# horseback hunting



## ohio (Nov 27, 2005)

has anyone ever done this and will horses spook deer cause i always see pics of this in magazines but have never heard of this and my friend and i hunt a lot and he has about 5 horses.......get where this is going?


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## Todd Reber (Nov 6, 2005)

It depends on the horse, you would at least get the first shot off. I have a horse and have never hunted off it but a friend off mine hunts all the time off horses, he was out at the badlands Mule deer hunting this year, he took five horses out with him and had the time of his life. I think you have to get them used to the gun shooting and the packing out. Some horses spook at different things, if you do your home work before the season you should have a great hunt.

 hunt hard and shoot straight.


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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

To0dd is right... you can shoot off ALL of them - ONCE. :lol:

Seriously they are a pleasure to hunt off of. I don't do it here as much as I used to, but your field of vision is great, and you can ride through some really thick stuff and see the deer get up under your feet. Lots of fun.


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## fishless (Aug 2, 2005)

Ive never had a problem shooting off a horse its when youre on them that there could be problems.


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## wirehairman (Oct 31, 2005)

My dad does quite a bit of elk hunting off horseback. However, he has never actually shot while on the horses. The horses are simply a means to get to a remote area quickly and easily. The actual hunting usually still occurs on foot.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

I never have but always wanted to try a shot off my horse with my bow, deer often let me walk right up to them on my horse. It would be easy with a gun.


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## Scott Schuchard (Nov 23, 2002)

i hunt deer,fox,yotes, i even done pheasants off horse back, i tell ya what you will have a Great time bonding with your pony and gettin close to critters, but you dont want to just jump on a horse and think that you can shoot off from it one of my horses will not let me shoot off his back but i slide off and use the saddle as a rest and he stands rock solid, but i also have a mare that will slow up when i start gettin close to an animal and when they get up she will freeze in her track and let me take the shot if, i want and if need be she will bust loose and chase the fox/yote down and pass it and stop in front of it so i can get a shot, but i also have a gelding that will not let me shoot around it at all it spooks over gun shot, think of it this way some dogs are for huntin others should stay home same with horses


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## zogman (Mar 20, 2002)

This is very serious. Please consider the horses hearing when shooting from over, under, across and off of your horses. Where is the muzzel pointed in reference to the animals ears.............. Best to get off and move away from the horse. JMHO


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## 94silverado (Oct 16, 2005)

My Girlfriends grandpa had a horse and when it was born it was introduced to gunfire around the farm and he was scared at first but he soon realized that the loud boom wasn't going to hurt him, he became very accustomed to the gunfire and they used him for all kinds of hunting and they actually shot off the horse and it didn't even flinch. True story the horse was even going to star in the Movie The Postman Staring kevin costner but her grandpa didn't want him in a horse trailer all the way to texas. So some horses you can shoot off of you just need to introduce them to gunfire.


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## zogman (Mar 20, 2002)

94 s,

Yes but you can still damage their hearing............... :eyeroll:


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## 94silverado (Oct 16, 2005)

Yes but if you don't rest the barrel on their head they won't be bothered to much by it you should only shoot off to the sides and off to the back a reasonable amount of care should be used in using a horse for hunting. when ol tex got older his hearing was still good enough to hear a bucket of oats shaken across the pasture till the day he passed on.


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## zogman (Mar 20, 2002)

:lol: Hey I had a horse named "Tex" also. Used to shot winchester model 61 off his back,but always to his south end


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## 94silverado (Oct 16, 2005)

Exactly what i meant to say never ever shot from the back to the front you very well could hurt his hearing. What did your horse look like the tex i knew was all black with a white mark on his forehead.


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## zogman (Mar 20, 2002)

Deep red sorrel, no white, 14.3 hands. 1961 jr 1st place all around horse ND Horse show assoc.


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## 94silverado (Oct 16, 2005)

Wow that sounds like a beautiful horse. Nothings better than spending a day in the hills and woods with a horse.


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## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

My wife and I can hunt off our horses, although we rarely do around here. As was said earlier, you can really see off horseback. Because I shoot so much in the yard, they are well accustomed to close gunfire. Shooting off a horse is never a good idea, though.

The horses don't spook deer more than anything else. Often a person can approach deer quite closely on them. My wife's horse is a bit leery of deer, my horse finds them facinating.

My horse was trained as team penner, and I've come to the conclusion he thinks deer are calves. Thus he wants to round them up & pen them. When he sees a deer, he locks on, starts to quiver in anticipation, and I can feel his heart beating heavier with my legs. All I have to do is lean forward & bump him, and he positively rockets at them!...


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## Lvn2Hnt (Feb 22, 2005)

I have hunted via horseback, but have never shot off them. What others have said about not shooting while mounted should just be common sense. In my opinion, if you want an accuarte and safe shot, shooting while mounted is not your best option.

As for damaging their hearing, yes, like humans gun shots over time will deteriorate their hearing. A recommendation would be to put cotton in their ears as protection, just like we should protect our hearing.

The last horse I hunted with was a 16'1 hand QH named Wally. He was great! His stride really came in handy the year of '97 when we had all the snow. He could get anywhere and made life really easy when it came to hauling a deer out.


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