Target practice on Wild Horses

[Wrong Burgundy]

Drop some in SF, some in Silicon Valley, some in Portland and Seattle, some in DC, some in Central Park, hell throw a few in J-hole too. Maybe give a few to the Leo, Dr. Billy Vaxx from Microsoft, and throw in some for Kamalatoe and Weekend at Joey's. Minneapolis deserves some too.

See lots of people deserve to experience these majestic animals. Maybe we send a wolf or 12 to Central Park too? See how they like em in their backyards.

Actually, I was thinking of shipping most of them to every high fence hunting jackhole's place in Texas. Let them roam around with impala, weird goats and elk on some redneck's ranch. Way more scrubby land to beat up along with the exotics and hey, it's TX. Oh, and Florida! Forgot about that. Boas, gators and feral horses....that will work.

 

[Wrong Burgundy]

I think a big reason this is such a hot button topic is because feral horses are still "horses", and there are understandably so many horse people out there. If feral horses looked like this roaming around the countryside, we would not have a problem with lethal removal:

 

[rogerthat]

I think a big reason this is such a hot button topic is because feral horses are still "horses", and there are understandably so many horse people out there. If feral horses looked like this roaming around the countryside, we would not have a problem with lethal removal:

View attachment 232783

Holy crap! A chupacabra!!

 

[rwc101]

Me sitting at home reading idiotic "wild horse lady" comments on Facebook: Kill them all.

Me sitting in the Red Desert watching them gallop across the horizon: You majestic non-native bastards.

 

[noharleyyet]

Me sitting at home reading idiotic "wild horse lady" comments on Facebook: Kill them all.

Me sitting in the Red Desert watching them gallop across the horizon: You majestic non-native bastards.

View attachment 232785

Certainly incongruous symbolism rwc...

 

[windymtnman]

So, I've read all you folks comments on suggestions for the Mustang horses living in the West.
Not a single one amongst you apparently know anything about the real situation, but of course are
all experts at your keyboards. Pretty disappointed in all you so called "sportsmen".

 

[rwc101]

So, I've read all you folks comments on suggestions for the Mustang horses living in the West.
Not a single one amongst you apparently know anything about the real situation, but of course are
all experts at your keyboards. Pretty disappointed in all you so called "sportsmen".

Who are you, who are so wise in the ways of science?

 

[RealMuddyboots]

The issue is an environmental/ecological dilemma caused by over population of a species. Simple statement but does not include open land management requirements etc but sufficient to describe the problem as a whole IMO.

How to manage the species is the dilemma due to non biologist intercedance resulting in further damage to environment and increase in species population.

Feral horse management is right there with wolf management: biologist are not allowed to do their jobs based upon politics and PR.

I think this sums up the problem.

I am former horse owner and blacksmith so I appreciate horses but also understand species require management relative to their environment.

 

[antlerradar]

So, I've read all you folks comments on suggestions for the Mustang horses living in the West.
Not a single one amongst you apparently know anything about the real situation, but of course are
all experts at your keyboards. Pretty disappointed in all you so called "sportsmen".

Tell us of the real situation. I will be sure to bring it up at the next RAC meeting I go to.

 

[brockel]

So, I've read all you folks comments on suggestions for the Mustang horses living in the West.
Not a single one amongst you apparently know anything about the real situation, but of course are
all experts at your keyboards. Pretty disappointed in all you so called "sportsmen".

An invasive species that’s destroying the landscape, lives to 20+ years old, after becoming a yearling really has no worry of predators in the area, can have a foal almost every year for probably 15 years of its life, and can’t be managed because of peoples feelings. What am I missing?

 

[BrentD]

An invasive species that’s destroying the landscape, lives to 20+ years old, after becoming a yearling really has no worry of predators in the area, can have a foal almost every year for probably 15 years of its life, and can’t be managed because of peoples feelings. What am I missing?

Cows.

While I agree that feral equids (lets not forget burros), are a problem, relative to an over abundance of cows, I don't see them being nearly as big of a deal as bovines.

Just my take, and yes, I own horses, and yes, I do not shoot any live animals for simply "target practice" - which gives hunters a very black eye indeed.

 

[brockel]

Cows.

While I agree that feral equids (lets not forget burros), are a problem, relative to an over abundance of cows, I don't see them being nearly as big of a deal as bovines.

Just my take, and yes, I own horses, and yes, I do not shoot any live animals for simply "target practice" - which gives hunters a very black eye indeed.

But at least cows do serve a purpose. These wild horses do not. I own horses as well

 

[BrentD]

But at least cows do serve a purpose. These wild horses do not. I own horses as well

While vegetarians would disagree about cows serving a purpose, some folks think wild horses running around do serve a purpose - and hence we have the National Wild Horse and Burro Act. That act passed UNANIMOUSLY (imagine that!) in 1971.

While I tend to agree with your sentiments, we have as jaundiced a view of what is a "purpose" as the horse huggers.

Personally, if I could boot either cows or horses from BLM, but not both, I'd boot cows. Just me, and I LOVE to eat slow elk.

 

[antlerradar]

But at least cows do serve a purpose. These wild horses do not. I own horses as well

And cows are regulated. The vast majority of cow owners are not like the Ahole Bundy's and do their best to adhere to the requirement of the grazing permits. Sometimes we fail, but the long term trend in range health suggests we succeed more than we fail.
Being on the RAC has changed my mind about wild horses. I used to be a shoot them all kind of guy, but if wild horses can get a little old lady in Connecticut excited about public land there is some good in wild horses. It is time that the horse people step up and take some of the responsibility for the horses and in some places like the Prior Mountains they have. This is why I suggest that the horse people be issued grazing permits. Easy to be a horse advocate when you don't have to shell out the dollars to do grazing right.

 

[RealMuddyboots]

It still comes down to simple statement of a species population requires management. It doesn't matter if horse, burro or cattle. If one can be managed, it is a start in the right direction. Any journey requires the first step instead of running in place.

Feral hog damage results in focused hunting, I don't see any reason why same concept cannot be applied to other animals. There are markets for these animals that can be utilized.

 

[ShootsManyBullets]

Looks like old windy crop dusted this thread. Laid down a hot steamy comment then walked through the crowd and out of the shop.

Can be very satisfied when properly deployed, especially in a masked crowd. Great way to demonstrate the effectiveness of the masks for those in blue states.

 

[windymtnman]

Who are you, who are so wise in the ways of science?

I'm just a retired guy that has adopted these terrible animals from the BLM's program and given them productive lives instead of being targer practice as mentioned here. I've been involved in the Mustang Heritage program, and well versed in the Wild Horse and Burro Act that Federally protects these animals. I got a college degree in natural resource management, live it daily, and at nearly 72 years old, have more outdoors experience than about 3 of you guys put together. But go ahead and bash me for believing that Mustangs and Burros have a right to live wild and free.

 

[rwc101]

I'm just a retired guy that has adopted these terrible animals from the BLM's program and given them productive lives instead of being targer practice as mentioned here. I've been involved in the Mustang Heritage program, and well versed in the Wild Horse and Burro Act that Federally protects these animals. I got a college degree in natural resource management, live it daily, and at nearly 72 years old, have more outdoors experience than about 3 of you guys put together. But go ahead and bash me for believing that Mustangs and Burros have a right to live wild and free.

Cool. Share your knowledge with us instead of being a dick. The first post mentions that the title thread was to get attention. Nobody here is shooting horses and burros.

 

[windymtnman]

It's sad when activist force land managers to accept overpopulated wild horses without doing anything meaningful to help manage the populations. It's a total disconnect from reality being financed by Hollywood types with idealistic glamorized views of wild horses on the landscape. Activist will even push their way into tribal politics if they catch wind of a horse roundup. They find an elder they can influence to speak out for mother earth and their horse brothers given to them by the creator..., or something like that. Then they are left with trampled down/denuded landscapes that used to support grazing cattle, and wildlife. There are NO wild horses in N. America. We are trying to manage feral horses the same as feral swine. The only difference is that one is beautiful and majestic and the other is an pig. If horses were ugly creatures then we would tag them with high caliber rifles instead of fertility control. They are going to throw me out of the Razorback club for saying pigs

Interesting, because the BLM just rounded up between 800 and 900 Mustangs, and had a goal of gathering around 1050, but didn't get that many. They started with bait station trapping, and then had to resort to the V shaped corral traps while being herded with a helicopter.

 

[windymtnman]

Cool. Share your knowledge with us instead of being a dick. The first post mentions that the title thread was to get attention. Nobody here is shooting horses and burros.

No, nobody is shooting them, just poking fun with their crude remarks of saying that they ought to shoot them.
Most know they're protected under the 1971 Federal law. To some people, just saying they ought to shoot horses and burros, would be like me suggesting I'd come shoot your dog. How would that go over with a pet owner?