Have you ever seen Barbary in….

[TerynItUp]

…the “Abq metro area?”

Let’s hear the closest you have seen them to Sandia Crest and I will tell you where I just saw these. Don’t get all excited, too many homes to hunt over here.

 

[Lonepine]

That's awesome. I've never seen em near abq.

 

[coryb]

Very interested to hear where you saw them! I can’t even find them in the draw units.

I have heard of one being hit on I40 in the canyon near Tijeras….

 

[Cahunter805]

That is an awesome video. Your little man was sure excited and rightfully so.

 

[BUGLEnmIN]

Is that in the Sandias ? Closest I’ve seen them is Taylor!?!

 

[BUGLEnmIN]

…the “Abq metro area?”

Let’s hear the closest you have seen them to Sandia Crest and I will tell you where I just saw these. Don’t get all excited, too many homes to hunt over here.


View attachment 75278

Shoulda have bought an otc selected E-Tag and SMOKED one ??????

 

[TerynItUp]

No BS…that was filmed from my front door right here in Placitas. Keep in mind I live in FAR East Placitas. Since yesterday I am hearing reports of a ranch South of Santa Fe that has em so maybe they wandered West? Who knows, I just hope to see them more often.

Yeah my three year old was pretty pumped, he’s used to seeing coyotes so this had him a tad confused.

 

[BUGLEnmIN]

No BS…that was filmed from my front door right here in Placitas. Keep in mind I live in FAR East Placitas. Since yesterday I am hearing reports of a ranch South of Santa Fe that has em so maybe they wandered West? Who knows, I just hope to see them more often.

Yeah my three year old was pretty pumped, he’s used to seeing coyotes so this had him a tad confused.

Freaking AWESOME

 

[Branman313]

That’s awesome!

 

[Swanson]

North of Alamagordo in my personal experience

...awesome

 

[smarba]

I've heard of them being occasionally seen in the Manzanos, but Unit 8 Sandias isn't open for OTC.

 

[smarba]

Awesome BTW, I hope they can get established here somewhere.

 

[Mudbull]

Although I love to hunt them and eat them, I hope they don’t. They are very destructive to the native habitat and out complete the deer and BHS.

 

[smarba]

Besides people saying they are destructive, I have personally yet to see evidence of it. There's no BHS in this area, so that's a moot point. I guess the real question is whether they actually compete with the deer. Places around Roswell I've seen plenty of deer in vicinity of Barbs.

Years ago a guy told me he swore he saw one on Kirtland AFB.

 

[Prime_Beef]

Barbary sheep will indeed out-compete deer and BHS for available forage, and are vastly more drought-resistant than either. It's easy enough to see how this might be a problem, given the poor range conditions in NM. It's also possible that sheep movements result in excess erosion, which in turn increases silt levels from runoff. Years ago there was a concern that a rise in silt levels at Conchas Lake was caused partly by the large numbers of sheep on the Canadian River.

Seeing some Barbary outside of Placitas is cool enough, but it's not too surprising. They've been spotted all over the state. I suspect the sightings in or around the Manzanos over the years have probably been BHS, though.

 

[TerynItUp]

It really is a shame to see such low deer numbers here in Placitas. It is what you imagine when you think of mule deer country, and there are a handful of springs that run year round. The real problem for the deer around here are the horses.

I hike these hills out here all the time, hundreds of miles since we moved here less than two years ago and I had never seen evidence of barbary before. I even have some trail cameras around that regularly get the usual suspects of deer, bobcats, horses, coyotes, bears and mt. lions (higher elevation towards the Sandias), but never a Barbary. So as you can imagine I was flat out shocked to see em out my front door. I won’t be upset to see them more often. I’d trade the horses for more deer and Barbary any day.

 

[Bigfoot 1]

It really is a shame to see such low deer numbers here in Placitas. It is what you imagine when you think of mule deer country, and there are a handful of springs that run year round. The real problem for the deer around here are the horses.

I hike these hills out here all the time, hundreds of miles since we moved here less than two years ago and I had never seen evidence of barbary before. I even have some trail cameras around that regularly get the usual suspects of deer, bobcats, horses, coyotes, bears and mt. lions (higher elevation towards the Sandias), but never a Barbary. So as you can imagine I was flat out shocked to see em out my front door. I won’t be upset to see them more often. I’d trade the horses for more deer and Barbary any day.

Kill the lions.

 

[smarba]

I once saw droppings in the southern Sandias that looked mighty suspicious as BBY, but no confirmation.

Regarding feral horses (and burros) it boggles the mind they are a protected species.

 

[Mudbull]

The area I hunt Barbary was full of deer when I was a boy. Our entire party used to tag out. Now the unit is one that you will see ample Barbary sheep and rarely see a muley. When speaking with the rancher he stated that there used to be BHS on the rock faces but last time he saw one was 1987. There is no shortage of water in the area with tanks and a couple springs. The Barbary hammer the prickly pear cactus, yucca, saw grass and other vegetation to death. It’s how I convinced my wife to hunt them as well. Hopefully they expand our access and ability to control these populations. People claim they are starting to see them in the Organ mountains. They will thrive if they establish a population. It is mostly limited by military or the monument. The Deer and BHS will be toast. I cannot imagine the Sandias would be any different. Careful what you wish for.
Horses taste good too.

 

[Reuben_Soady]

Between Golden and Madrid ... Rancho de Chavez
Feral goats, feral horses, feral pigs, feral cats, feral dogs, feral children...should be managed by people with backbones.

 

[Reuben_Soady]

But yea, Teryn's critter look like Barbs after I figured out I could show that video at full screen.

 

[TerynItUp]

I once saw droppings in the southern Sandias that looked mighty suspicious as BBY, but no confirmation.

Regarding feral horses (and burros) it boggles the mind they are a protected species.

I have yet to figure out if these horses are truly protected or not. I know they are not tied to a BLM or FS Herd Management Area which from what I understand gives federal protection to horses in an HMA. I have heard mention of these horses being protected by Sandoval County somehow but cannot figure out how to find that out for certain.

 

[Lonewolf22]

Between Golden and Madrid ... Rancho de Chavez
Feral goats, feral horses, feral pigs, feral cats, feral dogs, feral children...should be managed by people with backbones.

Love that place. Nice ranch to hunt on.

 

[smarba]

Protection of feral horses and burros is at the Fed level, unfortunately.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

www.fs.fed.us

 

[TerynItUp]

Protection of feral horses and burros is at the Fed level, unfortunately.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

www.fs.fed.us

Smarba, you are correct, but it’s not all feral horses. It’s only those associated with designated areas on BLM and FS lands. This is from your link:

“It became Public Law 92-195, which protects wild horses and burros within designated territories on both Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands. This law mandates that these horses and burros are managed in a thriving ecological balance with the land and as part of the natural landscape.”

These horses here in Placitas, as well as those around Alto and Ruidoso, are not associated with a Herd Management Area and therefore do not garner federal protection. From what I understand, there is a vague Sandoval County statute and some case law that grant these horses protection, I have yet to find the actual text of either though.

 

[Reuben_Soady]

Keep looking Teryn! I need me some chorizo.

 

[bjn7f0]

Tamales!!!!