Horseback- Scent and Elk?
Elk
I'll be going in by horseback.
Does the scent of a horse help, hinder or doesn't matter while elk hunting?
Should I wear separate non hunting clothes for the ride in?
I'll be going in by horseback.
Does the scent of a horse help, hinder or doesn't matter while elk hunting?
Should I wear separate non hunting clothes for the ride in?
Ozonics lashed to the saddle will take care of it
Bou don't lie to him. What you have to do is put your ozonics on a trekking pole attached to the saddle. So the magic fairy dust can rain down over you and the horse at the same time.
I'm no expert, but my guess is if they smell the horse smell on your clothes, they already smell you in them.
I am curious to see what the experts say on this one , but I'm guessing it would be better to smell like horse than a human .
Makes no difference. If they wind you it's over. I would not bother with "riding" clothes. After the first morning hike everything you are wearing will smell like you anyway.
Its been my experience that elk will hear your horse walking thru the timber and stay put and watch you ride by, thinking its another elk.
Ride in wearing comfortable clothes, elk dont care. Good chance they have seen cowboys riding thru the timber looking for cattle.
Dont over-think it
Back in the day elk would watch us pack out meat as we were outta tags
Bring your scent killer in your saddle bags and elk scent, cover up after you get off the horse. We ride all the time year round and the elk a lot of the time just look at you. Pulse the horses are a pulse, put a set of saddle panniers in your saddle bags along with game bags, saves a ton of time.
Horse scent will not hurt as far as I know. I do drop camps every other year-the elk are used to campfire smoke and horses because the outfitter does trail rides all summer. They are not use to Alpakas that Southern Hunters bring in to get back-in fact that scares them really bad! I have used the horse smell as a cover up-it worked!
If an elk can smell the horse on you, they can smell you. . .
No experience with horses and elk, but when I was a kid I spent a lot of time on horses. I was always amazed at how close I could ride a horse to a deer or turkeys. They seemed to ignore the sound of a horse walking, as it has that 4-legged cadence that wildlife is accustomed to from livestock in pastures throughout a year
Bake
Elk don't mind horses at all. They wander around the meadow with the horses where we picketed out and I've called bulls in while standing behind a couple.
It's the gas produced from human bacteria covering our skin that freaks them out.
Horses in elk country, no problem! I've used them a few times with zero issues in spooking elk, if anything they can attract elk or have them hang around out of curiosity as they hear their hooves pounding the ground similar as their own hooves do.
ElkNut1
I struggled for days teaching my mule to chew chlorophyll gum.
No worries here about smelling like a horse. I have to say it smells a lot better than a stinky elk hunter, especially myself ;) Great picture cnelk.
Just make sure you take enough Scent-Away to bathe the horses daily. Hourly would be better. And be sure to wash all your clothes regularly too. And yourself. And spray down in cover scent. Then hang those stupid wafers off your hat. And don't forget to wear your carbon suit! And wear rubber boots. And a rubber suit if and when you're around a campfire. Plus, don't breathe, and definitely don't shed any skin cells.
If you do all that, and hunt the wind, you'll be fine.
I'm in the "if they can smell the horse on you they can smell you" camp.
Now... in some cases they might be conditioned to not linking danger to smelling the two together.... kinda like patchouli oil on CO trails...... but they will smell you.
Elk noses I've been told are as good or better than bird dogs. I've had one of my GSPs retrieving a pheasant.... and lock up on another rooster with one in his mouth, it's scent had to be near overwhelming, but he knew there was another one near. I believe they can not only tell the individual difference from bird to bird... they know each one of their names as well.... they live in a sensual world beyond our grasp to understand.....
They smell the horse on you, they smell you..... easy....
Glunt you need to get that mule some of that alfalfa gum. Just don't let him swallow it or he will be blowing bubbles out his butt going up the trail.
Good one pistol pete.
Scent from a horse is the last thing a guy needs to worry about.
It depends. Few elk will correlate horses with hunters. Some might. Few elk see horses as a threat. Some might. Although I have ridden right through groups of elk in the dark, it's generally a good idea to stay out of earshot and scent alarm range.
I spend a fair amount of time leading my horse down the mountain. Usually I will have my bow in hand. I have had many close encounters but have yet to shoot an archery elk with my horse in sight of the elk. Been close though. Real close.
Although I believe the vast majority of cover scents and scent killers are gimmicks and useless.... I never seem to walk past horse or cow crap without grinding my boot bottoms in it!!
Have fun. Enjoy the ride!
Heck I had a Randy young bull come in to camp and check out our mule at noon one time. I was moving him to water and feed. If I had my bow in hand it was a 20 yard shot.
You can't control scent in a pack in camp scenario. Don't waste your time, money or energy. IMHO.
I'd worry more about the bath toilets for me than smelling like a horse. God Bless
