Guy:

The other night I watched your t.v. hunting show where you were hunting Grizzlies in British Columbia. While you were loading up the horses for the trek into the “base” camp I noticed you putting your rifle into the scabbard with the butt facing backwards. I did not notice you do anything other than push hard to make sure it was fully forward into the scabbard. It appeared you did not tie it in. While on the horses crossing a stream, the scabbard was hanging precariously close to the water, enough so that it looked like the rifle may have / could have gotten quite wet.

Also while moving along, the scabbard appeared to be hanging very low, almost horizontally to the ground. How the heck did you keep the rifle from falling out or from getting wet. The movement and jostling of the scabbard while on the trail would allow the rifle to loosen and possibly fall out if it wasn’t tied in.

This fall will be my 58th hunting season with a special 10 - 12 day trip planned into the Pasayten Wilderness here in Washington. It will be my FIRST ever on horseback. Maybe the LAST on horseback for this old duffer. I just thought I might learn from your knowledge and experiences.

Thank you for your magazines and your entertaining t.v. hunting show.

Your Faithful Subscriber
Don Jacobson

Good Morning Don,

Thank you for watching the show. You are correct I use a leather gun scabbard on my horse that faces backward on the left side of the horse when I am hunting in the backcountry in rough terrain. This works particularly well when bear hunting, as it allows me to jump off my horse and unsheathe my gun very quickly, almost in one fluid motion. Even if the horse jumps away from me or whirls to run I still have a chance to grab my gun, minimizing my chances of being stranded at the feet of an angry grizzly bear without a firearm. Additionally, if your horse does go down and rolls over your gun is not sure to be broken in half this way. This is how many of the trappers and Indians in our country carried their guns on horseback many years ago.

The draw back to carrying your gun this way, is that the saddle can become a little bit unbalanced, particularly with a really heavy gun because the scabbard is further away from the cinch. Also, this method is not quite as comfortable for the horse as the standard right side, butt up version. A horse’s front shoulders are very strong and stable and centering your weight right behind them is the best scenario for the horse’s stability and comfort.

Once slid tightly into the scabbard, the gun will stay there extremely well. I have never had a problem with my gun slipping out, even under bronc like conditions. If fact, it can even be a chore to get my gun out of the scabbard at times, particularly when the leather is wet. The keys are: to firmly and I mean firmly slide your gun into the scabbard and use a barrel protector (www.ultimateboreprotection.com ) to make sure you don’t get any dirt or debris that might be gathered at the bottom of the scabbard in the barrel of your gun.

In grizzly country you might not want to tie your gun into your scabbard on your horse…that could be a bit dangerous.

I hope this answers your question. Keep hunting hard and good luck.

Guy

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