a nother question from the new guy....

WiskeyJaR · Post by **WiskeyJaR** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 11:48 am

I read in the different posts aboout folks "riding" behind thier dogs. I'm curiuos, do you actually shoot from mount? would think that could be a tad hetic.
Im assuming the mounts are to keep up with the dogs? Or is this more for "fur" hunters?

Post by **Greg Jennings** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 11:52 am

Some pointing dog field trials are mounted.

There is a long history of hunting behind pointing dogs on horse, from wagons, jeeps, etc.

Best, Greg J.

Post by **Greg Jennings** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 12:51 pm

Thanks, Ted. I should have been more clear.

The "vehicle" is to get there...not to shoot from.

Wagonmaster · Post by **Wagonmaster** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 1:42 pm

Shooting off a horse is like shooting out of a canoe. It might work, and then again you might wind up on your butt in the swamp. People who have extremely well broke horses will do it sometimes, but not me. Besides, the smoothest way to mount the scabbard is under your knee, so you can't get to the shotgun unless you get off. Some guys mount it vertically ahead of the left stirrup, so they can draw the shotgun from the saddle, but you can also wind up getting speared on the shotgun stock that way. Again, that is for extremely well practiced experts who do it every day.

You should dismount and shoot from terra firma.

WildRose · Post by **WildRose** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 8:56 pm

good explainations so far. Very few bird hunters actually will hunt from horseback. There's just not a whole lot of the country where it can be done practically these days because where we hunt tends to get smaller and smaller every year.

Mostly we're talking about field trial dogs when we're talking about follwing them horseback. Not because you MUST have a horse to keep up with them, but it sure makes for an easier day with less miles on your feet and gives you a much better vantage point to watch the dogs.

I have three horses that you can actually shoot off of, but it takes a heck of a lot of coordination and careful thought. Guaranteed the first time you fire a shotgun over a horses head you are probably going to end up on your butt. You may very well also kill your horse if he raises his head. You can on a well broke horse shoot the left or right at roughly ninety degrees but it is rather difficult for most people to master. CR

Casper · Post by **Casper** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 9:28 pm

Maybe this pic will help visually explain the use of the horse. Doug Favor probably has actually hunting pics.

WiskeyJaR · Post by **WiskeyJaR** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 10:14 pm

would be fun Im thinking, just a little to brushy on my side of the hills for horses normally.

DGFavor · Post by **DGFavor** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 10:38 pm

We shoot our blank pistols off our horses all the time training and during derby stakes, especially when we're lazy or have had a stop to flush and just don't feel like getting off. My buddy Rich has thrown some lead at birds with his shotgun off his horse but I'm not sure he has ever hit anything - like the canoe, analogy, the bird has to fly in the perfect flight path because you can really only swing the gun one direction without tipping yourself off the horse. Rich did nail a jackrabbit one day as we were riding along in a shot for the ages! John, I carry my gun under my knee as well but it's very easy to reach down while riding, pull it out, load up, slide off as the horse stops and be flushing with a loaded gun pretty quickly. I don't like carrying the gun loaded in the scabbard but don't mind loading it on horseback as we hustle to a find - I'm working at doing it with the reins in my teeth and hollering "come and get it you SOB's!!"

Depending on the horse, we'll either dismount and just leave the horse standing or if it's a horse that's known to wander off , we'll just go in and flush with the horse in hand, shooting with the horse standing right next to us. My old faithful horse Dark likes to wander off, then just as you go to catch him, he's like your buddy that lurches the car forward just as you go to grab the passenger door handle and get in - you can almost see him laughing as he does it. After I remind him I'm carrying a gun, he stops and lets me back on.

Here's a pic of going in to flush with horses in hand. We had Stitch on point off the picture to the right and another simultaneous point from Smoke about 150yds away (if you've got some good eyes you can make him out about an 1" above the horse on the left head) so the guys just took the horses with them rather than walk all the way out and walk back:

Here's JR all tacked up headin' out for some sharpies with yours truly. You can see the gun is pretty easy to grab. I don't like it vertical but I tip it up because in steep country like ours, if its too horizontal the barrel end of the scabbard jabs them pretty bad in the back leg digging up steep hills. You'll actually see the gun jackhammering back and forth as it happens if it's not set up right:

My goal one day:

DGFavor · Post by **DGFavor** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 11:11 pm

In case you thought I was telling tales in the above, a blown up version showing Smokeyboy waiting for us to finish our business with Stitch and head his way. Fun stuff!

:

sharptailhunter · Post by **sharptailhunter** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 6:46 pm

Is it my orange shirt or the blown-up picture that makes me look fat?

snips · Post by **snips** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 9:43 pm

Doug, when I saw that picture of John Wayne I was trying to remember what he yelled right before he charged.

Post by **slistoe** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 9:52 pm

It's in the text just above the pictures.

snips · Post by **snips** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 10:11 pm

Yep, something about You SOB's, but can't remember what. I think that was from The Cowboys

DGFavor · Post by **DGFavor** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 11:14 pm

True Grit - facing down the Ned Pepper gang I think. Had his horse fall on him - first time he ever had to cuss him. Good stuff. I remember watching that movie at the drive-inn (yah, no kiddin') with my parents.

Is it my orange shirt or the blown-up picture that makes me look fat?

Neither.

Don · Post by **Don** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 8:19 am

Yes it was True Grit and as he faced down Ned Peppers gang. But it was at the beginning of the first charge. When his horse went down he simply said "Bo this is the first time I ever had reason to cuss you". Got the movie if you want the exact words.

As for shooting over a horses head, have someone hold a shotgun muzzle, or rifle if you prefer, over your head a foot or so and pull the trigger. You do that and you deserve to be on the ground in the swamp! Worse than the noise is the concussion. You only realize how stupid a horse is when it let's you back on after something like that!

Richard *UT* · Post by Richard *UT* » Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:13 am

I am one of those guys that has a nack for remembering lines from movies. I believe he said. "Load your hands you SOB" before charging in. If you want I can give you all the lines to tombstone.

highcotton · Post by **highcotton** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 10:18 am

Don wrote:Yes it was True Grit and as he faced down Ned Peppers gang. But it was at the beginning of the first charge. When his horse went down he simply said "Bo this is the first time I ever had reason to cuss you". Got the movie if you want the exact words.

As for shooting over a horses head, have someone hold a shotgun muzzle, or rifle if you prefer, over your head a foot or so and pull the trigger. You do that and you deserve to be on the ground in the swamp! Worse than the noise is the concussion. You only realize how stupid a horse is when it let's you back on after something like that!

Don, I have had that happen in a duck blind. I never hunted with that guy again.

Don · Post by **Don** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 10:52 am

Yea. I think the concussion is mush worse than the noise. I had a guy do that to me with a 44mag. Have no idea where he is today.

markj · Post by **markj** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 11:58 am

Fill your hands with iron I belive he said, it has been awhile since I saw/read that one.

If you shot off the horse once you probably wouldn't want to do it again,if you lived through it the first time

Hahaha calvery mounts were broke to that, mules too. I myself dont get up on horses, they go nuts when you least expect it and who ends up busted and hurt? why me

that is. Been thrown way to many times from very tall horses. Wont find any on my place. I will ride motorcycles (which I do often) but no more horses...