Are deer afraid of horses ?

[fasteddie]

apparently not .......... ps the date and time are way off

[WNYBuckHunter]

They have horses on the farm I hunt and live on right now. I see deer in the pasture with the horses in there quite often.

[fasteddie]

I know .... it was a rhetorical question .

I have hunted that area for at least 20 years and it is horse country . I see the deer with the horses and neighbors horse quite a bit .

[landtracdeerhunter]

Mine are. The deer come in the brush, near the barn, running trails. Spooks horses quite often. Horses stand in the corner of the pasture and want no part of deer when in view. Better hold on for 'deer' life, cause your going for a ride, on or off the saddle,lol.

Edited September 1, 2012 by landtracdeerhunter

[Grouse]

I hunted deer and bear with a muzzleloader 14 miles back into the Adirondacks about a decade ago. We rode horses from the drop point to the camp area. We were able to ride within 40 yards of deer without spooking them. Only after we got close enough for them to see a man on the horse did the deer run. The guide said deer don't fear the sound of a horse coming because it sounds like any other for legged ungulate, which do not eat deer.

Hunting deer & Elk from horseback is quite common out west.

[rjw]

I have read many guides accountants back home of them hunting " 8 miles back in" but everytime we try that we come out twice,lol. Thats the nice thing about thick woods in the north country even a mile away paralleling a highway it feels like youre the only one on earth, other than the damned planes overhead, we were 8 miles back in yesterday at bourne pond in vt and when the noon whistle went off in town it made me jump so bad i dang near bit my pipe stem off, its that close straightline in open hardwoods to my ear. Several suggested maybe i switch to sanka,lol.

Ive never had horses or mules spook game be it bears elk moose or deer, i would get rid of any horse that spooked at deer, like dogs that fight at a tree, there are certain genes that simply shouldnt be passed on, imo

[Doc]

Well, I can certainly understand deer becoming at ease with horses when the horses are part of their everyday existance. It's like anything else in a white-tail's world. If they have frequent exposure without any negative incidents, they accept them as part of their environment.

However, what I wonder is how they view them when it is just the occasional horseback rider that comes wandering past your stand. Do they view that situation as being harmless? I have a feeling that that may not be the same situation. Also, do they view the scent of horses as being harmless in areas where they are not used to encountering the scent of horses?

[fasteddie]

A neighbor of my sister in laws was riding on her property and I confronted him . He rides the mowed trail on adjacent properties also . He said that often as he rode along by the tall grass / weeds a deer would stand up , look and lay back down .

[bubba]

they dont seem to eb here. The amish ride up on them in the fields and shoot the deer.

[New York Hillbilly]

Well then there you go. Deer are not afraid of horses. But, they should be if they are Amish! LOL!

Edited September 1, 2012 by New York Hillbilly

[fasteddie]

What goes clip clop , clip clop , bang ?

ans.... An Amish drive by !

[WNYBuckHunter]

Doc, a few years ago I was in one of my stands and had a person on a horse ride right by me. I was upset about it, but 20 mins later a group of doe walked by right where the horse had been.

[Doc]

So now comes the question .... lol. Is there any advantage to hunting from horseback? That would be kind of like hunting from a vehicle except it would be legal.

[Marti375]

I have seen deer walk inside a cattle barn and eat the feed. The farmer use to get land owner permits and tell me to shoot any deer I saw. the deer just got to use to the cattle and horses and didn't mind them for a free meal.

[landtracdeerhunter]

Doc, u better get a bomb proof horse, lol. Take a shot off most, the ground, she's a hard one.

Edited September 2, 2012 by landtracdeerhunter

[Doc]

Doc, u better get a bomb proof horse, lol. Take a shot off most, the ground, she's a hard one.

Maybe a lap-belt on the saddle? Hey, what the heck .... I saw the Duke blazing away on horse-back in True Grit. And that was at a full run. You could be riding, chasing and gunning all at the same time. YEE-HAH !!!!

[mxsmitz201]

i can see my neighbors horses in the pasture from one of the stands i hunt about 130 yds away and they make darn good spotters for deer that are in the thick brush that runs around their pasture. its nice, like having 6 sets of eyes and ears with the plus side that the deer arent afraid of the horses.