At Hykt™, the coral Y in our logo stands for your reason to get outside. For a lot of us, that reason has four legs and starts doing laps around the kitchen the second we touch a leash. Fall is one of the best times of year to hike with a dog in Idaho. It also brings a few things you don't deal with in July: hunting season, colder mornings, shorter days and wildlife that's a little more on edge. Here's how to keep your trail pup safe and happy all season.
Be seen: hunting season is trail season too
Fall hiking overlaps with hunting season across much of Idaho, and many of the trails we love run through public land where hunting is allowed. Idaho Fish and Game encourages hikers and other outdoor visitors in areas hunters use to wear hunter orange, and notes that bright red, yellow and pink are also easy for people to spot. The U.S. Forest Service suggests that a dog in hunting country should wear hunter orange or another very visible color on a vest, leash, coat or bandana.
A few easy habits help a lot:
- Put something bright on yourself and on your dog. A blaze orange vest is best for the dog in active hunting areas. A bright bandana is a good everyday extra layer of visibility.
- Skip white or tan outer layers in deer country. A flash of white can look like a tail.
- Hike in the middle of the day when you can. Idaho Fish and Game points out that most hunters focus on mornings and evenings.
- Keep your dog close to the trail. Off trail, dogs can run into traps or hunters you never see.
For everyday trail days, our Hykt™ Clip-on Pet Bandana, Alpenglow Ridge adds a little color with a slate to rust fade and a small coral sun. Pair it with the matching Hykt™ Clip-on Pet Collar, Alpenglow Ridge. Neither one is hunter orange, so when you're hiking in active hunting areas, put a blaze orange vest on your dog too.
Know the rules before you go
Dog rules change a lot from one place to the next. Most national forest and BLM trails allow dogs, though some trailheads and recreation areas ask you to keep them leashed. National parks are much stricter. In many of them, dogs are only allowed in parking areas, campgrounds and on roads or paved paths, not on hiking trails. A quick look at the land manager's website before you load up saves a lot of disappointment at the trailhead.
Even where off leash is allowed, a dog that comes back every time you call is the real test. If yours gets distracted by deer, keep the leash on.
Give wildlife plenty of room
Autumn is the mating season for moose, and moose can see dogs as a threat. A curious dog that runs up to one can come running back with an angry moose behind it. Keep your dog leashed in moose country, especially near willows, creeks and wet meadows. Deer and elk are also on the move this time of year, and a dog chasing wildlife stresses animals that are trying to build up reserves before winter. If you see wildlife, shorten the leash, give it space and let it move on.
Watch for foxtails and cheatgrass
By fall, much of the dry grass in the Idaho foothills has gone to seed. Cheatgrass and other grasses with sharp, barbed seeds can work their way into paws, ears, noses and the fur between toes. After every hike, run your hands over your dog's feet, ears, armpits and belly and pull out anything you find. If your dog starts shaking its head, sneezing hard or licking one paw over and over, call your vet. Those can be signs that a seed got somewhere it shouldn't.
Cold mornings and short days
Not every dog is built for a frosty start. Short-coated breeds, small dogs, older dogs and puppies lose heat faster than a thick-coated mountain dog. If your dog shivers, slows down or keeps trying to lift its paws off cold ground, it's time to warm up or head back. A light dog coat can help at chilly trailheads, and a short warm-up walk before you start helps stiff joints, especially for older dogs.
Daylight goes fast this time of year. Check sunset before you start, plan to be back at the car with time to spare, and toss a headlamp in your pack.
Don't forget yourself. The wait while your dog sniffs every single bush is a lot more fun in something warm, like the Hykt™ Puffer Jacket.
What to pack for your trail pup
- Water and a bowl. Dogs still need water when it's cool, and creeks can be dry or questionable by late fall.
- Snacks. A few extra treats for energy and for rewarding good recalls.
- Leash and ID. A collar tag with your contact info and an up-to-date microchip, even if your dog never leaves your side.
- Visibility. Something bright for both of you during hunting season.
- Basic first aid. Tweezers for seeds and splinters, a little gauze and wrap, and some booties or paw balm if your dog has tender feet.
- Waste bags. Pack it out, every time.
You can find clip-on bandanas and collars in our Trail Pups collection.
Brooke's take
Most days my head is full of lists. Appointments for my parents, rides and homework for the kids still at home, and texts to our married kids that I wish could be hugs instead. It's a lot to carry, and I don't always notice how tight I'm holding it until I get outside.
The dogs are the ones who get me there. They don't care what's on my calendar. They just want to go, so we head out to the trails right in our own backyard. They stop to smell everything, and somewhere along the way I start stopping too. The cold air, the yellow leaves, the quiet. By the time we turn around, the lists are still there, but I'm carrying them a lot lighter.
Find your Y this fall
Hykt™ is hiking apparel born in Idaho, made for people who hike more and worry less, at any pace and any skill level. If your Y is a muddy, happy dog pulling you toward the next bend in the trail, we get it. Stay bright, stay warm and enjoy every mile of fall together.