Hunting from horseback

[sdkid]

Mods, feel free to move this where/if needed.

My fil always told me the horses were used to being shot off of. I have never shot from the saddle. He is gone now. I would like to spend the last week of deer season on horseback. Any tips for shooting from the saddle?
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BEAUTYXDOLL

[Ol` Joe]

Hang on tight

[skeet]

My daughter had a couple she shot off of but they were running and she had to get 'em conditioned. So..If ya like to fly then go ahead and do it.. and while the take off may be a bit sudden...the landing is gonna be a little hard

[Dan Morris]

In the movies....great..........I grew up in ranching country...can you spell RODEO..............don't try it! The horse is to get ya into an area...then, to get the game out. ( if it doesn't like blood smell...rodeo game still applies!)
Dan

[Larryjk]

Don't try shooting off the horses back unless you want to get off in a hurry! Get off and have someone hold the reins. If you tie the horse to something solid, it will snap the reins and it will be a long walk back home.

[Adam Helmer]

sdkid,

You say, "my fil always told me the horses were used to being shot off of." I have to disagree. I have owned a dozen horses so far in my life and NONE would stand for a NUT shooting SURPRISINGLY from the saddle on their backs! A horse is an intelligent animal and understands input, EVEN from idiot riders! I communicated with my horses and always dismounted and stood in front of my horses BEFORE firing. The horse saw me holding the reins and the gun and THEN anticipated the muzzle blast.

I see hunting magazine photos of idiots putting the muzzle of a magnum rifle BETWEEN a horse's ears and firing away! WOW! What a surprise, even for a trusting horse! All my horses were steady for the shot ONCE they knew it was coming. Most horses are smarter than the hunters on their backs. Communicate with the horse: show them the narrow trail, the log across the trail and the rifle BEFORE you SURPRISE them with 180+ Decibles of Muzzle Blast. If that is asking too much from an obvious non-horse oriented person, then I suggest you hunt afoot

Adam.

[Jack]

Sdkid, I think your fil doesn't like you.

[M.T. Pockets]

I've hunted in many elk camps and NONE of the outfitters would allow it. Every horse has a rodeo in it.

Practice a quick dismount and getting your rifle out of the scabbord, it's the only practical thing to do.

[sdkid]

Maybe he meant he could shoot close to them. He is gone now and I can't ask him. I'll be hunting alone so i guess I'll have to let this idea go until I have some time to re-aqquaint the horses to rifle fire.
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KarinaLYNX

[ksubuck]

I live by the old adage, "You can shoot off of any horse ONCE."

I could never get steady enough in the saddle for any truly accurate shooting and found dismounting on the side away from the target and using the saddle as a rest to be best. Did I mention practicing around the horse is a must and that cotton wads in their ears is very helpful.

Some horses will never get over the first experience.

[Adam Helmer]

ksubuck,

Welcome to the Forum; I had not seen your post before on sites I frequent.

You have lots of horse sense. I agree with what you say. My uncle Harrison (deceased) was in the USMC Cavalry after he enlisted in 1939. The Marines knew their horses and I never saw a horse he could not handle. It sometimes took a bit of time to get everyone "on the same page" and then it was all ok.

I agree, "some horses do not get over their first experience." I would expand that to dogs as well. Many "gun shy" dogs were ruined by a bad experience. My Golden was, and my current dog is, my "range officer" as I shoot on the backyard range. Lori lays in the shade of a nearby tree and watches me shoot any gun I choose.

Adam

[ksubuck]

Adam,

thanks for the welcome. I've posted here on and off for years. Depends on whether I have a functional internet connection and/or a functional love life.

I've learned lots of valuable life lessons from horses (spent four plus years on crutches mostly due to them). Used to be a hard headed trainer that thought you could make any horse do anything immediately. Now I'm just a wise old man that enjoys watching other hard headed trainers repeat my mistakes. Nothing beats a good rodeo.

I agree whole heartedly about letting the dogs and horses be the range manager. My current 23 year old hay burner has become my second best bird dog. While hunting pheasant out in the pastures, he follows along and observes over my shoulder. Almost got him to retrieve a bird once as he beat me to where it landed to check it out.

I think with enough effort and attention to detail, you can probably shoot off of any horse. But with such a specialty that I don't often need, I would rather find a few horses that are comfortable around gun shots before I start the training, and I might let someone else do the training.

[YoungBuck14]

I've been around animals and horses my entire life. Never shot off of one, had one i would have considered training to do the job if i needed one. I've talked to one old cowboy that has shot off a horse and trained them how.

Thats the main word though is "trained". This is a long process over serveral weeks from what i've learned. Starts with someone who the horse is comfortable with holding them and a second party being 50+ yards away and shooting a couple down loaded 22 blanks pointing away from the animal. Gradually you work your way closer then when close to the horse you start over again with hotter loads or a larger caliber. Eventually you use the 22 blanks while around the horse. At this point it pretty much comes to the individual horse and you having to know enough about reading animals to judge what should come next.

Hope this helps, any more questions keep asking.

[sdkid]

Thank you youngbuck. I'll remember you as I get closer to this.
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Shery

[VaRedneck]

Maybe this'll help.

http://www.thegunzone.com/fm23-35.html