A really disgusting story . . .Reward in wild horse shootings now $3,000. CBC News
Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is President of the Western Watersheds Project.
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The grass greed of the public lands livestock industry in the U. S. fuels anti-horse sentiment here.
Public lands ranchers pressure agencies to remove large numbers of horses from BLM lands, while letting cattle numbers near-universally stay the same or even increase. BLM is constantly rounding up wild horses with Press Releases and fanfare, while quietly nodding at the cattlemen to grab the grass now freed up.
This ends up sending out the message that the only good horse is a Gone horse.
In Nevada, there are many times and in many areas husks of dead horses near very minor roads, especially when you get out 30 or 40 miles from the pavement in unglamorous, cow-burned country off the beaten track — the Little Owyhee country for example.
CBC TV did an interview with some guy from Alberta with the Alberta Wild Horse Foundation. They said the maximum fine for killing a feral horse was $2000. They have a suspect in mind, and police are investigating. The punishment does not fit the crime, and as a Canadian, I am asshamed of such minor crimes in general to anyone convicted of animal cruelty. We call ourselves such a civil society, but have very lax laws on the treatment of animals!
Vancouver, BC