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Scouting from horseback.

Tommy Eastham

Member
Sep 28, 2017
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I am from Kentucky so I know not everyone owns horses. But if it’s a option. I have been finding it very enjoyable and effective. The deer continue to feed. Now once within a hundred they will move off but not like a threat more like the horse was the dominant beast. Anyone else have tried this?
 
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Autumnrider

Well-Known Member
Jun 22, 2015
1,328
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Northeast Mississippi
YAHOO
twoshotlaw2008@yahoo.com
"Saddle Scouting" is a great way to get familiar with your hunting areas. Me and Autumn, my horse, has covered a lot of ground together. She would always know when something was close by. She caught wind of something one time and I did not know what was happening. I got her to head in the direction she kept looking and as we went, I nice 8 pt stood up and just simply walked away. That was cool. Autumn also stopped on the side of a steep hill and was listening to something. I did not hear a thing but as we got to the top of the hill, turkeys where everywhere and they never got nervous.
Autumn is more alert when we ride by ourselves.
Just be careful for you and your horse. There are sink holes, stump hole, roots and all kinds of things out there that can hurt a horse or get you hurt.
 

kyler1945

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SH Member
Dec 4, 2016
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Willis, TX
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Willis, TX
"Saddle Scouting" is a great way to get familiar with your hunting areas. Me and Autumn, my horse, has covered a lot of ground together. She would always know when something was close by. She caught wind of something one time and I did not know what was happening. I got her to head in the direction she kept looking and as we went, I nice 8 pt stood up and just simply walked away. That was cool. Autumn also stopped on the side of a steep hill and was listening to something. I did not hear a thing but as we got to the top of the hill, turkeys where everywhere and they never got nervous.
Autumn is more alert when we ride by ourselves.
Just be careful for you and your horse. There are sink holes, stump hole, roots and all kinds of things out there that can hurt a horse or get you hurt.

This makes me want to do the opposite of work this morning!
 

Lacky

Active Member
Apr 2, 2019
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Boise, Idaho
I like hunting on horseback (except when they bit or kick me) but I have no desire to feed and care for one all year just to hunt from it for a week. It pretty much has to be a year round passion for hunting by horse to make any sense, or renting, but then you never really know what your getting (hence being bitten and kicked).
 
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Nutterbuster

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Oct 12, 2017
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Where the skys are so blue!
I like hunting on horseback (except when they bit or kick me) but I have no desire to feed and care for one all year just to hunt from it for a week. It pretty much has to be a year round passion for hunting by horse to make any sense, or renting, but then you never really know what your getting (hence being bitten and kicked).
Yeah, my wife wants a horse. I told her she gripes about a litterbox and buying cat food...whattaya think a horse costs to feed, and do they have a reputation for being litterbox compatible?

When this stupid cat kicks the bucket, NutterBuster is done with pets. I'm talking not even a goldfish!
 

IkemanTX

Well-Known Member
Oct 16, 2015
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Yeah, my wife wants a horse. I told her she gripes about a litterbox and buying cat food...whattaya think a horse costs to feed, and do they have a reputation for being litterbox compatible?

When this stupid cat kicks the bucket, NutterBuster is done with pets. I'm talking not even a goldfish!

I don’t know... I’d love a German Shorthair Pointer or a Blue Lacy at some point. I’d LOVE to have a good shed/scouting dog.
 
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WHW

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Vendor Rep
Sep 13, 2017
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Louisiana
Years ago when the Alabama deer limit was one a day with no season limit, Ben Rodgers Lee told me a story about two hunters that had come through his home town of Coffeville, AL. At a local cafe he asked them about the two horses that they were towing in a trailer. They told him that they traveled the state hunting WMA cutovers on horse back. When he asked them if they ever had any luck they told him that they had killed two bucks that morning that brought their season total to 96. They explained that the deer weren't alarmed by the horses and the horses would point a deer like a bird dog points a quail.
 

IkemanTX

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Oct 16, 2015
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That's pretty much true. There is lots of movement involved in bailing off the back of a horse and getting ready for a shot through.

That’s why you shoot from horseback. You gotta trust your horse not to freak out on you though.


................................................................................All climbing methods, platforms, saddle designs, and/or use of materials possibly mentioned in the post above are not peer reviewed for safety, and should only be used as an example of my own method. Do your own research and testing before becoming confident in any DIY solution to support your life.
-IkemanTx
 

Allegheny Tom

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SH Member
Feb 4, 2018
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Western Pennsylvania
Never hunted or scouted from horseback but one stand access I used to take traveled thru a donkey corral. I used to feed one of the donkeys granola bars and he became my buddy. He walked right beside me all the way to the back fence. Deer would often be in that pen and they showed no fear if the donkey was walking beside me. I guess they thought I was just another "ass".
Funny thing, my stand was only about 40 yards into the woods and when the donkey pen was down wind of me, my pal could smell me and he would stand up there at the fence looking my way hee hawing his brains out.
I miss that property.
 

Exhumis

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Mar 12, 2019
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Northern Virginia
I can attest to all of the above. Grew up hunting from horseback, moose not deer. Moose would just look right at the horse and keep right on chewing. Two of the properties I hunt have horses and I frequently see deer and horses feeding side by side.
 
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Lacky

Active Member
Apr 2, 2019
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Boise, Idaho
That’s why you shoot from horseback. You gotta trust your horse not to freak out
I never even hunted on a horse I could trust not to bit or kick me. I wasn't about to try that. Besides shooting off hand off a living breathing creature the animal would have to be pretty close. I just used the horse to get me to where I was hunting then parked it.
 

IkemanTX

Well-Known Member
Oct 16, 2015
3,501
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I never even hunted on a horse I could trust not to bit or kick me. I wasn't about to try that. Besides shooting off hand off a living breathing creature the animal would have to be pretty close. I just used the horse to get me to where I was hunting THEN PARKED IT.

Hahahahahaha. I’ve never heard a horse described as “parked”



................................................................................All climbing methods, platforms, saddle designs, and/or use of materials possibly mentioned in the post above are not peer reviewed for safety, and should only be used as an example of my own method. Do your own research and testing before becoming confident in any DIY solution to support your life.
-IkemanTx
 
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shwacker

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Dec 10, 2018
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Wish I had that option. I’ve hunted a few areas, maybe some in your state, that have horse trails. It would save me a bunch of boot miles


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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