Horseback hunting - gear packing

[Pagosa]

If you have a good footed, hardy horse then go for it. Especially if your horses are mostly just being used for 1 day of game retrieval not day after day of riding to hunting spots. With this year’s weather, having horses shod with traction and snow pads has been unnecessary…but hopefully it’ll be necessary when the weather finally gets good for hunting. This fall has been very warm and dry in my neck of the woods. With those temperatures and hunting pressure the elk that I hunt have been in very difficult places to hunt and pretty much nocturnal. Barefoot horses don’t walk on ice safely

Thank you! I appreciate it.

 

[WanderWoman]

If you have a good footed, hardy horse then go for it. Especially if your horses are mostly just being used for 1 day of game retrieval not day after day of riding to hunting spots. With this year’s weather, having horses shod with traction and snow pads has been unnecessary…but hopefully it’ll be necessary when the weather finally gets good for hunting. This fall has been very warm and dry in my neck of the woods. With those temperatures and hunting pressure the elk that I hunt have been in very difficult places to hunt and pretty much nocturnal. Barefoot horses don’t walk on ice safely

I agree. My problem there is I get my farrier scheduled every 8 weeks and he’s so busy he can’t come out on a whim if the weather changes. I put pads and sharps on mine in anticipation of winter weather any time between late Oct and late Dec. So far, haven’t really needed them and as long as I’m cognizant of not stopping/turning too hard, they’re doing fine other than the extra $65/each. Would rather have and not need than need and not have I guess. My only point here is there’s some planning involved based on your shoeing schedule and when hunting season/mountain use falls into all that.

 

[Horseman]

I agree. My problem there is I get my farrier scheduled every 8 weeks and he’s so busy he can’t come out on a whim if the weather changes. I put pads and sharps on mine in anticipation of winter weather any time between late Oct and late Dec. So far, haven’t really needed them and as long as I’m cognizant of not stopping/turning too hard, they’re doing fine other than the extra $65/each. Would rather have and not need than need and not have I guess. My only point here is there’s some planning involved based on your shoeing schedule and when hunting season/mountain use falls into all that.

My thoughts exactly. The bottleneck is the availability and quality of your horseshoer. A horse shoer who does high quality work and is readily available is a unicorn. There are very few horseshoers (less than 5%) who I would trust to properly sharp shoe my horses. The ones that I would trust have the highest prices and are booked out. You can sort of get by with the cheap and available cold shoers during the summer months but when it comes to sharp shoeing, you need someone who lights up a forge and has great blacksmithing skills.

 

[MTTW]

My horse has sharps and pads in hunting season no exceptions. It wasn't always that way but after sliding back down an icy hill with a horse on his knees while trying to follow a sharp shod horse I figure better safe than sorry.
You never know, might need them tomorrow.

 

[WanderWoman]

My horse has sharps and pads in hunting season no exceptions. It wasn't always that way but after sliding back down an icy hill with a horse on his knees while trying to follow a sharp shod horse I figure better safe than sorry.
You never know, might need them tomorrow.

View attachment 349237

Do you have a pic of the other side with your scabbard configuration? I’m still messing with different positions. I don’t like the gun under my fender interfering with my leg but also don’t like it super butt-high interfering with my reins.

 

[MTTW]

I don't have a good picture but it is under the fender but low. Like you I can't find a perfect set up. Any more vertical and it gets too high.

 

[406dn]

The last couple of years, I have had tungsten studs on the heels of the front shoes, and left the hind feet barefooted. Where my brother and I are hunting, the terrain is steep but not overly rocky. It has worked real well for us.

When the unit we were hunting was rockier and icier, the horses were sharp shoed on all for feet. Snow pads are as helpful as the sharp shoes.

We carry saddle panniers on each horse, rolled as tightly as possible. For the last few years, I have used thin dog collars to attach the panniers to the saddle. That works really well, the panniers can get snugged up tight to the cantle and it does not come loose, at all.

None of the horses I have owned have balked at packing meat. A couple were a little concerned, but all of them have packed without incident.

I had a carrying case made to hold a tripod and hang it on the off side front. Then the spotting scope hangs in a soft case on the near side front. Most of the time thou, they are left back at camp.

 

[WanderWoman]

I don't have a good picture but it is under the fender but low. Like you I can't find a perfect set up. Any more vertical and it gets too high.
View attachment 349262

Thank you! Looks like you still have a bit more freedom under your leg than other setups though. Looks like it’s fastened around the pommel; is the other strap on your front cinch then? That’s how I generally do it (on the cinch ring) and adjust the angle/looseness. I’ve seen people do it on the back cinch but it seems like that’d be too much movement and a recipe for trouble depending on the horse.

 

[WanderWoman]

The last couple of years, I have had tungsten studs on the heels of the front shoes, and left the hind feet barefooted. Where my brother and I are hunting, the terrain is steep but not overly rocky. It has worked real well for us.

When the unit we were hunting was rockier and icier, the horses were sharp shoed on all for feet. Snow pads are as helpful as the sharp shoes.

We carry saddle panniers on each horse, rolled as tightly as possible. For the last few years, I have used thin dog collars to attach the panniers to the saddle. That works really well, the panniers can get snugged up tight to the cantle and it does not come loose, at all.

None of the horses I have owned have balked at packing meat. A couple were a little concerned, but all of them have packed without incident.

I had a carrying case made to hold a tripod and hang it on the off side front. Then the spotting scope hangs in a soft case on the near side front. Most of the time thou, they are left back at camp.

Do you happen to have a pic of the tripod/scope configuration? I’ve been thinking about trying to make something like a scabbard/pommel bag just for that purpose and trying to figure it out.

 

[MTTW]

Thank you! Looks like you still have a bit more freedom under your leg than other setups though. Looks like it’s fastened around the pommel; is the other strap on your front cinch then? That’s how I generally do it (on the cinch ring) and adjust the angle/looseness. I’ve seen people do it on the back cinch but it seems like that’d be too much movement and a recipe for trouble depending on the horse.

Yes it is on the front cinch eye.

 

[406dn]

Do you happen to have a pic of the tripod/scope configuration? I’ve been thinking about trying to make something like a scabbard/pommel bag just for that purpose and trying to figure it out.

I do not have any photos.

The tripod scabbard was made for me by a saddle maker. It is flat on the side against the horse, semicircular away. On the flat side there is a flap cover with a strap. The other side has a buckle for the strap. There is a ring on the top and bottom of the flat side of the scabbard to attach it to the saddle.

The spotting scope soft case is a Marsupial case that fits my spotting scope. I added some carabiners to the case to attach it to the saddle.