Turkey hunting forum for turkey hunting tips

Was scouting near horse trails on national forest today. Have y'all seen good success near them? I'm just nervous about the pressure if they get more active as weather improves.


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Horse trails will be busy on weekends when the weather is reasonable. Not so much during the week.

Something to think about if you shoot and spook a horse and the rider is seriously injured are you liable for that?

Quote from: Hook hanger on March 05, 2023, 09:49:13 AM
Something to think about if you shoot and spook a horse and the rider is seriously injured are you liable for that?

If you actually shoot the horse, probably. If you spook a horse accidentally probably not, "assumption of the risk" in a multi use public domain. At least that's what I kinda, blurrily remember from law school, lol

Quote from: Zobo on March 05, 2023, 10:27:28 AM

Quote from: Hook hanger on March 05, 2023, 09:49:13 AM
Something to think about if you shoot and spook a horse and the rider is seriously injured are you liable for that?

If you actually shoot the horse, probably. If you spook a horse accidentally probably not, "assumption of the risk" in a multi use public domain. At least that's what I kinda, blurrily remember from law school, lol

percent though anyone can pose a civil suit for anything in the end.


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In my opinion why would they not close these area from horse riding during turkey season, turkey season is just so many days and closing these trails for horse riding would help everyone including those wanting to hunt.  You have to think, for the rest of the year roughly 11 months out of the year these trails are open to trail riding / hikers.  So unless they close these trails i feel your going to encounter horses and others while trying to hunt these trails. IMO

Because they have just as much right to the forest as hunters do. They don't close them during deer season either, which in my opinion is a lot more unsafe than turkey season.

Quote from: roosterstraw on March 05, 2023, 12:26:58 PM
Because they have just as much right to the forest as hunters do. They don't close them during deer season either, which in my opinion is a lot more unsafe than turkey season.

Yes, i agree with the unsafe part / regardless ... 

Quote from: roosterstraw on March 05, 2023, 12:26:58 PM
Because they have just as much right to the forest as hunters do. They don't close them during deer season either, which in my opinion is a lot more unsafe than turkey season.

Or more right as they seem to think in my state. Been a struggle for years to try to legalize Sunday hunting for this very reason.

That being said there are plenty of riding/hiking trails that bisect some of the areas I hunt. Game use them all the time but people less so in the early hours turkey hunting usually takes place in. Have to play it by ear based on people traffic in that area.

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I've hunted larger areas that have one path and it was easy to avoid those places. Also never ran across horse on them, much less fresh tracks to make me think they were used. But yesterday I saw a fair amount of tracks, so got me more worried about it than I've been in years past.


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Horse makes a fine meal

Had 2 ladies deep in conversation come past several years ago about 7-8 yards away, never knew I was there.
I may have nodded off, didn't hear them until they were close, didn't dare move for risking spooking a horse.

Quote from: crow on March 05, 2023, 12:54:03 PM
Horse makes a fine meal

Biscuits and gravy ...

Quote from: Greg Massey on March 05, 2023, 12:59:39 PM

Quote from: crow on March 05, 2023, 12:54:03 PM
Horse makes a fine meal

Biscuits and gravy ...

One of the reasons Tonto never smiled, he ran out of gravy

 Just saying.

In WV, My license includes the price of a NF stamp. Two dollars.

Campers, walkers, bikers, trail runners, horse back riders, none of these persons are required to pay the two dollars. Who has more right?

This question was posed many years ago because campers were complaining about houndsmen training dogs and breaking their silence.

Quote from: roosterstraw on March 05, 2023, 12:26:58 PM
Because they have just as much right to the forest as hunters do. They don't close them during deer season either, which in my opinion is a lot more unsafe than turkey season.

I have no issue with horse riders and hikers i just wish they had to buy a management area permit as I have to.   They get to use all the land for free and hunters have to pay for use.

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I'd think horse trails would be GREAT places to run-n-gun !!!  Turkeys probably be drawn there like magnets, looking to pick scrap grain outta the horse turds.   ;D

Just check your state laws concerning hunting over bait.   :TooFunny:

Quote from: Yoder409 on March 05, 2023, 08:42:50 PM
I'd think horse trails would be GREAT places to run-n-gun !!!  Turkeys probably be drawn there like magnets, looking to pick scrap grain outta the horse turds.   ;D

Just check your state laws concerning hunting over bait.   :TooFunny:

:TooFunny: It wouldn't surprise me to see someone getting cited for that kind of thing :TooFunny:

Quote from: WV Flopper on March 05, 2023, 07:52:31 PM
Just saying.

In WV, My license includes the price of a NF stamp. Two dollars.

Campers, walkers, bikers, trail runners, horse back riders, none of these persons are required to pay the two dollars. Who has more right?

This question was posed many years ago because campers were complaining about houndsmen training dogs and breaking their silence.

Just my opinion. I'd STRONGLY oppose making those folks pay the $2 fee. Why? Because that gives them a seat at the table. And they'll outnumber hunters when it comes time to implement/change  legislation /regulations. Currently hunters are the only ones paying these fees for the most part, but when hikers/bikers etc are paying 6x as much as hunters and are bringing in more revenue who do you think the forest service is going to rule in favor of? The majority or minority. Just food for thought.

But to answer the original question. Few years ago in some Appalachian mountains a friend of mine and I were hunting and I got a text along the lines of "was working a bird and horseback group just blew up my hunt". He was hunting on a ridge with a well traveled horse trail.

In my area, horse trails are everywhere. We live in a big "Horse Community " if you will.  Just part of the deal. Last year was the first time in several years ( hunted these things since 1988) that I was ever messed up on a gobbler with a horseback rider. Most riders don't roll out until midmorning, so I try to hunt the heavily traveled areas early and go deeper away from the trail midmorning and after. We have owned horses are whole lives as well, so we just deal with it and adapt.

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The Florida WMA that I was drawn for and hunted last year does not allow horses during hunting periods.  I just looked it up since it was of little concern. It is a quota hunt area so it would only involve less than 30 days total including the turkey, deer, and small game days that horses would be excluded.  In Florida horse people get what they want.  I haven't heard any complaining about this rule.

The public lands that I hunt are heavily used by horse people, I have seen the parking area overflowing with horse trailers. That area is probably used more by horse people than hunters. When I used to hunt the front side of that land I would leave at about 8:00AM as the riders would start to be on the trails. I now hunt from a different access point that is not used very much by riders, although I have seen a few.   

I've hunted around them for years. Horse, bicycle, motorcycle side by side and hikers. Few tips...

If the birds are there they are use to all the activity. Which for the most part won't start till 9ish.

If you're working a bird and people or atvs and horses pass through, hang tight. He knows where you are, 20-30 minutes later he will be back. Wait for him to gobble or focus towards the last place he did.

Just like those morning hunts when hens Lead him away, when they leave him later on he goes back looking for you

Be Patient, same goes for a deer blowing. 20-40 minutes later he will come back Or gobble.

Patience kills turkeys ...
Believe me I have to remind myself of that. Lol

Doesn't always work but it has for me many times

Quote from: Cowboy on March 06, 2023, 05:35:43 AM
In my area, horse trails are everywhere. We live in a big "Horse Community " if you will.  Just part of the deal. Last year was the first time in several years ( hunted these things since 1988) that I was ever messed up on a gobbler with a horseback rider. Most riders don't roll out until midmorning

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Ive had a little problem a couple of times recently. And this happens on private land. I sometimes hunt property flanked by some horse farms. I caught my German neighbor on horseback twice riding there. I told her that I don't particularly care if she rides on the property EXCEPT during turkey season. I think she understands English, but is probably playing a little dumb, "Oh, I'm thinking you said ya in spring" —lol! She's full of baloney! 

killed a gobbler in a horse riding area 2 years ago. matter of fact, somebody at the road was unloading a trailer of horses when i came out. i should say we started in a horse riding area, i actually wound up killing him about a 1/2 mile from there as he led me on a wild goose chase.

I have an issue with wild horses in my area..and riders too

Somewhere on a horse trail riding forum , they talking about those pesky turkey hunters !!

I help cut & maintain trails at two different horse farms within a mile of each other.  They're both on private land, but anyone who rides the adjoining trails can possibly ride onto the farms I hunt.  I've had more trouble from idiots on four wheelers (who don't have permission to be there), joggers, & dog walkers. I'm supposed to be there, they're not.  Sometimes neighbors will hack over on their horses to visit.  I started letting the riders at each farm know that if they see my truck parked in one particular spot, I'll be hunting.  I also have a couple blaze orange "Hunter in the area" signs I set out near the block I'll be in, that way they can take other trails and leave me alone. 

Having the trails for access makes moving through the woods fast, easy, and quiet.  It especially helps when you start on a ridge and can quickly move on a gobbling bird.  The downside of that is that turkeys also use those trails and they can slip by behind you silently, though they can also follow the same trail right back to you.

Most of the riders just hold off riding until I'm out of the woods.  If I move a long way away from the trail, I'll pull the signs and nobody has to worry about me being close or them being close to me.

The farm that my wife keeps her horse at always has a spring barn party and I usually marinate half a turkey breast to grill and share with the ladies.  It is always a huge hit and I have been granted access to hunt other land because they know me and how I hunt without disturbing their ride or them disturbing my hunt.

There is a big lease not far from here (3,000+ acres) that they charge riders ($100 per year) to access the place, but it is closed to horses during deer and turkey season.  There is a longtime group who hunt foxes with hounds on horseback on the same land, but not during deer or turkey season.

Many of the riders were initially apprehensive about having me hunt those farms, but they never see me and seldom hear shots, because I'm usually done before they want to ride.  I can see where hunting a national forest that also allows horseback riding might be tricky, because one doesn't know what the other is doing, or where they might be.  It seems to me they ought to put some horse trails in state parks where hunting isn't allowed, or put areas off limits to riding during turkey season.

Jim

I would tend to agree with several here in that if a horse rider bumps your bird, that said bird will probably be okay after a bit of time has passed. Especially if horse riding is common.

My concern would be, as several have stated, scaring the horse when not knowing one was around. But I would think it would be horse rider beware during hunting season. Just as hunters are aware that horses may be near by..horse riders should know when hunting season is in and be aware.

I've hunted areas with horse trails but I've never encountered one. Just saw tracks where they had been there.

Maybe a little off topic but do you guys have luck killing birds on trails?  I always seem to kill them off to the side, rarely come strolling down the trail when coming to the call, more like they are sneaking through cover adjacent to the trail for me.

Quote from: Dtrkyman on March 12, 2023, 02:45:12 PM
Maybe a little off topic but do you guys have luck killing birds on trails?  I always seem to kill them off to the side, rarely come strolling down the trail when coming to the call, more like they are sneaking through cover adjacent to the trail for me.

We have lots of trails here where I live. I can honestly say, I have only killed one gobbler that was on the trail and he popped out in from the side within gun range. The horse trails around here do get used by turkeys though quite a bit. Dusting, strut marks and tracks are abundant. The trails actually provide a means to quickly get to a gobbling bird and faster to run and gun an area I feel. I don't feel hindered at all.

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