Feral horses

[PablitoPescador]

It’s weird that the enviros and even the general public see hunting horses as cruel compared to the alternative. What is truly cruel is taking an animal that ranges 20-30 miles a day, rounding it up with a helicopter and putting it in a tiny pen for the rest of its life. They’d be better off as glue and dog food IMO.

What they should do is create a system where x number of tags are available otc and you have the option to either hunt or adopt. Give the bleeding hearts a chance to actually make a difference rather than virtue signal with a temper tantrum and a cardboard sign. My bet is that 95% of tags would go to hunters rather than adopters.

 

[HighUintas]

I wish they would amend that act.

I'd love to adopt a couple for $125 and see if I could survive trying to break them. I'd also like them to be available as another option for healthy meat and hunting. I bet they do taste good.

I think the idea of adopting one of these is pretty slick. They may not be huge horses, but apparently they are hearty being able to eat the scrubby brush stuff in the desert. Probably be way cheaper to feed than a domesticated horse if you have plenty of land for it to eat on.

 

[kravguy]

Sign me up. I'd take a few nay nay tags.

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[fort fireman]

I wish I could remember where I saw an interview. It was with a guy that was anti cattle and ranching. He was going into all the evils of cows. He was then asked about the feral/wild horses and just went Gaga over them and how they were part of our history. Everything he attributed to cows as a problem is just as big and quite often a bigger problem with horses. I love horses and have several along with cows. My pastures that hold cows fair a lot better than my horse pastures. Horses are horrible on forage compared to cows. The whole interview showed the illogical view of some of these people about horses and the environment impact they have.
They do have horse shows and adoption drives for the horses but there just isn’t enough demand.

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I believe a hunting season would be a viable management tool but rainbows and unicorn farts that seem to swarm around horses would get in the way. And this coming from a “ horse guy”

 

[HighUintas]

I don't doubt they destroy everything left unchecked. But I would like to know what effect they had on the ranges back a couple hundred years ago while they were left to themselves. Maybe they just moved frequently enough they didn't damage any one spot that much?

 

[fort fireman]

I don't doubt they destroy everything left unchecked. But I would like to know what effect they had on the ranges back a couple hundred years ago while they were left to themselves. Maybe they just moved frequently enough they didn't damage any one spot that much?

It would be interesting but I have a feeling they didn’t go as “ unchecked” as you might think 100 years ago. Horse flesh was a lot higher prized commodity then than it is now. Food, travel, work. Now except for a few they are more of a recreation and novelty thing.

 

[dtrkyman]

They are getting pretty thick in areas of New Mexico, likely nothing will happen unless they cause the demise of some of some endangered species, but that probably wont' matter either.

SSS, though that is a lot of digging!

 

[540-Virginian]

Id shoot tame horses as i hate most of them as they are assholes. Seriously i grew up caring for them and my folks still have some on our farm. Im a horse hater. I think its that they try to bite, kick, and rape you given the chance.

I never met a dog i didnt like, but ive met plenty of horses id donate alive to a glue factory.

so in seriousness id shoot a feral horse just as easy as a feral pig

 

[ScottR_EHJ]

Doing research for the Nevada MRS the last few years it has become very apparent how big of an issue this is. In some areas it has gotten to be a major detriment to the ungulate populations. Based on what I have read though capture and chemical spaying/neutering has become the go to. I will probably read up on how effective it is and put extra material together for it.

It's not an easy one to manage, they have been left alone for a long time and there are fewer and fewer people capable of breaking them for use.

 

[ozyclint]

I got nothin against shooting horses....but man that was a great movie. One of my all time favorites!

"You're welcome at my fire anytime"

 

[ReddingArcher]

I'd be all over a feral horse hunt!! Like others have said its a resource for food for homeless, prisons and food banks. I'd be open to a horse steak too! Just sounds like some good trigger time.

 

[07yzryder]

feral horses got me 300 bucks and my video on the show ridiculousness lol.

that said they are quite common in Nevada. Hell they alerted me to yotes while hunting before, when a herd all point one ear in a random direction and keep looking back, a predator is probably strolling in.

that said Id like to try horse meat, not much of a challenge for a hunt out here though seeing as i can hop on the dirtbike and find a dozen herds within an hour ride of my house.

 

[z987k]

I tried a horse Ribeye on a recent trip to Kazakhstan with a when in Rome kind of attitude. It was really good. The average American probably couldn't tell it from cow.

 

[cjdewese]

We have a few populations here in Southern California believe it or not. We also have a few problematic herds of Donkeys running around.

A good friend of mine in HS hit one in his parents minivan on the way back from a party in HS. Talk about a bummer and one hell of an accident.

Luckily the populations for horses anyway aren't large enough to cause an issue out here but I can see how they would/can.

Definitely a complicated issue.

 

[Billinsd]

When are we going to get to hunt feral horses?

Never!!! #feralhorselivesmatter

 

[Tradchef]

I hope someday they allow it........... Horse meat is freaking deeeelish!!!!!!

 

[swampthing]

There is a poular elk hunting area up in BC here that has wild horses. They are friggin mean!! When they see you they charge you! I had never thought of a horse a scary until I ran into these wild bastards. I would take cover behind trees ready to shoot if required!

 

[AZ8]

A couple years ago, the forest service was going to remove the feral horses from the Salt river area near Phoenix. All hell broke loose on social media and the forest service caved and canceled their plans. The horses down there are like Hollywood stars now, complete with cute innocent names.

If you want to see emotion over science, here’s the news report from when this went down. Pure emotional BS, complete with tears.

 

[StorMay05]

They do have horse shows and adoption drives for the horses but there just isn’t enough demand.

I’ve thought it would be nice to adopt one every now and then over the years and I imagine most people have a similar thought process. It’s a lot of time and effort for a horse that isn’t really good at anything other than being an easy keeper.

Plus at 6’3” and 220 I can’t really ride one long anyway...... and my feet would probably drag they’re so small lol.

 

[Wapack]

Caballo is TASTEY!