try, I’ll get that bit in there.”
With some strong cowboy persuasion Corky finally took the bit,
I don’t think it was horse whisperin’, Bob just said, “I never quit.”
Well that was quite a show I thought, and wondered was it true,
Could this horse’s name be Corky, or just shortened from “Corkscrew”?
Bob rode him up into the woods, and then there was the sound,
Of branches thrashing and hooves on rocks, then Bob came riding down.
Bob said “Bruce, you got a horse? Today this one’s no count!”
And so I stood and waited while they decided on my mount.
When they worked it out they asked if I’d like Pepsi for my horse,
After all that I’d just witnessed, what else could I say, “Of course.”
Well it said that Coke’s the real thing, it’s said all across our nation,
But on that Friday afternoon I joined the Pepsi generation.
On Saturday we tried again, Bob bridled him on a loose line,
Corky and I rode on all day and we got along just fine.
On Sunday we went out again, all along French Creek,
It turned out riding Corky was the best part of my week.
Well I’ve learned a lot out on this trip, like don’t drink water where there’s beaver,
I learned I may not be a real cowboy, but I ain’t no Gunsel either!
Periodic Concession Evaluation Report
(Stock Outfitter Operations)
Yellowstone National Park
8/3 & 5/2008
Concessionaire: Gunsel Horse Adventures
Guide: Bob Lantis
OR 08-003
This evaluation combines elements from two separate visits of Lantis' at campsite
3U1 (scheduled nights of 8/2-8/4) -- The first on the evening of 8/3; the second
the morning of 8/5 just prior to his departure.
1, Permits: Bob Presented his backcountry use permit for me to inspect.
On the second visit, I discovered a family group of clients had been fishing w/o
permits during their entire stay (CI #: 08-3810). Though the Outfitter shares some
responsibility in ensuring clients are properly permitted and in compliance with
laws and regulations, I did not give Bob a deficiency or Violation Notice. Both
Lantis and Olivier were a help to me in determining the nature and reasons behind
the violation. They were also supportive of my actions which resulted in the father
receiving a Violation Notice for fishing without a permit.
2, Employee Requirements: Bob was accompanied by Levi Olivier and other qualified
(but not certified) helpers.
3, First Aid Kit and Certification: Bob had a 1st Aid kit immediately available
in one of the saddle bags. He also carries a larger kit that was on a pack horse
and was available while in camp.
4, Incident Reporting: Bob consistently goes out of his way to report incidents
to the NPS within a timely manner. He called and reported backcountry trail and
campsite conditions to the Central Backcountry Office and followed up on these calls
by informing me directly.
6, Care of Tack and Stock: Bob's tack and stock appear to be well cared for and
kept in good condition.
7, Travel: Bob consistently adheres to this element of the Operating Plan. In addition,
Bob continues to go out of his way to help clear the downfall from the Lamar area
trails.
8, Amount of Stock: The quantity of stock Bob used on both of these trips is reasonable
for the type of trip and the party size. Bob continues to look for ways to balance
minimize the number of pack animals needed by reducing the weight of his camp while
providing services and comforts to his clients.
9 , 10, Feeding and Grazing and Stock Retention: Bob packs some
feed (processed) and continues to utilize an electric fence for stock retention.
He has a unique technique where he uses the fence to keep his stock out of the camp
core. He also sets up sections offence to keep his stock from leaving the camp area
on escape routes. Essentially, these horses arc grazing freely in a very large area
with limited sections of electric “drift fence” and there is usually little to no
impact. However, on a prior trip into campsite 3U this season, the location of a
fenced in area resulted in some noticeable impact in and among trees adjacent to
the campsite. In this instance, it appears he could have been more
diligent in recognizing the problem and moving the stock out of the trees earlier.
As a result of Bob's obvious commitment to minimizing stock retention impacts a
deficiency was not given for this incident.
11, Spreading Manure: from my inspection of 3M3, it appears Bob and his helpers
put forth a reasonable effort to scatter manure. Bob's horses are essentially free
to graze a very large area and it would be nearly impossible to scatter all of the
manure.
13, Camp Organization: tents were greater than 100 yards away from the food storage/preparation
area and the camp appeared to be well organized.
15, Toilet Facilities: the group was provided with a latrine (a P.E.T tent for privacy
covered the seat and hole) located away from the camp core and water.
16, Food Storage: Bob utilizes a chain hoist to hang the bulk of his food and scented
items.
17, Cleanup: Bob left the campsite and fire ring in good clean condition at the
end of his trip.
Once again, I enjoyed my visits with Bob and Levi. Their clients appeared to be
pleased and satisfied with the services provided and I appreciated the hospitality
and invitation to talk with the group.
Michael Ross
Lamar Backcountry Supervisor, Yellowstone Park
I NE Entrance, YNP, WY 82190
307-344-2602
406-581-0744 (Lamar Backcountry Cell phone)
307-344-2613 (Voice Mail)
November 3, 2008
Periodic Concession Evaluation Report (Stock Outfitter Operations)
Yellowstone National Park
July 31, 2007
Concessionaire: Gunsel Horse Adventures
Guide: Bob Lantis
OR038 and 080
This evaluation combines elements from two separate trips conducted by Outfitter/Guide
Bob Lantis. The first trip, OR 080, was into campsite 3M3 on 7/10-12 and the second,
OR 038, to 3U1 on 7/27-29. I was able to inspect 3M3 subsequent to Lantis' use of
the site and prior to any other stock party's in the site. I conducted an "in
camp " inspection of 3U1 on 7/29.
1, Backcountry Use Permit: Bob Presented his backcountry use permit for me
to inspect. He reduced his total number of stock from his original reservation and
updated the backcountry office with this information so it would be reflected in
the overall Stock Use Nights for the season.
2, Employee Requirements: Bob was accompanied by Levi Olivier (his Grandson)
on both of these trips along with other qualified (but not certified) helpers. Though
Levi is not old enough to be a certified guide, he is an obvious help on these trips
and is competent beyond his years. Bob commented that Levi was charged (with his
personal oversight) with organizing and packing for the trip into 3U1. Levi obviously
excelled in his assigned task and I look forward to his coming of age to be a Certified
Guide and, perhaps, the primary Outfitter for Gunsel Horse Adventures.
3, First Aid Kit and Certification: Bob had his 1 st Aid kit immediately available
in the cook tent and contents were appropriate and in order. Bob also presented
a current 1 st Aid card for inspection.
4, Incident Reporting: Bob consistently goes out of his way to report incidents
to the NPS within a timely manner. He carries a satellite phone for emergency purposes
and requested a direct number for the Yellowstone Dispatch Center. I also received
an email from Levi following their trip into 3M1 reporting bear sightings and other
observations and experiences from their trip.
6, Care of Tack and Stock: Bob's tack and stock appear to be well cared for
and kept in good condition.
7, Travel: Bob consistently adheres to this element of the Operating Plan.
In addition, Bob has continued to go out of his way to help clear the downfall from
the Lamar area trails. Once again, his efforts with this never ending task are greatly
appreciated by the Lamar Backcountry Staff and other users.
8, Amount of Stock: The quantity of stock Bob used on both of these trips
is reasonable for the type of trip and the party size. Bob continues to look for
ways to balance minimize the number of pack animals needed by reducing the weight
of his camp while providing services and comforts to his clients.
9 10, Feeding and Grazing and Stock Retention: Bob packs some feed (processed)
and continues to utilize an electric fence for stock retention. He has a unique
technique where he uses the fence to keep his stock out of the camp core. He also
sets up sections of fence to keep his stock from leaving the camp area on escape
routes. Essentially, these horses are grazing freely in a very large area with limited
sections of electric "drift fence" and there is little to no impact. On
OR 038, I also observed that Bob incorporated a smaller fenced in area to temporarily
hold his stock for saddling and packing in addition to tying some of his saddled
stock "head-to-tail". Bob continues to apply a variety of stock retention
techniques to various situations in order to minimize impacts to the sites.
11, Spreading Manure: from my inspection of 3M3, it appears Bob
and his helpers put forth a reasonable effort to scatter manure. Bob's horses are
essentially free to graze a very large area and it would be nearly impossible to
scatter all of the manure. However, I did not find any manure that was not scattered
during my inspection of the site.
13, Camp Organization: tents were greater than 100 yards away from the food storage/preparation
area and the camp appeared to be well organized.
15, Toilet Facilities: the group was provided with a latrine (a P.E.T tent
for privacy covered the seat and hole) located away from the camp core and water.
16, Food Storage: Bob utilizes a chain hoist to hang the bulk of his food
and scented items. He was in the camp during my inspection so the food was not required
to be hung at the time.
17, Cleanup: Bob left the campsite and fire ring in good clean condition at
the end of his trip (OR 080). I talked to subsequent users of campsite 3M3 who commented
on the excellent condition of the fire ring and camp core area. Of course, I gave
Bob credit for this work but the NPS and the Outfitter program both received positive
feedback from this effort.
Once again, I enjoyed my visits with Bob and Levi. Their clients appeared to be
pleased and satisfied with the services provided and I appreciated the hospitality
and invitation to talk with the group.
Michael Ross
Lamar Backcountry Supervisor, Yellowstone Park
1 NE Entrance, YNP, WY 82190
307-344-2602
406-581-0744 (Lamar Backcountry Cell phone)
307-344-2618 (Voice Mail)
July 31, 2007
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