Thread: Hunting on Horseback

Originally Posted by DavidGunn

Where I am on Thompson's Track in the Kaimai-Mamaku Forest Park one can access a small part of the park with horses as the track is a public road and the area most hunted is under Enviroment Waikato control, EV have no signs up and nor does DoC as to where boundaries are, so one can ride up to the Hundred Acres, leave the horse on EV land and hunt DoC land....at the moment there is no quad or 4X4 access on Thompsons, one can get through on a motorbike (needs some skill level though)....if anyone wants to do a weekend away and wants a pack horse to get their gear up there (one doesn't need to ride but can lead) I could possibly help out as I have horses and pack saddles.

I might take you up on that. Which side are you on?

Years ago I tried pig hunting on horseback, on the station I was working on.
Pleasant day out but I had far more success taking a quad and then hunting on foot. Could get into far more areas and wasn’t tied to having to return to horse.
Also, a scabbard is a must. Rifle slung over your back is a no go if there’s any chance of having to ride horse under a tree. The horse doesn’t stop just because you’re hung up in a tree haha.
The other must is the horse MUST be bombproof.
I think it would be well worth a go down south.

Originally Posted by Maddoghunter

I might take you up on that. Which side are you on?

Waikato

Originally Posted by Maddoghunter

Years ago I tried pig hunting on horseback, on the station I was working on.
Pleasant day out but I had far more success taking a quad and then hunting on foot. Could get into far more areas and wasn’t tied to having to return to horse.
Also, a scabbard is a must. Rifle slung over your back is a no go if there’s any chance of having to ride horse under a tree. The horse doesn’t stop just because you’re hung up in a tree haha.
The other must is the horse MUST be bombproof.
I think it would be well worth a go down south.

I would have thought returning to quad as similar to returning to horse if having to leave it to hunt on foot.

Wife on horseback with two way radio saw stuff there was no way I would have. Up so high she could see into gullys etc well before someone on foot.
Plus the deer don't spook anywhere near the same as someone on foot.

And lastly, when a jump of a deeply incised stream goes astray.....horse is quite good at pulling the two wheeler out

Originally Posted by blip

Used to be quite common to see guys coming through on horses up the horomunga and have them stop for a cuppa. One guy that basicaly lived in there had a couple roaming around his hut

I camped at the biv halfway up the river to poplars, had couple of electric tapes above and below in the riverbed to stop the horse from wondering off. Shot a few donkeys spotlighting the flats and cks then haul them down to the bottom. Ah if only the biv could talk. Say no more.

Originally Posted by DavidGunn

I would have thought returning to quad as similar to returning to horse if having to leave it to hunt on foot.

Don’t have to worry about tying a quad bike up.
Some pig chases can end up a long way away.
And can give multiple dogs a lift home on quad, rather than just one on a horse

'whoosh'

Originally Posted by SmokeyJason

I camped at the biv halfway up the river to poplars, had couple of electric tapes above and below in the riverbed to stop the horse from wondering off. Shot a few donkeys spotlighting the flats and cks then haul them down to the bottom. Ah if only the biv could talk. Say no more.

Was that at quirkys? that was harry with the tape up

Originally Posted by blip

Was that at quirkys? that was harry with the tape up

No, I was there all winter in 80, possums.

Here ya go......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9818zvRe4o

I've done two incredible hunts using horses in Wyoming, USA. Great experience to ride in and then have them pack out the meat.

Good luck William. Have you looked at taking horses into the Nevis area?

Originally Posted by cb14

I've done two incredible hunts using horses in Wyoming, USA. Great experience to ride in and then have them pack out the meat.

Good luck William. Have you looked at taking horses into the Nevis area?

Done and dusted now, this thread was a few years old now, I ended up getting access to a 10,000ha station near me that made transporting my horse there much easier. I some my horse about a year ago due to time commitments.

Was really good to get a deer and work towards the goal for hunting on horseback but it's just way easier to hunt other ways. Good experience doing it though.[ATTACH]229064

Originally Posted by gundoc

Big plus on a well-trained horse! I have used them a bit in the past and you can definitely get closer to deer on horseback. Make sure that your horse will not be spooked by putting a carcass on it, especially a stag! I have seen one rear up, lash out with its hooves and then bolt, never to be seen until the next day back at the yards with a very battered saddle underneath it and no bridle. I would me more inclined to use a horse to get to the right area then leave it somewhere safe while you hunt on foot.

Lawrence of Arabia wrote about his first battle when riding a camel. He was racing down a hillside and fired his revolver and the World suddenly went black. When he came around he discovered that he had shot his camel in the back of the head!

@gundoc did you read about the movie and how O’toole and Omar Sharif did that famous charge. The tired them selves on and were pissed. When they got to the end one of them had slipped down under the camel.
Here you go have a read https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbi...ce-Arabia.html
Sorry to get away from the thread.
Sure don’t make actors like they used to eh