Horse Hunting Season

[eastmont]

Now that I have your attention:

With the wild/feral horse debate back in the media (WY governor suing BLM) my friends and I have often joked about having a horse hunting season. Many other countries happily eat horse.

Now before I'm called heartless, barbaric, and other words, I'd like to say I understand wild/feral horses are majestic, American icons, and some people see a very emotional side to them . However, they are also very tough on the rangeland, reproduce like rabbits, non-native (since the 1400-1500s), and the gov't spends millions on dead end programs.

Obviously this would never actually happen with today's public but I thought it was a entertaining thought. I guess this goes with the train of thought that we can't manage certain species without managing all.

Personally, I would do it, but I have never grown up with horses- then again if I grew up with a elk pet farm maybe I'd think differently about shooting a elk.

 

[Againstthewind]

http://www.thehorse.com/articles/35007/wyoming-sues-feds-over-wild-horse-management

http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming-sues-feds-claiming-too-many-wild-horses/article_3bca21c1-b2fa-5aa9-9554-e28f4e04f9a9.html

An interesting subject eastmont. I guess the adoption program hasn't been keeping up with the demand and there are lots of horses in holding facilities. There are some sanctuaries or whatever that are starting to take some.

I am not sure I could hunt them, I know they are wild, but it is kindof like hunting and eating a puppy, lol. There is a stigma about horse hunting and eating that would be hard to get past. At least coyotes and wolves have the opposite emoitional side to them like you were talking about. Well, interesting subject.

 

[Musket Man]

I am quite fond of wild horses and I own 2 of them. I got the first 1 already broke and the 2nd I got from the blm and broke her myself.

That said we have a huge wild horse problem in several western states. I saw it first hand when I spent 11 days scouting and hunting in Nevada this year. In some areas there were a few smaller herds of horses and they were in good shape. Other areas were very over populated and alot of them were in poor shape. There were also almost no deer or antelope in the overpopulated areas and the springs that had any water at all were very over used at best. It was really neat seeing them and taking pics but alot of places simply had to many horses.

All the current BLM "management" is doing is costing alot of money and not keeping numbers in many areas at a healthy level. There are 1000's of horses in holding pens that are unmarketable and will be fed until they die at tax payers expense. Many of the BLM holding pens are full and there are still tomany horses out on the range and they keep cutting grazing permits and letting horses increase. IMO they need to be rounded up, sorted out and turn a number back out that is suitable for the area, and sell the rest at an absolute auction, slaughter buyers welcome. These excess horses need to be sold. If the bunny huggers dont like it too bad. They can buy and feed all the horses they want in their back yard!

 

[velvetfvr]

I hate WILD horses with a passion. What they do to the land and their impact on ecosystems are huge. They are an invasive species that is almost as bad as wolves imo.

I always tell my parents and friends that we should shoot them all. If there was a horse huntin season I would be all over it. They do not belong on the range with other wildlife imo. Yes I am very strong on this subject, but wild horses are not needed on the range. They only Need to be used for their purposes on the ranch, handling cattle, rodeos and horse racin. Not on public land ruining the native species population and damaging ecosystems.


Rant over.

 

[mntnguide]

Ive had a couple good ones and some bad ones through the years...the biggest problem is very few are true "mustangs" anymore. So many areas people have dumped horses they could not care for into the wild horse lands, furthering the problem. When you find a good one they truly can be an awesome horse especially in the mountains. They are a problem though and I agree that the wild horse lovers are similarily like the wolf lovers.. they love to say how terrible it is, but yet when it comes to forking up some money they disappear... The forest service around here uses a lot of mustangs and all the ones i have seen are great looking horses. I have been asked to run one of their mountain strings next year, in which case i would be very happy to get to work with some again if that happens.

 

[Musket Man]

I am not sure I could hunt them, I know they are wild, but it is kindof like hunting and eating a puppy, lol. There is a stigma about horse hunting and eating that would be hard to get past.

Me either. I wouldnt even have any desire to shoot a zebra in Africa because they are to much like a horse. I have only ever shot 1 horse and it is the worst thing I ever shot in my life. She was a good horse but she was all crippled up and it had to be done. I dug a hole with the backhoe, had a few shots and put her to rest. Hope I dont have to do it again.

 

[Musket Man]

I hate WILD horses with a passion. What they do to the land and their impact on ecosystems are huge. They are an invasive species that is almost as bad as wolves imo.

I always tell my parents and friends that we should shoot them all. If there was a horse huntin season I would be all over it. They do not belong on the range with other wildlife imo. Yes I am very strong on this subject, but wild horses are not needed on the range. They only Need to be used for their purposes on the ranch, handling cattle, rodeos and horse racin. Not on public land ruining the native species population and damaging ecosystems.

Rant over.

Easy with the hostilities Feather HAHA!

 

[bdan68]

I would have no problem helping to thin out wild horse herds. I would be more than happy to buy a couple of tags and fill my freezers with horse meat. Can it really be that much different than elk meat?

 

[Gr8bawana]

I would have no problem helping to thin out wild horse herds. I would be more than happy to buy a couple of tags and fill my freezers with horse meat. Can it really be that much different than elk meat?

They are grazers just like elk so you might have something there.
I have had horses and I do love them, but they have their uses and places. Wild horses should be called "feral horses" because they are not native. Many states ae trying to control feral pigs so why not feral horses.

 

[RICMIC]

If you read any of the history of the early settlement of the west, you will find that horse was often a mainstay part of the diet. Of course, that wasn't until things got really tough though. The Donner party ate all their horses before they started on each other. Fremont did the same several times while he was out exploring with Kit Carson, and came close to the man-eating phase the one time he went out without Kit. Louis & Clark ate all of the horses that they had gotten from the Shoshones when they were being led through Lolo Pass by Old Tobey. Mules were favored over horse meat. I will likely never get to find out why for myself.

 

[NVBird'n'Big]

Well I've got about 50 of em living a couple hundred yards from my back fence. If there is ever an open season (I know they never will) I will have the party and we can shoot em off my back porch. Right now I'd much rather shoot some paintballs at all the granola eaters in their subarus out there that feed them every day!

 

[Team Kabob]

How would you score one? Haha


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[go_deep]

How would you score one? Haha


Have to score them like a bear, skull measurements.

I will say twice in my life I have ate horse the first time I didn't know till after we were done, but is actually pretty good.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Back in the late 40's/early 50's it was legal to hunt wild horses and burros in the California desert. My Dad and several of his friends shot a couple (don't remember if they were horses or burros) and we tried to eat them. Ended up feeding the meat to our hounds. I suspect they were burros.

 

[eastmont]

Interesting, its amazing how California has changed in 60 years... I would have killed to live in that california.

Would hoof size play a role in B&C scoring?

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Interesting, its amazing how California has changed in 60 years... I would have killed to live in that california.

I could spend hours telling you how great the hunting and fishing was. I am thankful I grew up in that time with a family that loved the outdoors.

 

[Againstthewind]

I could spend hours telling you how great the hunting and fishing was. I am thankful I grew up in that time with a family that loved the outdoors.

Not to change the subject, but what happened in California? My grandparents left in there in the late '60's. I haven't asked ever asked why before.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

California got "discovered" by the returning GIs after WWII and the population started to explode in the 50's. Once the interstate hwy system was completed, people traveled a lot more and because of the climate, jobs and cheap housing....well you get the picture.

In the 50s & 60s I could hunt quail, pheasants and waterfowl with 2 hours of my home in the suburbs of LA. Shot lots of deer close to home too. By the mid 60's it had pretty much changed due to all the new houses being built. There were lots of good paying jobs and the people came in droves. The small town I lived in went from 25,000 to 100,000. I knew once I retired I would leave, been here 15 years now.

 

[trkytrack2]

I spent a week at a Marine Air Base in 1966 before shipping out and the frigging traffic was a nightmare even then. Can't even imagine how it is now. One things for sure.....I wouldn't ever go back there.

 

[Ikeepitcold]

A bit off topic but MM what are those dogs in the pic? They look like pit bulls but maybe bull terrier.