# Sterilize wild horses on U.S. rangeland to slow the growth of herds...



## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=40386356&ni...rilize-mustangs-for-first-time-to-slow-growth

From the article:

"RENO, Nev. (AP) - A federal agency is on a path to sterilize wild horses on U.S. rangeland to slow the growth of herds - a new approach condemned by mustang advocates across the West.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management also continues to resist calls from ranchers and western Republicans to euthanize or sell for slaughter the animals overflowing holding pens so as to clear the way for more roundups.

Bureau of Land Management Deputy Director Steve Ellis delivered those messages at an emotional congressional hearing this week. He offered a glimpse of the challenges facing the agency that has been struggling for decades with what it describes as a $1 billion problem."


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Good, doing something is better than the "do nothing" direction we were going in. I like seeing them but their populations are growing too big. It is a huge problem.


-DallanC


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## Idratherbehunting (Jul 17, 2013)

This is one area that I feel like the BLM is really failing. The studies I've read is that the feral horse population is estimated to double every 4 years. Given that exponential growth, something has to be done. If there is nothing to keep the horse population in check, over grazing will continue become even more of a problem. 

The part that I struggle with is how often do we criticize ranchers for over grazing, or exceeding their allotted herd count, at the same time the BLM is nearly double the planned feral horse population. I don't know what you do about it, short of allowing for the un-adopted feral horses to be euthanized after so long, or continuing to budget more and more of the federal budget to pen more horses as they live out their lives in captivity. I read in one article that it costs $50,000 to keep a mustang in a BLM coral for it's entire life.


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

Interesting story - thanks for posting the link. It is great that something, instead of nothing, is being done.

Straight from the story:

"Ellis said the estimated 67,000 wild horses and burros on federal land in 10 states is 2.5 times more than the range can support. However, there's no more room in government corals and leased pastures, where 47,000 horses cost taxpayers about $50,000 per head over the course of their lifetime."

A little math . . . 47,000 horses x $50,000 = $2,500,000,000

$2.5 Billion in additional taxes to keep these wild horses, that no one wants, alive??? Maybe Utah could start a wild horse hunt and we could all apply at the Hunt Expo for it!!


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## Idratherbehunting (Jul 17, 2013)

CPAjeff said:


> Interesting story - thanks for posting the link. It is great that something, instead of nothing, is being done.
> 
> Straight from the story:
> 
> ...


Busted. Didn't actually read this story, as I assumed it was a lot of the same information I'd already read. But I agree. And that $2.5 billion doesn't take into account the additional horses they'd have gather to get the population on public lands back down to where they are supposed to be.

If any of you are ever in Rock Springs, just north of town they have some of the BLM corrals. I used to have the opportunity to go up there for 6 weeks a year for work, and would often drive over to the corrals in the evening and watch the horses to kind of pass the time. I would guess they had about 700 horses in that facility, ranging from new foals to some pretty old looking stallions. I always got frustrated thinking about how much of my tax dollars were going to those horses so they could spend their lives in those cramped corrals.


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## Idratherbehunting (Jul 17, 2013)

But it's good to hear "Rod" Bishop is having the tough conversations...


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

Here's the tentative schedule. I don't see it on there but I know that they are doing some flying this week and next.

http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/whbprogram/herd_management/tentative_gather_schedule.html


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## Cooky (Apr 25, 2011)

Why aren't wild horses considered an invasive species?


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## mlob1one (Aug 29, 2014)

Cooky said:


> Why aren't wild horses considered an invasive species?


Depends upon who is asked. I've always considered them invasive. Generally, I think it's because of the anthropomorphization of animals.

Sent from my SPH-L710T using Tapatalk


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

I think maybe that $2 1/2 billion figure you're throwing around here might be just a smiggin high. I read, here again on the internet, that the cost to "store" the wild horse/burros is actually around $49 million (still a lot of money) total!

What we need to keep in mind here is that government officials are being kicked in the shins from somebody about every decision they make. Simply put, thay can't please everyone. What we hope for is a wise decision based on science with a bit of common sense thrown in.


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## Idratherbehunting (Jul 17, 2013)

BPturkeys said:


> I think maybe that $2 1/2 billion figure you're throwing around here might be just a smiggin high. I read, here again on the internet, that the cost to "store" the wild horse/burros is actually around $49 million (still a lot of money) total!
> 
> What we need to keep in mind here is that government officials are being kicked in the shins from somebody about every decision they make. Simply put, thay can't please everyone. What we hope for is a wise decision based on science with a bit of common sense thrown in.


What we need to keep in mind here is that government officials are being kicked in the shins from somebody about every decision they make. Simply put, thay can't please everyone. What we hope for is a wise decision based on science with a bit of common sense thrown in.[/QUOTE]

I completely agree with you here. due to lawsuits and the wild horse and burro act, the BLM has very limited options.

As far as why they aren't considered an invasive species, I think it is simply due to when the invasion occurred. Since the feral horses where already in place by the time European settlers that are often learned about in school came into the West, they are considered "native" by many Americans, even though they were introduced by the Spaniards.


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