Wild horses in Alberta
- Thread starter crazy_davey
- Start date
I live in sundre and when me and my dad go out hunting it is pretty well routine to see at least 3-5 or more wildies, I don't really know horses that well but the ones i've seen look healthy and thriving. By the way frozen studpiles are a real wake up call when your old man hits one and your're trying to drink coffee without a lid on your cup.
The only good thing i got from a wildy was a chance at a nice buck i missed it by the way, i got all buck fevered up as it was my first season behind a rifle, that was 2 years ago, we were moving across a cutblock and this buck came out of the trees and was following a doe. Then some wildies ran out of the trees and took this bucks focus off me and my pa as we had already been spotted. My uncle nailed the buck 2 days later so it ended good.
The only good thing i got from a wildy was a chance at a nice buck i missed it by the way, i got all buck fevered up as it was my first season behind a rifle, that was 2 years ago, we were moving across a cutblock and this buck came out of the trees and was following a doe. Then some wildies ran out of the trees and took this bucks focus off me and my pa as we had already been spotted. My uncle nailed the buck 2 days later so it ended good.
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black_bear said:
those are feral horses as well, no way horses could have swam the 100+ km out there from the mainland thousands of years ago. sable island is just a big sand dune.
my thoughts on the feral horses in alberta and bc; if the range is below the carry capacity for everything (elk, deer, etc), leave them be. but if every horse means that 1 elk or 4 deer are going to starve on the winter range due to competition from the horses, i say shot them all.
- Location
- Hillbilly shack in the boonies
No it ain't just you , they have served man well , and will know more about you in 2 seconds, than you could ever hope to learn from them.
A little off to the side but to give you a bit better idea of who we are dealing with here. Was talking with my Aunt last night, in the area where the next four shot wildies were found there was also a moose and a whitetail that had been shot too. The deer's head was missing and the moose was totally intact other than a bullet hole in it. Nice job boyz.......
A few years back we found a moose shot not far from the road, having only it's nose cut off. Known as a Native delicacy. I'm not saying they shot the horses but the waste and abuse in our west country really makes me wonder sometimes.
A few years back we found a moose shot not far from the road, having only it's nose cut off. Known as a Native delicacy. I'm not saying they shot the horses but the waste and abuse in our west country really makes me wonder sometimes.
leave them be. but if every horse means that 1 elk or 4 deer are going to starve on the winter range due to competition from the horses, i say shot them all.[/QUOTE]
A cull may be in order, but only a moron would say "shot them all"
A cull may be in order, but only a moron would say "shot them all"
- Location
- AB foothills
Noel said:
So I wonder how come the Moose and the Whitetail didnt make the "big time news"
How come the horses are so much more important?I also dont here anyone giving out rewards to turn in who ever killed them.....
crazy_davey said:So I wonder how come the Moose and the Whitetail didnt make the "big time news"
I also dont here anyone giving out rewards to turn in who ever killed them.....
Yeah, isn't that nice! I always make a point of calling Mark or Jim when I find Big game dead for no apparant reason but they have so much on their plate.
They still appreciate it and try to get to it. It also helps when you need their help with other "circumstances". They really put out the effort to help.
- Location
- Hillbilly shack in the boonies
Lets see, I understand your way of thinking, and do agree the DNR can not stand around if animals are in danger of starving.
Game animals lived quite well before cultivated fields, that just maybe horses worked very hard to create, pulling a plow.
So lets at the very least acknowledge this, before their all killed off and hauled away.
Game management is a delicate tool in the "ecosystem". just hope a balance can be made where small numbers of these wonderful animals can exist.
Levi Garrett said:
what i originally wrote was that if the range is below carry capacity, just to leave the horses be.
dogs have served man as well and for longer than horses, but that doesn't mean they should be allowed to run feral in the "ecosystem".
personally though, about the only way i would shot one of those horses would be to take it home and eat it (and not let on what was in the freezer, because then i would probably have to eat the entire thing myself),
Hmm here is a thought. Now I haven't read the whole thread, but I have eaten horse before and it is quite good. If there is a problem, a hunting season would not be out of line.
I dont condone shooting any animal for the fun of it.
Just for the record, I have owned horses before.
I dont condone shooting any animal for the fun of it.
Just for the record, I have owned horses before.
- Location
- Hillbilly shack in the boonies
