Has anyone hunted on horseback

Manica-boy

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I am a zimbabwean with a general interest in hunting and I haven't been on a hunt with a pH. My hunting is restricted to hunting for the pot and I am curious to know how do animals react to a hunter on horseback (I'm thinking kudu, steenbok etc). Do the animals get spooked even more or the opposite in terms of getting near them

Thanks
 
Wildlife seems somewhat disturbed by horseback riders in some locations.

There's another of Lions chasing some folks. You can look it up.
 
I am a zimbabwean with a general interest in hunting and I haven't been on a hunt with a pH. My hunting is restricted to hunting for the pot and I am curious to know how do animals react to a hunter on horseback (I'm thinking kudu, steenbok etc). Do the animals get spooked even more or the opposite in terms of getting near them

Thanks
There are Outfitters in America who use horses as cover to sneak up to shoot pronghorn antelope, especially bow hunting. They kind of angle past the prey so as not to spook them by going straight at them. However they don't ride but rather walk along side opposite the prey. I've heard of doing it for elk and mule deer as well.

I don't have a horse so I told some buddies if they draw a mule deer bow tag I'll lead a cow for them;)
 
There are Outfitters in America who use horses as cover to sneak up to shoot pronghorn antelope, especially bow hunting. They kind of angle past the prey so as not to spook them by going straight at them. However they don't ride but rather walk along side opposite the prey. I've heard of doing it for elk and mule deer as well.

I don't have a horse so I told some buddies if they draw a mule deer bow tag I'll lead a cow for them;)
The secret to this is that North American game apparently can see humans and count them. But they have not yet learned how to count legs;)

I have no idea if African game can count legs, but I strongly suspect lions can. And leopards just don't give a shit.....
 
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I have hunted Bengal Bush Boar on horse back ... Quite a bit . My superior , the Great Rao Naidu Of Hyderabad ... Was extremely fond of hunting in this manner . What do you wish to know ?
 
I've hunted Red Lechwe in the Okavango on horse back. The horses were just used to get around, once the Lechwe were spotted we stalked on foot. It was an amazing hunt! Quite a few years ago now, hopefully we'll be able to do it again one day (hunt in the delta...)!
 
I'm a city slicker vs a country boy but I thought horses had to be trained to allow someone shooting off their backs.
 
I'm told things usually get interesting if you fire a gun while on horseback.
Horses can be trained but shooting a full power rifle over a horse's head will definitely damage the beast's hearing and quite likely your bones.

 
You are guaranteed ONE shot on horseback. ;)

Botswana.JPG

I consider myself to be a not inexperienced cross-country rider, but it is too hot for me.
Neurosurgeons are not often found in the bush.

@perttime
fabulous this video of the Mounted shooter.Do you know which gun and caliber they shoot with?
And the girl is great and tough.
You have to concentrate enormously in this hectic rush.
It is reported that Custer once shot his horse with a revolver in the excitement of a buffalo hunt.
Shixyxy happens :)
 
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fabulous this video of the Mounted shooter.Do you know which gun and caliber they shoot with?
And the girl is great and tough.
You have to concentrate enormously in this hectic rush.
...

For those events they use BLANK special ammo guaranteed to break a balloon at 20 feet. Gun is a SA gun same as Cowboy Action shooting competitions.
 
I pretty much exclusively hunt horseback in Wyoming. I have found using horses useful in finding game. They usually spot game before I do.
 
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@perttime
fabulous this video of the Mounted shooter.Do you know which gun and caliber they shoot with?
...
As Tanks says, they use blanks. 45 Colt rounds with a charge that throws embers far enough to bust the balloons. I saw the sparks fly in parts of the video.
 
As Tanks says, they use blanks. 45 Colt rounds with a charge that throws embers far enough to bust the balloons. I saw the sparks fly in parts of the video.

Here you can see the embers, quite a spread.
OIP.4jqa1wWoP6nADLh7bKl2cwHaFS
 

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Used to ride into hilly country chasing red deer.
True story:
A fiery little red head man was a fantastic shot with both rifle and hand gun.
Chasing wild pigs on horseback and was shooting the pigs.
Pigs ran across in front of the horse.
Red head put a Bullet through one of the horse’s ears.
Poor horse!
Yes it’s true.
Australians are different!!
 
Twenty years ago we had a friend with a large ranch and well trained hunting horses. In December we would hunt deer while in saddle. We used buckshot and the horses were very good at navigating thick palmetto brush which the deer hid out in. The horse would put the hunter high enough so we had decent vision. These horses were steady as a rock on after a shot. It was really great fun feeling like the days of old hunting as a “ Florida Cracker”. Elk hunting we would hunt on horseback but all shots with the black powder gun were taken dismounted, the few shots taken in close proximity of the horses startled them but they were well behaved. I believe it’s a little like a gun dog. With proper training and break in they become OK. Hunting on a horse always seemed to not spoke elk as a hunter on foot. It also appeared that even on the swirling wind time in the mountains the human scent wasn’t as much of a disturbance to the elk we passed by.
 
I’ve hunted a number of times on horseback getting to where we were going to hunt. We dismounted and hunted on foot. I guess they don’t hunt from horseback in Africa because they have Landrovers? Ha! Ha!
 

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