Wild Horses

[billrquimby]

"Last time I checked, the hunting of feral animals is not regulated by federal or state law."

 

Feral horses are protected by the federal Wild Horse and Burro Act of 1971. Penalties for shooting or harassing one on federal land can include a year in prison.

 

Bill Quimby

[Flatlander]

The Salt River group of wild horses does not fall under the protection of of the Wild Horse and Burro Act, but the Heber herd does.

 

As far as the stallions, I dang near got trampled by one trying to breed a mare on a water hole once. He was chasing her all over the place and they didn't care what was in their path. A few well placed rocks got his attention, but I won't I lie, I was ready to shoot him.

[Zeke-BE]

This is what is going down in Australia

 

These guys have been getting alot of flack down under.. Horse are to close to family pets and tools. But I do agree they need to get rid of them. Nor do I condone these pictures, but I don't want to shot a horse

[stillatmaxpoints]

The salt river horses are simply Fort McDowell Indian reservation horses, the reservation does not want them, G&F does not want them there because of the bighorn sheep habitat in that area, Forest service does not want them there either. The problem could have been taken care of early on, but once the wild horse people found out about them and started taking pictures and publicizing it, to late. They insist that they are protected by the wild horse and burro act. These are not! wild horses, people get within a few feet of them and take pictures, you can see indian brands on some of them.

Before the wild horse and burro act i used to gather on contract wild horses and burros, true wild horses or burros will leave in a hurry if they wind or see you within a half mile or a mile of them.

Once they quite killing horses for meat in the US, and there is no market value for horse meat, many of the reservations just let there horses go.

[trphyhntr]

you ever walked around in the desert of the lower salt? the ground is nothing but horse manure.

[rossislider]

AES president, Rich Williams, addressed this issue in the latest edition of The Tracker (AES's magazine). Worth a read.

 

https://issuu.com/aes_trackers/docs/tracker_q1_2017_web

 

 

[Saguaro]

I've always liked Rich Williams. He's a good voice for Sportsman.

[biglakejake]

lots of caballos around joe tank-they have even damaged the greens on the torreon golf courses.

 

lee

[AZ8]

All it would take is to develope a food source for horses that would sterilize the stallions and the problem would go away in one generation.

 

The science is out there. Of course it would take millions of dollars and logistical discipline to keep the food from contacting other wild mammals. I would imagine rounding up the feral horses and feeding them this "magic hay" would be easier since they are much more tame.

[trphyhntr]

All it would take is to develope a food source for horses that would sterilize the stallions and the problem would go away in one generation.

 

The science is out there. Of course it would take millions of dollars and logistical discipline to keep the food from contacting other wild mammals. I would imagine rounding up the feral horses and feeding them this "magic hay" would be easier since they are much more tame.

or they could shoot them.

[AZ8]

 

All it would take is to develope a food source for horses that would sterilize the stallions and the problem would go away in one generation.

The science is out there. Of course it would take millions of dollars and logistical discipline to keep the food from contacting other wild mammals. I would imagine rounding up the feral horses and feeding them this "magic hay" would be easier since they are much more tame.

 

or they could shoot them.

I agree. That's the best way.

 

But we're dealing with irrational people that name the horses on the Salt River. They have this Wild West romance of what the frontier used to be like and should be again.

 

The only way to deal with these people is "out of sight, out of mind" Heck, they're already freaking out over the Bison culling on the Grand Canyon if ever that comes to fruition.

[Saguaro]

This topic really bugs me. It seems like it's a fight that should be easy to win. We as humans are supposed to learn from our mistakes. This is an in your face mistake that is tolerated. Think about all of our rivers in the state that are taken over with Tamarack or salt cedar, what ever they're called. They will never be the same. It would be so easy to get rid of these non native horses yet we don't. SO stupid it's embarrassing. I wish I could do something. The southwest is the last paradise we are going to see. Look at everything east of the Mississippi, it's a populated wasteland. We need to protect the southwest much better.

 

You're right, the salt river looks like an unmaintained corral.

[AZ8]

Emotion over science. Just a sample of what sound management is up against.

 

[Flatlander]

They ought to load up that fat heffer and ship her out with the horses.

[wish2hunt]

Truth be known the Rez game & fish doesn't want so they push over here because they know we will take care of them. We seem to put everything in front of our big game.