Feral Horse Hunts Anyone???

Too bad too. I have never eaten one that I know of, but I know of a few guys who went to Africa and said Zebra was amazing table fare.

Living in Kenya as a youngster, we discovered that many indigenous peoples shied away from eating zebra. Lots of folks would come into camp looking to take away any meat my dad wanted to donate, but they would almost invariably avoid taking offered zebra meat. I remember eating some camp-cooked zebra, and although it was just fine, it didn't touch eland or other gazelle meats.
 
I've always thought the horsed should be turned over to Fish and Game to manage, wouldn't have to be hunted (as in shot). But sell a quota of tags to be removed from the range any way the tag holder see's fit, caught and sold, trained and used, or shot. A horse runner could get 50-tags if they wanted. maybe put some sort of requirement as to so many old studs for every 5 mares\colts etc. State makes money, horse numbers controlled, Federal government saves money, win win. except for the wild horse advocates
 
I've always thought the horsed should be turned over to Fish and Game to manage, wouldn't have to be hunted (as in shot). But sell a quota of tags to be removed from the range any way the tag holder see's fit, caught and sold, trained and used, or shot. A horse runner could get 50-tags if they wanted. maybe put some sort of requirement as to so many old studs for every 5 mares\colts etc. State makes money, horse numbers controlled, Federal government saves money, win win. except for the wild horse advocates

They need a reality TV show like the gator hunters.
 
Do den will be complete without one:
IMG_3144.jpg
 
I've always thought the horsed should be turned over to Fish and Game to manage, wouldn't have to be hunted (as in shot). But sell a quota of tags to be removed from the range any way the tag holder see's fit, caught and sold, trained and used, or shot. A horse runner could get 50-tags if they wanted. maybe put some sort of requirement as to so many old studs for every 5 mares\colts etc. State makes money, horse numbers controlled, Federal government saves money, win win. except for the wild horse advocates

Good post. State F&G have proven they can manage game and non-game species.
 
We have 8 horses. I would kill and eat every one of them if I needed to. But then my wife would kill and eat me if I killed our horses.
 
I remember when I was just a kid in the late 60's there was horse meat for sale at our local Safeway grocery store. People weren't so squeemish about everything like they are now.
 
horses actually benefit their environment in numerous ways; vegetation seems to thrive in some areas inhabited by horses, which may be one reason the Great Plains were once a "sea of grass." Generally, range conditions in steep hilly areas favored by horses are much better than in lower areas frequented by cattle.

Cows have no upper front teeth, only a thick pad: they graze by wrapping their long tongues around grass and pulling on it. If the ground is wet, they will pull out the grass by the roots, preventing it from growing back. Horses have both upper and lower incisors and graze by "clipping the grass," similar to a lawn mower, allowing the grass to easily grow back.

In addition, the horse’s digestive system does not thoroughly degrade the vegetation it eats. As a result, it tends to “replant” its own forage with the diverse seeds that pass through its system undegraded. This unique digestive system greatly aids in the building up of the absorptive, nutrient-rich humus component of soils. This, in turn, helps the soil absorb and retain water upon which many diverse plants and animals depend. In this way, the wild horse is also of great value in reducing dry inflammable vegetation in fire-prone areas. Back in the 1950s, it was primarily out of concern over brush fires that Storey County, Nevada, passed the first wild horse protection law in the nation
 
horses actually benefit their environment in numerous ways; vegetation seems to thrive in some areas inhabited by horses, which may be one reason the Great Plains were once a "sea of grass." Generally, range conditions in steep hilly areas favored by horses are much better than in lower areas frequented by cattle.

Cows have no upper front teeth, only a thick pad: they graze by wrapping their long tongues around grass and pulling on it. If the ground is wet, they will pull out the grass by the roots, preventing it from growing back. Horses have both upper and lower incisors and graze by "clipping the grass," similar to a lawn mower, allowing the grass to easily grow back.

In addition, the horse’s digestive system does not thoroughly degrade the vegetation it eats. As a result, it tends to “replant” its own forage with the diverse seeds that pass through its system undegraded. This unique digestive system greatly aids in the building up of the absorptive, nutrient-rich humus component of soils. This, in turn, helps the soil absorb and retain water upon which many diverse plants and animals depend. In this way, the wild horse is also of great value in reducing dry inflammable vegetation in fire-prone areas. Back in the 1950s, it was primarily out of concern over brush fires that Storey County, Nevada, passed the first wild horse protection law in the nation

Hmmm. That assertion about the benefits feral hoses provide would be completely contrary to what the most respected scientists on the topic would say. You providing this as a science professional?
 
Do horses currently have any predators in the wild? Seems like domisticated horses are so far removed from the epoc in which they evolved that nothing really targets them. I would assume wolves would go after them but given the fact that horses gained a massive foothold in North American when both wolves and lions were ubiquitous it would seem that neither of these predators really target them????
 
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Do horses currently have any predators in the wild? Seems like domisticated horses are so far removed from the epoc in which they evolved that nothing really targets them. I would assume wolves would go after them but given the fact that horses gained a massive foothold in North American when both wolves and lions were ubiquitous it would seem that neither of these predators really target them????
Some herds get a noticeable amount predation on foals by mountain lions. But, for the most part I don't think they have much to worry about from predators in the places they are normally found.
 
Do horses currently have any predators in the wild? Seems like domisticated horses are so far removed from the epoc in which they evolved that nothing really targets them. I would assume wolves would go after them but given the fact that horses gained a massive foothold in North American when both wolves and lions were ubiquitous it would seem that neither of these predators really target them????

Bears, wolves and especially cougars.

Wolves are very effective in targeting foals. I've watched a herd lose all its young one summer (8) to a small pack of wolves.

Cougars, in particular adult males, may become horse killing specialists. Mature male lions can effectively target and kill adult horses, in particular in areas with heavy cover.

The ability for predators to target horses is yet another factor that negatively effects native wildlife. The additional food source that horses provide allows for a larger predator population to exist.
 

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