Unit 21 closure

[ColoradoOak]

Unit 21 hunters should be aware that the BLM has closed the Texas Mountain area to protect feral horses. You can read the closure notice here:

http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/media...r.12118.File.dat/Closure_Texas_Mtn_062012.pdf

If hunters were as organized and motivated as the horse huggers, perhaps we could start fighting this issue of game populations having to share public land resources with feral animals. Not likely to happen, though.

 

[tailchasers]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-03-12 AT 03:23PM (MST)[p]http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos/2601bs.jpg


"Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway."

 

[tailchasers]

That button is ment for what the BLM is doing...

I ran into the 2 BLM representatives today filling up with water in town and inquired about this very subject. I was told they are watering the horses and they are trying to gather them into a smaller area so they can be captured and sold. They have a potiential buyer but this all depends upon the BLM getting the horses rounded up for capture. They also went on to say they have no idea how long the closure will last and might even become perminent. I certainly hope this will not be the case.

I let them know my frustration about feral horses and how the feds care more for these state owned feral animals more than our state owned native wildlife.

The BLM folks I spoke with were pleasant and informative which I am thankful of. Seems they do realize there are to many horses in this area and they are trying to eliminate a pretty good bunch of um and trying to do this in a politically correct fashion. Not an easy job by any means.

Just wish these jackassed pencil pushers making these rules and protecting the horses would realize the devastation these horses do to areas they frequent and how they compete with native wildlife.



"Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway."

 

[just_a_hunter]

+1 tailchaser..

My wife and I drove to the top of Texas the other day (about a week and 1/2 ago) to get out of the heat and the amount of horses up top is on this side of pathetic... We stopped counting at (around) 15 foal... Not an elk track anywhere.

Todd

 

[elkmeat]

they might as well close the entire unit. they estemate over 1500 t0 2000 feral horses.i was told the goverment wasn,t fixing any water sources until the horses are rounded up.they are up at texas because of the springs there.

 

[sled_guy]

Good luck to us on the horse issue. Utah has been dealing with horses for years and its a mess. I hear constantly about them being "natural" but when I suggest we let them experience all the same natural things like starvation, predators, thirst I get a look like I've got 3 eyes.

Drives me nuts. And unless Colorado has some magic the whole "buyer" thing isn't going to work. Utah BLM holds regular auctions for them and they hardly get any participation.

sled_guy

 

[Cornhusker]

Its been my experience that a lot of the field BLM guys are as frustrated as us hunters with the feral horse issue and like us they can do little about it.

 

[sled_guy]

Could we hunt them? Maybe not much sport, they just stand there. I lived in Europe when I was younger, ate horse meat regularly and it was pretty good.

I know there is a lot of cultural opposition to that here in the States.

sled_guy

 

[tx_packmule]

paint stripes on them and sell zebra hunts.


on a more serious note; we hunt just about everything down this way, from feral burros to cattle along the Rio. The problem with doing so on public land is that too many people get a say in the matter.

 

[Pre64]

So, if an animal is endangered - restrict access. If there is an over abundance - restrict access. Pattern???

 

[BeanMan]

If it's non native exterminate! I dislike feral horses and the mentality that supports them.

 

[Bossbrott]

They got Kali disease! Im leavin', hope its not contagious.

 

[elks96]

I hunt 21 and 22 all the time. Between the horse and the oil and gas it is amazing there is much of anything left. I was up in 22 last weekend and the amount of weeds is just horrible. The major trails are 6-8" deep of powdered dirt etc. There are entire canyons that used to have crested wheat grass that now have no grass and have nearly 100 percent ground cover with Kosha, Russian Thistle (tumble weed) or Halogeton.

While I do enjoy seeing a few wildhorses, both area have way too many at this point. I have watched the horses in 22 run off all other wildlife from a water hole....

Ultimately to close land to protect a non native species is over the top. If the horse cant hack it, let em die. If they are out competing native species then they need to be taken out.

 

[Whiterock]

Whats a matter with turning them into dog food ?
I like to see wild horses ,but to much is to much.

 

[tailchasers]

I'd like to know why the state is not managing these animals instead of the feds since the animals are supposedly property of the state. Although I am not sure the state would do a better job controlling them.

"Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway."

 

[NickJ1980]

The BLM manages them because of the so-called "Wild Horse and Burro Act" that requires them to:

http://www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov/92-195.htm


The BLM rounded up a bunch of horses on Texas Mtn during the closure, much to the displeasure of the "mustang folks."

 

[sled_guy]

I was on Texas Mountain 2 years ago hunting elk, the horses were thick as flies, no elk. That's when I got to thinking about hunting a horse.

sled_guy

 

[GrizlyHunter]

>I was on Texas Mountain 2
>years ago hunting elk, the
>horses were thick as flies,
>no elk. That's when
>I got to thinking about
>hunting a horse.
>
>sled_guy


Same here, except I was hunting deer.

GrizlyHunter

 

[Canvsbk]

>The BLM manages them because of
>the so-called "Wild Horse and
>Burro Act" that requires them
>to:

That has to be some real BS there. I got no dog in this fight but why in the world the pencil pushers always have to try to protect any invasive species is beyond me.








Semper Fi