some movement, which is desirable. I hang my rifle on the right side as it doesn’t interfere with mounting and the weight helps balance the saddle when I mount and dismount from the left. The rifle can be conveniently removed from the scabbard while mounted should you want to shoot from the saddle. (Note: train your horse for this maneuver first.) I almost never shoot from the saddle. In fact, I almost never shoot in a hurry at all. If I see a coyote while riding, I’d rather sneak away and attempt to call him, but I guess that’s personal preference. The rifle is the only thing I hang from the right side of the saddle. On the left side of the saddle I have more stuff. Just be-
hind the left stirrup leather I have a ring in which to hang a pair of hobbles. They don’t weigh much and can be a lifesaver when there are no trees. On the rear cinch I have a leather holster, basically just a close fitting tube which holds a three D-cell flashlight. This piece of equipment doesn’t get used much but, wow, when you need it you need it! When hunt- ing in this fashion, I leave the halter and lead rope on under the bridle. This makes it easy to tie up. I prefer to coil the lead rope and tie it to the saddle strings on the left side. This way, should the rope get caught on a branch, the strings can break. If you clove hitch it to the saddle horn, it is a potential wreck if it hangs up. Then (now I’m revealing my biggest secret), I hang a folding chair to my rope strap, on the left side. This chair is, in my opinion, the best aid to shooting there is. It allows you to be comfortable, but also, and maybe more important, it steadies your back for the shot. I find it to be far more helpful than a bipod for steadying the shot. (I might venture another column on this in the future.) Finally, I put on a pair of saddle
bags. These are for skinning equipment, water bottle, and whatever else you might be lonely without. They also are for transporting pelts. It is difficult and ugly to try to haul a dead coyote lashed
to your saddle horn. It can be done, but honestly, if you are saving pelts, take along some parachute cord, string the coyote up from a tree branch and skin him while he’s warm. It will save a lot of time in the long run and your horse will thank you. Loaded this way, my equipment balances nicely. If you
are a little heavy on one side or the other, generally, you can adjust the load in the saddle bags to balance. If you take along an extra coat or shed one during the day, it can be tied behind the cantle. I always include some extra cord for whatever comes up. This style of hunting is not for everyone, of course, but
it allows access to lots of country which is closed to vehicles. Also, even in areas where motor vehicles are allowed, it allows access to far more of the country. I am sure that a lot of the areas I hunt are also hunted by every guy who buys a predator call at the local sporting goods shop. My belief is that the coyotes are more ready to come in a direction from which they don’t hear a call every Saturday evening. I bet most of the calling in my area is done pretty close to a truck and I believe the horse allows me to fool some of these educated rascals. I hope these tips will help some of you give your horse some much needed exercise and provide some grand adventure for you, too. P.S. If it’s your wife’s horse, tell her you are just legging him up for her. Maybe even ask for pay, say, 50 bucks a ride!
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