Give me a few minutes maybe I can work up a few tears. Not.
Horses killed/shot near Simpson Springs
BLM OFFERS REWARDS FOR INFORMATION IN THE SHOOTING OF TWO WILD HORSES ON THE ONAQUI MOUNTAIN HERD MANAGEMENT AREA
SALT LAKE CITY —The Bureau of Land Management, American Wild Horse Campaign, Onaqui Catalogue, the National Mustang Association and Red Birds Trust are offering a $22,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the killing of two wild horse stallions shot on the Onaqui Mountain Herd Management Area, located 60 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the BLM Utah Law Enforcement Tipline at 800-722-3998. Those with tips can choose to remain anonymous.
BLM officials responded to a call from a member of the public who discovered two wild horse stallions that had been shot near the Simpson Springs Mountain Road. The horses were found on the afternoon of March 19, 2023, and based on the investigation, the incident occurred two to three days earlier.
“Harassing, capturing or killing wild horses is illegal and punishable by up to a year in prison and/or a fine,” said BLM West Desert District Manager Mike Gates. “The BLM takes our responsibility seriously to protect these animals and is committed to holding accountable whomever is responsible for this unconscionable act.”
SALT LAKE CITY —The Bureau of Land Management, American Wild Horse Campaign, Onaqui Catalogue, the National Mustang Association and Red Birds Trust are offering a $22,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the killing of two wild horse stallions shot on the Onaqui Mountain Herd Management Area, located 60 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the BLM Utah Law Enforcement Tipline at 800-722-3998. Those with tips can choose to remain anonymous.
BLM officials responded to a call from a member of the public who discovered two wild horse stallions that had been shot near the Simpson Springs Mountain Road. The horses were found on the afternoon of March 19, 2023, and based on the investigation, the incident occurred two to three days earlier.
“Harassing, capturing or killing wild horses is illegal and punishable by up to a year in prison and/or a fine,” said BLM West Desert District Manager Mike Gates. “The BLM takes our responsibility seriously to protect these animals and is committed to holding accountable whomever is responsible for this unconscionable act.”
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To be clear I don't condone illegal killing of a protected icon. But the management of wild horses is absurd to say the least. There is no reason they shouldn't be used as an easily available source of protein.
I'd try horse..just don't tell my mother. LolTo be clear I don't condone illegal killing of a protected icon. But the management of wild horses is absurd to say the least. There is no reason they shouldn't be used as an easily available source of protein.
That's the difficult part. I don't agree with their presence in the ecosystem AND they are protected nonetheless. I fully support these rewards for the same reason I support them for big game. Once we (generic, not implying anyone has supported that here) start turning a blind eye to the poaching and waste of one protected species then we empower the very act of poaching in general, including the ones we value.To be clear I don't condone illegal killing of a protected icon. But the management of wild horses is absurd to say the least. There is no reason they shouldn't be used as an easily available source of protein.
I hope they find the people and prosecute them to the full extent of the law. And do every stage meticulously by the books. The more people know the public is reporting incidents & the agencies follow thru then the more individuals will reconsider their choices.
And one can hope the laws protecting these animals are reconsidered in the near future. But I'm not holding my breathe.
I hate how they use the description ‘wild’.
Was a DNA test performed that they were not just a burden to a local guy so he drove them out there to ‘save’ them.
Was a DNA test performed that they were not just a burden to a local guy so he drove them out there to ‘save’ them.
Yep, hard to have any sympathy for the "wild" horses when so many of them are running around with brands on their hips.
Many years ago, in a country far from home, I had horse and thought was really good - not sure if I thought it was good or the worms in my stomach thought it was good . . .
Many years ago, in a country far from home, I had horse and thought was really good - not sure if I thought it was good or the worms in my stomach thought it was good . . .
I struggle to find any fetches to give about violations of that particular law. Kinda on par with a fella jaywalking to run out and save a kid from getting hit in traffic.
I guess I need clarification why do they bother so many people I don’t understand? Are they running around in your hunting areas? I’m not trying to start some big thing here it’s just Ive never understood the issues you have with them except maybe some sagebrush trampling . I have some issues with cattle but ok now let me have it
It's not just the sagebrush trampling. They destroy water holes, you might say that cattle also destroy them but if the cattle do the BLM can go after the rancher for repayment.
I have seen areas out in the South West Desert unit where the horses like to hang out, the whole hill is covered in horse crap, worse than any cattle herd that I have ever seen.
To put it plain and simple they are a invasive species. Anything else would be shot and killed on sight.
I have seen areas out in the South West Desert unit where the horses like to hang out, the whole hill is covered in horse crap, worse than any cattle herd that I have ever seen.
To put it plain and simple they are a invasive species. Anything else would be shot and killed on sight.
Ok it just seems to me if we could hunt them like pheasants and mt.goats people wouldn’t care so much
Every feral horse on the range is taking up resources for native pronghorn, deer, elk, sheep, and bison.
To say nothing of the egregious waste of tax money that is spent "managing" them
To say nothing of the egregious waste of tax money that is spent "managing" them
There are also lots of owners who when they can no longer take care of their horse, usually because of the feed bill or a place to keep them will take them to a area where there are horse herds and turn them loose.
While hunting south of Rangley, Colorado one year I had a so called wild horse come up to me and not leave me alone. He just liked to be around people.
While hunting south of Rangley, Colorado one year I had a so called wild horse come up to me and not leave me alone. He just liked to be around people.
Well sortof. Depends on the time frame. Todays horses are indeed introduced from the Spaniards. But they've pulled out 100 or so horse skeletons from the LaBrea Tar pits... so there were horses, or cousins to the horses here 1,000-+10,000 years ago.My understanding is, horses, are an invasive species.
+1The rub, is everyone loves horses, their an American and western Icon, so nobody likes to think of them as invasive.
-DallanC
I like the idea of bringing back those extinct species. Lets get some saber tooth tigers or since we have the modern horse here how about some Bengal tigers to feed on the modern horse?
I think most people would agree with your statement.Ok it just seems to me if we could hunt them like Invasive pheasants people wouldn’t care so much
If the bag limit was two feral horses a day, the season ran through the month of November, than I think you are right and people wouldn’t care as much.
I just hope we can use firearms more powerful than a 10 gauge.
We also have these sortof invasive mt goats
A couple key differences between horse and cattle.I guess I need clarification why do they bother so many people I don’t understand? Are they running around in your hunting areas? I’m not trying to start some big thing here it’s just Ive never understood the issues you have with them except maybe some sagebrush trampling . I have some issues with cattle but ok now let me have it
Horses totally degrade the range for a couple reasons. They have flat feet, so where they run over and over they beat the ground down to powder, cattle have toes so the issue isn't quite as bad, they'll still tear things up but the compaction isn't as bad so plants will regrow.
Horses have top teeth, cattle do not. So when horses eat grasses, they go to the dirt or pull up roots. Those plants don't grow back.
Horses are on the range 24/7, 365. Cattle spend a few months on and a few months off giving plants time to recover. Year over year cattle are managed for numbers, so if it's drought a rancher either turns less cattle out or puts them out for less time. Horses never leave and they have no predators so their populations continue to expand.
Also, ranchers pay to graze and we eat beef so we're getting tax dollars and food from cattle.
In general though, I'm not opposed to some horses. I enjoy seeing them and I think there's a place for them. However, there's way too many on-range right now, they're degrading range conditions. They're not being managed effectively and they're costing tax payers a ton of money every year. I wish they were managed like every other livestock and wildlife species we have.
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