hunting from horseback ?

[SEE IT LIKE A NATIVE]

I was wondering if anyone hunts from horseback any more ? If they do , how do you train a horse not to bolt at the sound of the shot ? Or do they just go deaf after a few shots without ear protection ? Kevin

 

[jmr40]

A lot of people use horses/mules/llamas etc. to pack into hunting areas. They use the animals to get meat out, but I don't know of anyone who actually hunts from the horses back. Once they get into camp, or into the area they are going to hunt they leave the horses behind until needed to pack out.

 

[H&Hhunter]

Kevin,

You are asking a question that I get a lot. I hunt from horses multiple times a year. I use them to travel in the back country, to haul gear in and out, to scout country with, and to haul meat out. But you get off the horse to shoot. usually I'll use the horses to get to really good country then tie them to a tree while I actually hunt on foot.

Shooting from horseback is a very low percentage proposition if you actually want to hit something.

 

[ZeroJunk]

Shooting from a horse's back is no problem, once.

 

[H&Hhunter]

Oh I don't know about that.....

[Youtube]taYegXKWa1I#t[/Youtube]

 

[SEE IT LIKE A NATIVE]

What made me consider it , is that the cover is so thick down here in south Florida that most of the successful hunts for deer and hogs seem to be a result of hunting from the top of a swampbuggy ! I was thinking that you might be able to shoot from horseback ! I was thinking more about using my recurve bow but I also hunt with a handgun ! Kevin

 

[d2wing]

You need to train the horse not to be gun shy. Just like guys don't with dogs and the dog won't hunt.

 

[dprice3844444]

check out the hog hunting here
http://miami.craigslist.org/search/sss?query=hog hunting&sort=rel

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

Bubba Wilds used to hunt deer from horseback with an semi automatic shotgun. He was very successful beyond one's wildest imagination.

 

[Art Eatman]

I started with a .22 rifle, fired to the rear of the horse. Low noise to his ears, that way. After he got used to it, I went to a .22 pistol for a while. I finally worked up to an '06.

He was funny. I'd see a deer and rein in the horse. He'd turn 45 degrees, lower his head way down, and put his ears back like "hear guards". He'd flinch at the muzzle blast, but not buck.

I only shot one doe from his back, during my culling program. But it was fun to have a horse that wouldn't get all upset about shooting. I'd shoot sometimes when there was a deer in sight, but just as part of the training, not to kill a deer.

What got me started was his habit of walking right up behind me when I was shooting my 1911 at targets. Sort of a, "Hey, whatcha doin', huh?" thing.

 

[SEE IT LIKE A NATIVE]

Thanks guys !I appreciate all your inputs ! Kevin

 

[dogrunner]

The practice used to be fairly common when doggin' deer here in central Fl....generally tho, the horse got abandoned as more roads got built and as the four wheel technology improved. The horse was used to try to get in front of a deer as the dogs pursued it.

Last active use I personally saw was several years ago in the Ocala Ntl. Forest. Don't know who the rider was but he had quarter horse that was a joy to watch as he mostly controlled it with his knees. The deer being run was extremely reluctant to cross a clearcut and kept doubling back and then returning to the cut obviously looking for a good chance to make it to a brushy area.....I just happened onto the crew running those dogs so I just sat back and watched a man and horse that both really knew what they were doing.

That fella was armed with a Browning A/5 with what looked like a 30" bbl, when the horse was stopped he put his head nearly to the ground every time....

Had a friend that used to hunt like that & he claimed to have killed a bunch of deer with his revolver by simply catching them in a large pasture or clear cut and using that horse to run them.........I wasn't a part of that but I believe the storys as I knew the man well.


Incidentally, some if not all of the Fla. WMA's mandate that even horses must be kept on established roads.......you ought to look into the rules where you intend hunting, that said, the method is a good one. You can push thru heavy cover with the advantage of height....too, you don't have to keep one eye on the ground for buzztails as well!!!

 

[Tree Potato]

Work up to it and like anything else with horse training reward good behavior when it happens. Try shooting at a 3D target with an air rifle, then some subsonic .22s. Try your bow if you have one. Then work up to louder cartridges, and never shoot over the horse's head.

I hunted from horseback as a kid and didn't think twice about taking a shot from the saddle. It seemed deer didn't care if a horse was walking up on them. Peanut would get within 50 yards of a deer, turn sideways and stop, then point out a deer with his ears. Then when he felt me pull the gun out and turn to shoot he'd lower his head to the other side, usually to eat something.

That horse loved hunting as much as any dog. Hunting meant interesting trails with delicious browse, a slow pace, and extra attention. Every shot meant an apple or snack of oats, and he'd jump up into the back of the truck whenever he heard the "H" word (hunting).

 

[Davek1977]

Just like a hunting dog or most any other animal, horses become accustomed to the sound of gunshots with repeated exposure to the sound. We used to have a prairie dog town adjacent to our ranch's corrals. I spent many afternoons after school sniping prairie dogs there. We also pastured our horses in the same pasture as the dog town. It was commonplace for our five horses to come investigate what was going on, and then they'd hang out a couple yards behind me and seemingly just watch me shoot until I'd leave, which could be anywhere from 10 to 150 rounds later.

 

[SEE IT LIKE A NATIVE]

You guys are a wealth of information ! Dogrunner you are right on the money about Florida WMAs I check things out before I commit . I was just thinking I would rather have a horse than a swamp buggy ,I really have never seen horses perform in the type of terrain we have down here either , It might not be good for them as the ground is to wet and mucky , they might break a leg or something ! I have not been around horses in years , so I might be just dreaming ! thanks guys ! Kevin

 

[longknife12]

I grew up in horse country...like H&H said, I use them for in and out transport.
Only time I ever tried a shot off one was with a 22...can you understand RODEO!
Just my opinion.
Dan

 

[joshk1025]

You can definitely train animals to not react to gun shots. My range has a large amount of wooded area surrounded by suburban developments. The deer, coyotes, and rabbits don't pay attention to the noise anymore and will wander across live ranges.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I feed my animals regularly, and shoot a .22 pistol while near them. I work up to standing beside the horse and shooting over its back and under its neck. Pretty soon they come to realize, "Oh, that's just a noise he makes."

 

[gamestalker]

I've hunt from horse back and mules for a number of years. But I was informed that those horses / mules were firearm good. As for being deaf, I don't know, they might have been?

GS

 

[redneck]

If you want to shoot around your horse a lot, you should look into getting it some ear plugs (yes they make them for horses). I don't know that they have done any studies on NRR decibel ratings or anything but any added protection would be a bonus. We use them on some of the horses we take to shows that get nervous due to all the added noises and stuff going on around them. They don't generally like it when you first put the plugs in and may toss their head some but most of them get used to it quickly.

I have shot around my horses and it really doesn't seem to bother them after awhile, and no they are not deaf. I have thought about trying to hunt from them as well but the areas I can hunt that are big enough for it to make sense to try all have rules that you can't hunt from a trail, and can't take the horses off the trail. Deer around here don't seem to be afraid of someone on a horse and usually let you ride within easy bow/pistol range.

 

[Bush Pilot]

I've never been stupid enough to try shooting from a horse. Tie up the horse and get a few feet away. If you want to see a horse go nuts just watch them catch the scent of a black bear, grizzly or cougar. When I see their ears perk up I'm off the horse and grabbing my rifle out of the scabbard, I don't want him tossing me or breaking my rifle stock.

 

[msnden]

"I've never been stupid enough to try shooting from a horse. Tie up the horse and get a few feet away. If you want to see a horse go nuts just watch them catch the scent of a black bear, grizzly or cougar. When I see their ears perk up I'm off the horse and grabbing my rifle out of the scabbard, I don't want him tossing me or breaking my rifle stock."

The voice of reason!!! The OP asks the question "does anyone hunt from horseback any more"? (as if they ever did) this posts begs the quote!!!
"Hold my beer, watch this!!!"

 

[ZeroJunk]

We may be looking at it a couple of different ways. We have all seen dozens of westerns with riders shooting at each other hundreds of times in some long chase. So, obviously those horses can be trained to ignore gun fire.
And, the horses I ride elk hunting are used to gun fire and don't seem to react to it to amount to anything. But, even those horses that are ridden all the time can react quite unpredictably to a grouse bursting up between their legs, falling burn tree or whatever. At least in that case you have the reins. I have never had a reason to fire off a big rifle over one's head and am not looking for one. If you have a horse that you have worked with and feel confident that they will ignore a large rifle then it is your decision. I think I would rather be the one watching this.

 

[Davek1977]

The voice of reason!!! The OP asks the question "does anyone hunt from horseback any more"? (as if they ever did) this posts begs the quote!!!
"Hold my beer, watch this!!!"

As others have explained, its NOT unreasonable to train a horse to get used to the sound of gunfire. People who have grown up around horses and know how to train/work with them realize this. As for the notion horses that allow shooting in their vicinity being deaf.....that is absolutely NOT true in any cases I'm familiar with. In fact, in the example I used previously, horses were attracted BY the sound of gunshots from across the pasture.

 

[agtman]

Well, the video posted above shows the dude shooting a "cowboy" pistol above (or to the side of) the horse's ears.

Trigger may not be so forgiving when a much louder long gun goes off next to his head.

I'm trying to imagine how challenging it would be to stay aboard the old nag while hog-hunting through the Florida swamps or Texas sage brush using my .308 M1 Tanker with Schuster muzzle break.



Eight rounds of 7.62 ball later, and I'm fairly sure the "ping" of the ejecting clip wouldn't bother the horse at all.

But I guess if you conditioned Trigger's audio sense long enough, by firing an M1 around his head for a week or three, the muzzle blast would become a nonevent ... since he'd be deaf.