We are looking for a horsecamp within 4-6 hrs from Springfield,Mo. that is "hunter-safe" to ride this weekend.... I think Devil's Den in Nw Arkansas is the only one I know of... Does anyone else know of any? if so, please fill me in... Thanks!

Holliday heck!! it is how they git ridda da ones they don't like!

I think Oklahoma's season opens the day ours closes... 11/18...

So whats the problem with riding a horse during hunting season?  I'm not from your area, so I obviously don't understand the concern.  There are various hunts open in Utah from Bow Hunting in August, Limited entry Deer, Elk, Moose, Sheep, Goats Antelop in September, General Season Deer and Elk in October ans Late rifle hunts  November. And a few in December.  If I didn't ride during hunting season I would be avoiding the mountains for three to four months.

I also hunt so I am part of what goes on in the woods each fall. But I've never felt threatened by being in the woods during the fall. Hunters have to identify the game they are shooting prior to taking the shot. Even with bird hunting, hunters have to know if they are shooting a Tom or Hen Turkey. Most duck hunts have general limits i.e. 7 birds. and they also have species limits like only Two Redheads , One canvasback, etc. So hunters have to identify a bird quickly prior to shooting.

Painted Horse,

Utah must be a special place where all hunters obey all the rules. In our area I sometimes wouldn't feel safe with myself and my horse covered in hunter orange. Too many "good old boys" with loaded guns and "loaded with alcohol" just to keep the chill off !  I ride all thru the hunting seasons but never feel really safe about it. Myself and a riding companion have often remarked about the stories some of these guys would tell around the campfire at night after there big hunt,"You should have seen the big bay I got a shot at today, bet it weighed a good thousand pounds. Had a funny looking horn on its back instead of its head! Thing was so big you probably could have rode it!"LOL

Be carefull in them there woods, Ardly

 "Hunters have to identify the game they are shooting prior to taking the shot. Even with bird hunting, hunters have to know if they are shooting a Tom or Hen Turkey. Most duck hunts have general limits i.e. 7 birds."

Yes, that is true - in a perfect world.  This isn't a perfect world and that only applies to hunters with ethics and good thought process. I was raised up right in a family of such hunters, but can I ever tell you stories of cows and horses that have been shot "on accident" or by some nitwit that is frustrated and just wants to shoot something to see it drop, or is actually dumb enough to think that anything brown going thru the woods in hunting season MUST be a deer.

In this day and age of moronic thought process, I will rarely even ride my "Deliverance-type" road during hunting season.  I don't worry about my neighbors, but I do worry about the occasional poachers that come out from the Big City. 

Two years ago we had one very intelligent poacher run when he got spotted.  He ran away and left his truck behind --the men got his license number and tracked him down anyway.   Anyone that stupid, isn't someone I want to be horseback riding around.

All that being said, no matter what the time of year, if I'm on the road, I always ride with a hunter orange vest and visor, so I can be easily seen by anyone not paying attention.

Some areas where we have horse trails, are closed down during hunting season to the trail riders.  There's a messge there-----------

Again, it's not the real hunters I ever worry about.  It's the wannabee hunters that are the danger no matter how young or old they are.  In the words of Ron White, "You Can't Fix Stupid" and I don't care to chance riding around even one of them.

I ask the questions because I'm sure other parts of the country are different than my home.

I can understand hunters who have leased a property for hunting not wanting strangers moving around their lease scarying off the game they are seeking. I suspect that some folks don't ride to avoid these conflicts.

I just wanted to understand if you are really afraid of being shot by errant hunters. thats just foreign to me.

An idiot that just wants to kill something, and who would shoot a cow or sheep will do that in April as well as in October. So thats not a hunting season problem, just an idiot problem.

And idiot that doesn't look at whats behind his target, could just as easily hit you when shooting at turkeys or bear in the spring as shooting a deer in the fall.

And there are idiots in all 50 states. Utah hasn't figured out how to outlaw them yet.

It seems that I hear on the radio or read in the paper about at least one death each hunting season.  (Usually a buddy or self inflicted hunting accident) I've rarely heard of somebody being shot at a distance because somebody mistook them for an animal. Or because somebody was shooting at sounds in the bushes.

On the other hand I read in the paper at least weekly of somebody being killed by a car. Pedestrians crossing cross walks, bikers riding on the shoulder of a road. People just driving to work and getting hit by a drunk driver.

I can also open the obituaries every Monday and read about somebody who died when their ATV rolled or crashed while trail riding or at the sund dunes on Saturday.

And it seems that 2-3 times a summer I read about somebody who died when they came off their horse while riding.

So either the press chooses not to report on hunting accidents or their are many other ways where I have a greater chance of getting killed or hurt than hunting.

So I suspect my risk of getting killed are greater driving to the mountains than being in the mountains during hunting season.

I'm not questioning anybodys decision to remain safe. If in your area it's unsafe to go, then by all means stay home.   I just find it hard to believe that there are really that many idiots afield during deer season.

Painted Horse,

Last fall myself and a cousin where riding national forest land about fifty miles from where we live. Rode upon an elderly gentelman approx.30-40 yards further down the trail from us.He was crossing the trail at an angle and was positioned in such a way that there should have been no way that he wouldn't have seen us coming. The man never acknowledged us in any way whatsoever even though we were nearly right in front of him,just kept walking across the trail and on into the woods. Both of us looked at each other and for the time never said a word. After getting well by the man we both agreed that we were afraid to call out to him for fear that we'd be shot. Was a very scarry moment to be that close to someone with a gun that couldn't see any better than that not to mention to not be able to hear us talking as we rode along. Most of the time when we ride during hunting season nowadays, we make plenty of noise and talk loadly while going down the trails.I'm sure this upsets the hunters in the woods but not nearly as upset as I would be trying to stop the bleeding from myself or my cousins hunting accident! I agree that statisticaly you'd be more likely to be injured or killed in a automobile accident than by hunters bullets, but thats little comfort if you happen to be in someones cross-hairs. Don't get me wrong, I know alot of safe and considerate hunters, It's just not them that I'm concerned about!                                    

Here's to "may you never have a hunters bullet come whizzing by you" and "may all horses make it safely back to the barn!"

                                     ,Ardly

My neighbour lost a cow to a drunk hunter.  He thought he was on his hunting lease which was 20 miles away.  He was caught butchering the cow, figured it was already dead so he might as well eat it.

 We lived in an are that was "almost" a residential area.  The area was divided into 10 acre lots and sold off, but one of our neighbors had sold most of his and only had 2 acres.  His son would shoot birds (didn't matter what kind, there isn't a pigeon or crow season is there?) and there were several times when I was hit by falling bird shot.  He caught my gelding in the rear and now he is scared of loud noises.  I talked to his parents but their response was, he's on our land he can shoot if he wants.  So I called the sheriff and he told them it was illegal to shoot in a area with house and said if it continued he would advise me to pressed charges next time one of us was hit by falling shot and if one of the animals was injured we could sue for vet bills.