Quoted: Why is it when there is a problem with a animal the solution is always, "KILL IT"...... most of these people can't reason much better than animals can, nor can they recognize that it's people and their endless building and development that pushes nature and wildlife towards problems.

A wonderful sentiment, but it ignores the fact that the feral horse problem is indeed an artifact of human encroachment, exactly the same as Kudzu in the South-East or toxic waste in New Jersey.  It isn't Nature, and they don't belong there.

Now, too many horses on too little land.  That is the current reality.  How do you propose to fix it?  Logically, the courses are limited to:

1)  Make more land.
2)  Make it be fewer horses.
3)  Make the horses live more efficiently on the land they have available.

Relocation (i.e. "adoption") fits both 1 and 2, depending on perspective.  Problem is that it is too inefficient, and will inescapably lead to death of a non-trivial number of horses.  Otherwise option 1 seems to be a dead end.

Option three is also a dead end.  To use the land more efficiently would mean farming it for crops that feed the horses.  Who would pay for that, and would it harm even more species, truly native ones? (yes)

Now, shooting the horses is tremendously more humane and merciful than leaving them to starve.  Starvation (nature's course) also will kill larger numbers than hunting, and it kills indiscriminately, without regard for the health of the population.

Larry

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: As someone who actually has a formal education in wildlife management, yes, I am 100% for the wholesale slaughter of feral livestock (which is exactly what they are). The sheep they're dispacing were here first, represent an important part of the ecosystem they lived in, and were a valueable natural resource, and it's a crying shame that we let a bunch of stupid beasts of burden rob us of desert shepp.... Why bother, isn't the Rapture right around the corner? Actually, I think it probably is. But I could be wrong. No man knows the hour....... So, in the meantime, let's examine a common myth: Many people jokingly say that prostitution is the world's oldest profession. That is incorrect. Genesis Chapter 1: 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. We're told to have a work ethic, to raise families, and then, God gets into 'professional development'. The first profession He gave us was fish/wildlife/ management, followed closely by agriculture and forestry. So, until the Lord comes back, it's safe to say we should manage our wildlife - which, in this case, means that something needs to be done about the out-of-control feral horse/burro problem, lest we squander away the beautiful, recreationally valueable resource He has given us in the form of Desert Bighorn Sheep....... (Hey, you brought religion into this, not me.....)

I've just been reminded why I like you.

As a horse, mustang, and burro owner, rider, packer, and currently on injured reserve from an equestrian incidendent, I support feral animal population control.  The adoption program system is not working.  Too much supply, not enough demand.  Sterilize my ass, expensive liberal hogwash.

Quoted: I run across quite a few of these horses. Most of them are only sutable for a professional or very experienced horseman. I do say most like in any group there exceptions and I've been around a few who turned out to be real nice horses. Almost none of them will be attractive to people looking for horses for any kind of athletic compitition. Make no mistake here the bad horses are Fucking Bad. The kind of horses most people have no experience with. Push them to far and they'll come after you biting, striking and looking to pound you into the dirt.

They are all pieces of shit as far as I am concerned.  I show jumpers and hunters (the latter less frequently).  Mustangs certainly are worthless in my sport,  I don't know any professionals who would put their leg over one.  The above poster is right they are the worst of the worst.  But I don't think they should be shot.  I know quite a few people that are far les intelligent /compassionate /etc than my horses.

As far as sterilization being expensive... I call BS.  All it takes to geld a wild horse is a tranquilizer gun, a stake knife, and a few stitches.  No need to sterilize the mares - in fact I've never heard of that being done to any horses.

Quoted: As someone who actually has a formal education in wildlife management, yes, I am 100% for the wholesale slaughter of feral livestock (which is exactly what they are). The sheep they're dispacing were here first, represent an important part of the ecosystem they lived in, and were a valueable natural resource, and it's a crying shame that we let a bunch of stupid beasts of burden rob us of desert shepp....

I would prefer they control the population instead of killing them all.  Sure they represent a disruption to the natural ecosystem but they can hardly be compared with the damage that the introduction of rabbits did to Australia or feral cats, dogs and rats to New Zealand.

The wild horses presence isn't threatening the extinction of any endemic specie in CA or anywhere else for that matter.

Quoted: Quoted: They're not wild they're feral. Exactly.  Nature lovers should support wiping them out completely. They don't belong there.

Arguably neither do we.  Does that mean we should be purged from the continent or only kept in captivity by Native American Indians?

These wild/feral, whatever horses have been here for a very long time.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: They're not wild they're feral. Exactly.  Nature lovers should support wiping them out completely. They don't belong there. Arguably neither do we.  Does that mean we should be purged from the continent or only kept in captivity by Native American Indians? These wild/feral, whatever horses have been here for a very long time.

Nope, we got here on our own, hence "naturally".
Of course, if you believe in the Dominion Mandate it is even more compelling.

We have a responsibility to undo the damage we have done, to get rid of the mustangs.  At least to the point they no longer compete to drive native species out of the ecosystem.

Quoted: I'm for killing most things (clowns especially).  But, wild horses?  Maybe not.

I'll agree w. the CLOWNS *shudders*, but NO to the Wild Horses