Feral Horses & Anti's

[blacktailslayer]

The Wildlife Society: Feral Horse Advocates Declare Horse “Native” to North America

Feral Horse Advocates Declare Horse “Native” to North America

Thu at 3:31pm

In a recent Los Angles Times editorial, Jack Carone, CEO of Return to Freedom, a feral horse advocacy organization, boldly declared the modern horse native to North America. This is a new tactic for animal rights extremists. Their reasoning: The public might support efforts to control popualtions of destructive non-native animals, but not native animals, which must be protected at all costs. This, of course, isbad reasoningas well; populations of many species of native wildlife, such as snow geese and white-tailed deer, must be controlled when they become overabundant and impact other species and their habitats.

The public’s confusion about this particular issue is not surprising. Some biologists, like Jay Kirkpatrick and Patricia Fazio, have supported a prohibition on the lethal control of feral horse populations, arguing that the last extinctions of Equus in North America occurred a mere 10-13,000 years ago. They cite studies of Anne Forsten of the University of Helsinki, which suggest that the Yukon horse (Equus lambei), whose relatively intact remains were discovered in permafrost, is “genetically indistinguishable” from the modern horse.

These biologists contend that from a “biological perspective,” horses are more appropriately considered native fauna and not non-native interlopers. However, this conclusion is debatable. Many, if not most, biologists are still uncomfortable with this notion and all federal and state agencies still classify the modern horse as an introduced species. Even very small genetic variations can result in huge physical and behavioral differences. Take humans (Homo sapiens) and chimpanzees (Pan sp.), for example, which share over 98% of their genomes. Based on our genetic similarities, some taxonomists have argued that great apes be classified in the genus Homo, but there are vast differences between humans and great apes. One has gone to the moon and written symphonies and the other uses sticks to probe in termite mounds. In addition, historical context no doubt means something. The North American landscape and its inhabitants—even the horse itself—were very different in the Pleistocene when the fauna also included giant sloths, mammoths, and mastodons. The Yukon horse itself was comparatively small, standing only four feet tall at the withers. Perhaps even more important, however, the guild of predators that preyed on the Yukon horse and kept its numbers in check was very different. Predators included not only the gray wolf (Canis lupus) and lynx (Felis canadensis), which are still around today, but also three extinct species—two large cats, the scimitar cat (Homotherium serum) and the American lion (Panthera leo atrox), and the short-faced bear (Arctodus simus). Although some, like American paleoarchaeologist Paul Martin, have fancied the idea of restoring a “Pleistocene fauna” to the western United States, can we seriously contemplate reintroducing elephants and lions to the North American landscape?

Like it or not, regardless of whether they are considered native or non-native, feral horse populations must be managed. And that means we need a more effective and realistic policy on the management of feral horses, one that must come to terms with population control. The alternative, that is, to let populations spiral out of control, can result in pervasive and deleterious environmental impacts. According to Tom Gorey, a BLM spokesman, “If we allowed the exponential [population] increase, we would see the horses eating themselves out of house and home. We’d see destroyed wildlife habitat, erosion. This would be the equivalent of an ecological disaster.”

Legislative Action Center:

http://capwiz.com/ussportsmen/home/

[blacktailslayer]

Are There Really Wild Horses in the Old West?

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/338272/the_difference_between_wild_and_feral.html?cat=16

Where Feral Horses Came From

http://ezinearticles.com/?Wild-Mustang-Horses-in-the-American-West&id=1496190

Groups push to slaughter horses for meat, possibly starting in Oregon:

http://advocatesforag.blogspot.com/2009/07/oregon-tribes-looking-at-horse.html

Feral horses overcrowd rangeland:

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/02/wild_horses_elk_threaten_to_ov.html

BLM Feral Horses Website: http://www.blm.gov/education/LearningLandscapes/explorers/lifetime/wildhorse.html

Feral Horses and Sheldon-Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex

http://www.onda.org/enforcing-conservation-laws/legal-actions/public-comments-1/pdfs/Sheldon%20CCP%20scoping%20cmmts%20%286-30-08%29.pdf

Oregon's horse population outpaces ability to care for them

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x169025

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/08/oregons_horse_population_outpa.html

OHA Quote:

Feral horses overrun Murderers Creek The feral horse population in Murderers Creek Management Area is out of control. The resulting habitat destruction and resource damage is tremendous. The Malheur National Forest’s Murderers Creek Wild Horse Territory/Herd Management Area Management Plan states 436 horses were counted in 2006. A BLM report titled Oregon BLM Wild Horse and Burro Population Data (June 17, 2008) estimated the Murderers Creek population at 628 horses. The Forest Service gathered 134 animals in 2008. With the 20 percent recruitment rate indicated in the plan, the population of 494 animals would be back to 592 in 2009. The management plan set the Appropriate Management Level (AML) for Murderers Creek’s wild horses at 50 to 140 horses. The plan requires wild horses to be managed within the AML range. Once the population reaches or exceeds 140, the excess animals will be removed down to 50 horses. With the population exceeding the maximum by 450 animals, the Forest Service must remove 540 horses to be in compliance with its management plan. The management plan states “When the herd was around the 200 head level (1979), significant use (and damage) occurred at Vester Meadows and the South Fork of Murderers Creek, while at 100 head few areas of concentrated use were found and no areas of damage were found.” Just imagine the damage with the herd at 500 to 600 horses. Murderers Creek Herd Management Area is not alone in having out of control feral horse populations in Oregon. Of 19 wild horse areas listed by BLM, only nine are in compliance with their AML. According to the 2008 BLM report, the total estimated population for the 19 areas was 3,730 horses. The total number of horses allowed by the AML high level is 2,855. That is 875 over the maximum allowed. To bring the total population in compliance with management plans would require removing more than 2,000 horses. To deal with the rapid population expansion, the 1971 wild horse act was amended in 2005 to require the sale of horses over 10 years old or those offered unsuccessfully for adoption three times. The proceeds from selling excess animals are to be used by BLM for costs relating to marketing and adoption of wild horses. Oregon Hunters Association, led by its Redmond Chapter, has invested many thousands of dollars and volunteer hours in habitat improvement in the Murderers Creek area. Over 100,000 shrubs were planted and several miles of fence built or repaired. With a 20 percent recruitment rate, the rapidly expanding feral horse population could destroy all that investment in a few years. Wild horse herds have the potential to double every four to five years. Murderers Creek was selected by ODFW to be one of the first five units in the Mule Deer Initiative. There are many problems to overcome in the recovery of Oregon’s mule deer herds. Competition and habitat damage by feral horses are a significant detriment to the mule deer of Murderers Creek. The Forest Service and BLM must bring the herds into compliance with their management plans.

[buckee]

I admit, it's kind of nice and romantically enchanting to see a group of wild horses. They are beautiful, but, even wild horses need to be managed so they don't get out of hand.

Declaring them a native species is a crock ..LOL

Pheasants aren't native either, but they need to be managed properly. We certainly wouldn't want to see pheasants disappear.

[Jeramie]

I say kill em all..... Oklahoma has TONS of wild horses. Infact we have more horses per Capa than any other state.

Many years ago a person could sale a horse for slaughter for animal food, glue, etc. That stopped when a multi-billion aire's wife got involved. She pretty much single handed stoped the market. Before that point a horse, unbroke, and un touched would sale for $400 - $600. We well broke horse could easily bring $1,000 - $2,000. The market was great!

Now people are GIVING horses away, literally. It is nothing to see two and three horses listed together. All selling for a couple hundred bucks. People are turning them loose, etc. It has literally killed the market.

To top that off, after the selling of horses for meat was shut down the state took on a Wild Mustang program. They already had Mustangs but now they house and feed them. East of Tulsa there are thousands of "Wild Horses" running on state land being fed and housed by the tax payer.... Because of course, we have nothing better to spend our money on.

[billkay]

Been to OK and photographed some of the wild horses outside Bartlesville. We were told that the ranchers who have them on their land are given like $15 per day per horse. Doesn't take long to figure out why a rancher might have several thousand on his ground.