Horseback Hunting??

[ida homer]

Haha good story @ID_to_NV2012 rodeos are definitely part of the gig. In my limited and current ongoing learning curve, rodeos that bad are the outlier. Stock that get used weekly throughout the year can be reliable and a legitimate asset. Do not ever go with someone that is one foot in, one foot out. It’s an all in deal.

 

[snik]

Some threads are just too good to let them die. The packing, both in and out is a given. There are many places that you just can't get a comfortable camp into without horses. Getting an elk out (the entire elk) of the back country without horses is very tough.

Horse hunting also includes depending on the horse to help you find game. Their ears and eyes are far superior to ours. Especially as we get older.

As many of us have hunted with dogs and have seen them change direction with a change of the wind direction and they walk you right into the birds.
If you pay attention to your horse, they will alert you as to elk, deer and whatever that are adjacent to you in the woods. Like dogs, some are better than others. Often I have had my elk pointed out to my by my horse.It is a partnership that is developed over time.

Another skill of horses is the ability to retrace their tracks home even in the dark of night. I have experienced some incredible trips where I depended entirely on the horse to find my way home in the dark. A long ride in the moonlight is breathtaking.

Not every horse is the same and trust is developed over time. Yesterday I cut out 7 miles of primative trails. My horse brought me back to the truck without any guidance. Twice I interceded but I was wrong.

It's a partnership that far exceeds anything your quad or sxs can provide.

This!!! “Horses ability to retrace their steps”. When I was 12 years old I was hunting elk with my dad, brothers, and a few other people on horseback. We were about 8 miles back in some rough country. For whatever reason my Dad and I stayed back with the horses while the others went in on an elk heard we had spotted. While they were gone as nasty storm rolled in and a blizzard ensued. The guys that had gone after the elk radioed us and said they ended up a ways back down the mountain and had three elk down. The problem was there was only my dad and I and there were 10 horses. My dad and I each ponied a horse and hoped the other 6 would follow as we started down. We had only gone 50 yards and the 6 other horses bailed down a different mountain side than we had come up. With no other choice we had to keep going and hoped the other horses would make it down. About 5 hours later, after loading up the 3 elk, leading the 4 horses we had out, and arriving at the trailer way past dark. Ths other 6 horses were waiting at the trailer! I thought for sure we would end up going in the next day looking for them, but they obviously new the faster path back!

 

[reallyoldman]

I owned a big black gelding that was just a pure joy to hunt with. His legs were so long he could step over most downed timber and he walked at just the right pace. Never rubbed you or your rifle against a tree. Many times I rode him into strange (to him & me) places and when I was done I just put the reins down and he would take me back exactly the way we had traveled in-daylight or dark. A new guy to our group shot a big buck way back in a bowl that was hard to get into from the bottom. He had come in from the top but it was impossible to get a horse into from there due to shale cliffs and timber. I was in camp for lunch when he and another hunter came in and told me where he had gotten the buck. After a little ribbing about how he was going to have to take a frying pan and some matches cause that would be the only way he was going to get that buck out. I told him I thought I could get the buck out in about two hours. Well that led to little friendly wager...well maybe not to friendly as wanted to bet me $100 that I couldn't due it. Looking back that was a small fee for packing if I won...dumb me. I got one of my pack horses and my horse...we were back in just over an hour....thanks to my horse...I miss him. He lived until he was 23.

 

[nimrod_gn]

Love hunting from horseback. Do it every chance I get. Nothing quite like riding behind the packhorse carrying a set of elk antlers while remembering the details of the hunt!

 

[diamond hitch]

Yesterday we gained and lost 1400 ft of elevation three times over 12 miles in less than 7 hrs. Try that on foot - especially over 60. For me the horses are a critical component of my hunting life.

 

[Randi]

My grandparents and parents had horses, so horses have always been in my life and I love them. Hunting, trail, show, fox, rodeo, ranching, love it all.

Have competed in barrel racing, roping and bucking ( saddle ) in rodeos and have had horses decide at the last minute not to jump, a jump, but nothing separates me from the horse faster than when a horse is surprised by a cougar. They go sideways about 50 feet in one second, and you dont.

We always carried our rifles butt to head.

I was asked to ride sidesaddle in a parade once and did, but never again !!

 

[2rocky]

I treasure the time I spend on horseback hunting elk. In my mind it is part of the whole experience. But then again I have horses I use at home for ranch work as well.

My First Summer Job: packing in Feed in Northern Idaho.circa 1992

At home shipping cattle on Shorty..

Branding calves in Hat Creek on Rip

Doc and I in the Trail Class dragging brush..

I like a stout horse in the mountains...

2008 Nevada Mule deer hunt. We covered a lot of ground on horseback. Saw lots of deer. Plenty of close encounters, No dead bucks.
.

2007 opening day Just before shooting light we bumped into a grizzly in the black timber. 10 minutes after first light I shot this bull. We weren't gonna wait for a pack horse so we slung the quarters on the saddle horses and walked the six miles back to camp.

2009 opening day The horses got us to the bottom of the draw but the last 1/2 mile was on foot, uphill.

 

[2rocky]

New Mexico Elk Packout

My last/latest Wyoming bull

My Folks, now 79 and 75 leading pack horses on a summer scouting trip in Wyoming. My mom was riding the Dun and the mare remembered the way to camp a year later...

 

[2rocky]

These were two good ol boys....

The bay was $500 as a 5 yo with 90 days on him and the paint was given to us after he survived Pigeon Fever. They paid us back many times over and are both passed on...

 

[2rocky]

California Boys, packing out camp for the Wyoming boys.....Don't worry fellas, we got this....

 

[tkhuntsman]

I know it's an old post but I came across it and figured I'd better show it some love. I guided horseback hunts in the mountains for 15 years and got out of it about 5 years ago. It started getting to expensive and my body couldn't take that kind of abuse for 4 months a year anymore. Plus I wanted to do more of my own hunts and my favorite saddle horse and pack string were to old to keep going and I just didn't have it in me to take on and train more stock. I can say I have so many good and bad memories and I've seen more than my share of ugly wrecks and dealt with more knuckleheaded horses and clients than I can count. Yeah I loved it lol

 

[tkhuntsman]

 

[tkhuntsman]

 

[Scott85]

I would love to have the money to get a couple of mules like @Mountain K has trained.

 

[JV842]

Took my grandson on a horseback spring bear hunt a couple years ago w some friends n their horses….too much fun