Take A Friend Hunting
You’ve heard you should take a friend hunting right, so does a horse count? Many people hunt on horseback like Max. He’s a middle aged fella who wears a camouflage ball cap to cover his bald head. Shiny bald heads will give anyone away to the game they’re trying to stalk up on.
Max loves to hunt anything and everything and he only hunts off his trusty thoroughbred friend, Macks. Are you wondering why they have the same name? We’ll say it’s because Max likes to talk to himself and with a horse that has the “same” name, it may be hard to tell the difference. Clever or crazy? Who’s judging right?
Why does Max prefer hunting from horseback? If you’ve ever observed wildlife you’ll notice unless it’s a predator they don’t have a problem with cohabitation. By entering the hunting realm on a horse some animals will be comfortable seeing another four legged creature in their living room and that may just give him the advantage he needs.
Max Mounted Macks
After slinging his Wicked Ridge Invader M1 Crossbow with the Allen Titan Crossbow Sling, Max mounted Macks and set out expecting to have a great harvest. With his bald head and face hidden with a Scent Lok Head Cover he decided to take a different path than the usual one.
As he rides through the thick green undergrowth he passed by and under the new leaf growth. While dodging a low hanging branch, he leaned forward and it gave him the perfect view of the thirteen point Whitetail buck. That’s the same one He had been watching for three and a half years. That’s something you don’t see everyday! The buck was bedded down and didn’t seem interested in moving, after all, it’s only a horse.
The two friends knew to keep moving, so they slowly paraded by the lazy buck. He was either comfortable around the four legged transportation, or he knew it’s not deer season and he was safe. He followed them with his big brown marble eyes until they were out of sight and continued in his routine.
It’s Time
Excited about being able to witness a buck in the bed and leaving him there unspooked, Max and Macks walked on. Max reached into his Allen Terrain Waist Hunting Pack and pulled out the Woodhaven Cherry Classic Call and began to attempt to call the big one in. It’s time to get after some gobblers and hope they draw them in!
Some hunters prefer a box call, some a mouth call and others, the slate. Max loves his slate call because he said he has better control and success. Suddenly he hears a gobble and it’s time to put on a show. He needs to convince this Tom that he’s a bona fide hen. The gobbler draws closer with a gobble, gobble here and a gobble, gobble there, here a gobble, there a gobble, everywhere a gobble, gobble.
When the Toms, (yes I said Toms, there were three of them), began to close in, the excitement in both Max and Macks was evident. Max whispered, “Macks, they’re almost here, get ready!” Was he talking to the horse or himself? I don’t know.
Friend Or Foe
When the turkeys saw Macks they stopped while they decided whether or not they encountered a friend or foe. They decided he was a friend and they were right because we already established Macks was Max’s friend. In the midst of the deception, Max already had his crossbow ready and he took aim, he slung an arrow making a direct vital shot.
The bird took lift and there was so much brush that Max couldn’t tell where he went, so it’s time to scout without a blood trail. No sign and no Tom! They rounded a massive oak tree entering a lush green meadow like area in the midst of the woods. Suddenly a gobbler’s head pops up out of the tall grass. Max asked himself, “Is this the same turkey or one of the others that accompanied him?”
Regardless of having an answer, Max is still out a turkey and has lost faith that there will be a recovery. He takes aim at the second Tom and lets it fly, the arrow not the bird! This time he manages a headshot and the flop begins!
Max kneels down to admire his harvest and he looks up to tell Macks thank you for his assistance. “We made a great shot!” Suddenly, he sees the other Tom with his face in the dirt and done! That makes two turkeys in one hunt! Was it the horse? Max will tell you, “YES!”
Thank you for sharing this nice story.
I am not a regular readers of yours, despite being involved with bows and crossbows, but it seems that sometimes things come together for a good reading whatever the subject. Was it the title and initial picture that got me I don’t know, but I really enjoyed it.
Thanks for reading, Bill. Who doesn’t like horses??
What type of game do you typically hunt with your bow/crossbow?
My involvement with bows and crossbows does not include hunting. In my country this kind of hunting is prohibited, only with smooth bore shotguns is permitted…
There is at least 1 Guide in Wyoming that uses horses as “portable blinds” when stalking Pronghorns with archery tackle. They are used to being in pastures with horses and cattle, but apparently can’t count legs. They use the horses as cover to get in close, but have to wait until eyes are focused the other way before stepping way clear of the horse to take the shot. If you shoot a cowboy’s horse, it will probably be the end of you.
Couldn’t help being reminded about the Persian horse archers at the battle of Carrhae – their prey was two-legged. Quite an interesting blog post, learned a couple of things including the fact there is such as thing as hunting on horseback with crossbows. Then again, FM should have remembered Native Americans did that with bows and arrows.