# Feral horses



## elkunited (Aug 16, 2019)

I know this has been addressed in the past, but from my UWN search, it seems to have been a few years.

I'm a big horse guy. Love riding them and all. But.... Do you think they will ever open a feral horse hunt? I know this is walking a fine line because horses are considered precious to most people, myself included.

The feral horses are impacting habitat of wildlife. And maybe this will get a lot of new hunters away from the elk. 😉

I think hunting feral horses could help our natural wildlife, while providing a lot of meat to our families, homeless shelters, dogs, etc.

That all being said, I feel it would take me just a little bit of thinking if I even want to take up that kind of hunt haha.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

They never will, they have a hard enough time with the horse people when they just want to do a round up of them


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## Buckfinder (May 23, 2009)

Will never happen, the horse folks have a fit if they try and give the horses birth control.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

Never going to happen. The horse people throw a fit when....

Sorry, just wanted to fit in. 

Any major change in feral horse management will not just take changes in philosophy, but federal legislative changes as well, right?


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Ahh, the good ole Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. 

I just don't see that one ever getting significantly changed


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## High Desert Elk (Aug 21, 2012)

I used to work with a forest ranger in my "old job" often and his take was that feral horses are weeds. He had no heart ache at all over wiping them out.

They are weeds, they poach valuable resources away from deer and elk. Horse meat is actually not too bad, I would be first in line to submit an application for a horse tag...


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## elkunited (Aug 16, 2019)

If the horses got so out of hand that have animals just started disappearing, I would hope they would do something. I think it's bad as it is right now, but it's only getting worse. It probably has something to do with horses being a recognized species for ranching, riding, etc. Probably the same boat as dogs and cats.


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## one4fishing (Jul 2, 2015)

My Tongan friends tell me horse is pretty good eating.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

johnnycake said:


> Ahh, the good ole Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.
> 
> I just don't see that one ever getting significantly changed


I think you'd have better luck changing Yellowstone to "open range"


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

As a person who has bought Mustangs from the BLM in the past, I have a soft spot for them. I also understand the other side of the debate too. I think they need to be managed, but not eliminated. Some of the horses in certain areas are in bad shape.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

one4fishing said:


> My Tongan friends tell me horse is pretty good eating.


Horse is delicious


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

I know they make great predator bait for trapping.


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## brisket (Mar 3, 2015)

johnnycake said:


> *Foal* is delicious


Fixed it for ya.

Sorry jonnycake, I think you're loosing a step.


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## headbones (Sep 7, 2019)

I believe there would be many folks out there that would buy a horse tag. We all would have to start learning how to eat 'meat tacos'. As stated it will never happen, the Wild Horse and Burro Act protects all and the lovers dont care that they are starving and dying of thirst from over population. Most wild horse management areas are double the legal numbers that are suppose to be there but BLM does nothing about it, too worried about the horse lovers making a stink. It was sickening to me to see horses on the river at Ouray on my trip to Book Cliffs, dead on side of road, loose packs of dogs shredding them. Wonder why the the folks on the Reservation dont 'take care of them'? Are wild horses protected on the Reservations? They could offer hunts! JW


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

brisket said:


> Fixed it for ya.
> 
> Sorry jonnycake, I think you're loosing a step.


I am ashamed


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## elkunited (Aug 16, 2019)

My wife has had horse and thought it tasted pretty good. I've never had an opportunity. I love horses, but I also love cows, elk, deer, etc. and eat them still. 

I just hate seeing groups of opposing people and such being taken priority over managing animals. It's hurting the ecosystem and wildlife. The horse population is huge. Maybe instead of charging money, the BLM could allow people to take horses for free, in limited numbers.


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

Wild horses are much more of a threat to our public lands than those so called "land grabbers" !


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

ridgetop said:


> Wild horses are much more of a threat to our public lands than those so called "land grabbers" !


Yet you never hear any of those folks shouting "land grabber" saying anything other than "SAVE THE HORSES!"

Kind of weird, when you think about it.


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

Save the burros.
https://wayneswords.net/threads/burros-need-help.3215/

People are weird. We'll never see a horse hunt, no matter how badly it's needed.


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