Horse hunting

[Grizzly95]

I guess this would belong under "other big game". And I don't want to hear people gettin mad at me for it, I have never done it. My uncle gets paid every few years to go out on the satus and the reservation and gun down wild horses, has anyone else heard of this or been a part of it? At first I was shocked about hearing that people do this, they run them down on quads or sleds and blast them; but then my uncle explained the reason to me. I guess they tried to do a wild horse adoption with little success so now every so many years they do a census on them and thin the herd because they can have a big impact on the deer and elk herds. Remember don't shoot the messenger.

[longstevo]

I don't know too much about this topic, but I know that feral horses are quite the problem in many places.  Shooting them?  I have no problem with it, as long as they are doing something with the meat. 

People get so bent around the axles because horses are always considered "Man's Second Best Friend," and are always personable to people. 

But when it comes down to it, there's no difference between a herd of wild horses and feral donkeys, which do just as much damage. 

[Grizzly95]

He never said anything about the meat, I was just figuring they leave them lay for dog bait.

[dbllunger]

This has been going on for a long time.  These are wild feral horses and they over populate like crazy.  This year is predicted to possibly be the year with the hightest numbers for killing them.   If they don't increase the kill numbers they will totally loose control of the problem.   They started the adoption crap to satisfy the animal lovers, and it has almost financially broke BLM, and it has cost BLM needed programs and money.  I say set it up so that they can round them up and sell them for dog food, glue, or gator bait, but just make some money off them.  Better yet set up some hunts with processors ready to butcher and sell the meat to who ever is the highest bidder and use the remains for dog food. I would shoot them gladly.  What a perfect situation to do some load/bullet testing on elk sized animals.  

[boneaddict]

They knock a bucnh down every year or so over on the Colville.  The cattle guys HATE them.  Compete for food and often run their cattle just for fun.

[mossback91]

I always figured it would be fun to try and catch one of the crazy *censored*s.........

[Grizzly95]

it has almost financially broke BLM

I could see that, a friend of mine has 2 wild horses he got from the BLM program and they send vets out randomly to do check ups on the animals and make sure they are being cared for properly. Now if the state would do that with the children put in foster homes or left with cracked out parents maybe we wouldn't see all the abuse in the news.

[boneaddict]

NO *censored*!

[ThePascoKid]

sounds like a kick in the ass to me

[Grizzly95]

My wife and I adopted our nephew, who was left in state care, and in the 5 years that have past we have never been called by a social worker or child services to check up on him.

[runamuk]

This has been going on for a long time.  These are wild feral horses and they over populate like crazy.  This year is predicted to possibly be the year with the hightest numbers for killing them.   If they don't increase the kill numbers they will totally loose control of the problem.   They started the adoption crap to satisfy the animal lovers, and it has almost financially broke BLM, and it has cost BLM needed programs and money.  I say set it up so that they can round them up and sell them for dog food, glue, or gator bait, but just make some money off them.  Better yet set up some hunts with processors ready to butcher and sell the meat to who ever is the highest bidder and use the remains for dog food. I would shoot them gladly.  What a perfect situation to do some load/bullet testing on elk sized animals.  

OH let me add my two cents....and I am a horse lover

They have now banned selling horses for human consumption in this country....yep horses can no longer be slaughtered.  It used to be only BLM (wild horses) that couldn't be sold for slaughter well when that temporary ban expired the anti's pushed the thing to the extreme.  With the current economy there are areas where people are abandoning horses only adding to the feral herd populations.

You cannot buy horsemeat in this country other than on the black market.  The next step...in your legislatures roll...to ban all export of horses for human consumption.

man I hate the anti's 

[bobcat]

I didn't realize they killed wild horses to keep the population down. That's great! It's too bad they don't sell tags. I would love to go on a wild horse hunt. And yes, I would eat all the meat.

[mossback91]

I didn't realize they killed wild horses to keep the population down. That's great! It's too bad they don't sell tags. I would love to go on a wild horse hunt. And yes, I would eat all the meat.

does it taste good? Always wanted to try some but have never had the chance. think i can get away with hanging a horse up in the backyard?

[Red Dawg]

YA it is illegal to sell horses for anything that has to do with food. Dumbest thing I have ever heard since after all they are just an animal, no different than a cow to me other than you can ride them. The wild horses are growing wildly in the satus/goldendale area. I am now starting to see them up in the timber running with the cattle. They need to kill a bunch of them. Most of the original horses came from charlie shaducks herd and they have just gone crazy. I know a guy very well who goes out and catches them for fun once in a while and this guy has some stories. My uncle lost one of his fingers to one. these horses are mean let me tell you. Someone will get killed one of these years when they hit one with a car. They are fun to look at but now they are getting out of control.

[bobcat]

does it taste good? Always wanted to try some but have never had the chance. think i can get away with hanging a horse up in the backyard?

I have never eaten horse meat but I would guess that it would be similar to elk.  And sure, I think you could hang a horse up in your back yard, no problem! However if it were me I'd bring it home in pieces like I do my elk.

[skybusterbo]

Coming home from Oregon after Thanksgiving my wife and I counted over 85 between Satus pass and Toppenish. I've traveled hwy 97 many times and never seen so many. They are cool to see but someone will get hurt when one of them gets hit by a car. If they had horns and they were worth something. I'm sure the Yakima's would be out today shooting them too.  There's an idea....subsistence hunting on the rez.......hummmmmm why not!!!

[Grizzly95]

I will ask my Uncle, he is Yakima Indian; maybe he would try it. I heard in Europe the horse meat is a delicacy.

[Gobble]

does it taste good? Always wanted to try some but have never had the chance. think i can get away with hanging a horse up in the backyard?

I have never eaten horse meat but I would guess that it would be similar to elk.  And sure, I think you could hang a horse up in your back yard, no problem! However if it were me I'd bring it home in pieces like I do my elk.

When I was a kid my mom picked some horse meat up at the Pike Place market and we tried it to see what it tastes like, it was just like beef if I remember right. My 15 yr old rode a wild mustang owned by RhinoRon's that was cuaght in arizona this past elk season, it's a great horse.

[Grizzly95]

My uncle said that when you break a wild horse it will always be broke, something about breaking the spirit of the horse. Maybe an indian thing.

[robb92]

I had horse meat when I was in Italy for an airshow, wasn't to bad, tasted like a cross between elk and beef.

[Kent Hunter]

We ate ALOT of horse meat when I was a kid. The Pike Place Market (Farmers Market) in downtown Seattle had a horse meat butcher shop in the market and horse meat was alot cheaper than beef. It tastes just fine. Pretty good actually.

[PolarBear]

We did the round-up and adopted 2 wild horses many years ago and had to put them down because they were unmanageable and could not even give them away.  Schorno Agribusiness in Yelm raises and sell draft horses for meat.  They ship them live to China, Japan, etc.  Theire is some good money in exporting meat horses, maybe the state should try that, offset their costs and possibly make some coin?   

[Head-shot]

I had horse meat when I was in Italy for an airshow, wasn't to bad, tasted like a cross between elk and beef.

I was going to say the same thing. I ate it all the time in Sardinia. It is pretty lean, really tender. Was grilled and then smothered in a red wine sauce with wild mushrooms, onions and garlic. It was BIG too! Washed it down with a really good red table wine. Very tasty.

[fc2038]

it has almost financially broke BLM

I could see that, a friend of mine has 2 wild horses he got from the BLM program and they send vets out randomly to do check ups on the animals and make sure they are being cared for properly. Now if the state would do that with the children put in foster homes or left with cracked out parents maybe we wouldn't see all the abuse in the news.

[Pathfinder101]

can you imagine the 60 minutes special when someone figures out that the state of Washington is catching horseys and selling them to China for meat?  Forget the 60 Minutes Special... can you imagine the movie that hollywood would make about it?  Halley Barry would play Cynthia McKinney headed to China in a rowboat with George Clooney and Matt Damon (her bodyguards) to save a shipfull of dancing Lippizaners after she goes postal on the Department of Fish and Game office in Olympia...

This state voted to "save" cougars and bears from the evil hound hunters ... and people are actually scared of cougars and bears...

[skybusterbo]

can you imagine the 60 minutes special when someone figures out that the state of Washington is catching horseys and selling them to China for meat?  Forget the 60 Minutes Special... can you imagine the movie that hollywood would make about it?  Halley Barry would play Cynthia McKinney headed to China in a rowboat with George Clooney and Matt Damon (her bodyguards) to save a shipfull of dancing Lippizaners after she goes postal on the Department of Fish and Game office in Olympia...

This state voted to "save" cougars and bears from the evil hound hunters ... and people are actually scared of cougars and bears...

:chuckle:Your right, I could see it now. Motion picture of the year. Best actres,best actor,best supporting actor,throw in a Broke back mt. subplot and it would be best movie of all time. Of coarse Halley Barry would have to have a couple of nude senses. :chuckle:

[farmin4u_98948]

The Yakama Nation has not renewed many of the cattle range leases on the closed part of the reservation. This land is now over run by horses. What you see from Hwy 97 is a small look at what is on the upper benches to the east and west of the Hwy. The wild horses are now so inbred that the frames are small, thin and huge headed with little value on the kill market. Horses from Warm Springs are very well managed for size and frame. To Indians the horses are part of a culture that links to the past. How wealthy are you...        I have many ponies..

[7mmfan]

Coming home from Oregon after Thanksgiving my wife and I counted over 85 between Satus pass and Toppenish. I've traveled hwy 97 many times and never seen so many. They are cool to see but someone will get hurt when one of them gets hit by a car. If they had horns and they were worth something. I'm sure the Yakima's would be out today shooting them too.  There's an idea....subsistence hunting on the rez.......hummmmmm why not!!!

The part about subsistence hunting ON THE REZ!

[runamuk]

We did the round-up and adopted 2 wild horses many years ago and had to put them down because they were unmanageable and could not even give them away.  Schorno Agribusiness in Yelm raises and sell draft horses for meat.  They ship them live to China, Japan, etc.  Theire is some good money in exporting meat horses, maybe the state should try that, offset their costs and possibly make some coin?   

Actually the legislation is sitting in some committee to ban ALL export of live horses for human consumption...just fyi..

[mossback91]

 I dont understand why someone would have such a problem with slaughtering a horse!!!

[runamuk]

I dont understand why someone would have such a problem with slaughtering a horse!!!

the same reason they are against hunting, dog breeding, eating meat, etc....