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Old 11-16-2019, 03:31 PM
 
Location: Sierra Nevada
758 posts, read 807,517 times
Reputation: 1337

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OK, so I have had a marauding herd of mustangs visiting my front yard this past week in NE Carson City. Around 30 1,000lb animals galloping around my circular driveway all night and my dogs don't even bark!!

So after shoveling up manure for a few days and fixing a broken sprinkler head I asked some Dayton friends what peeps out there do to discourage the visits and found out that simply stringing up some rope with flags or plastic bags tied on usually keeps them away. In my neighborhood these 'gangs' usually prey upon us in the fall for a month or so.

I tried this and so far it's working great, not beautiful, but better than the piles of manure....

So I am passing on the tip for those dealing with a unique Nevada phenomenon, Hah!
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Old 11-17-2019, 03:09 PM
 
Location: BFE
1,415 posts, read 1,166,441 times
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I built a fence. Because flags don't confront coyotes.
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Old 11-18-2019, 01:43 PM
 
Location: Sierra Nevada
758 posts, read 807,517 times
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True!

I have a 5-6 foot chain link around most of my acre...that doesn't stop the coyotes, bobcat, mountain lion or deer, but does stop the wild horses.

The problem was the front circle with grass...the twine and walmart bags is working great so far...if I put in a fence it would be difficult due to trees, and two entrances to the driveway...so the cheap-o route is best option so far.

I am hoping the wild horses are just in my neighborhood temporarily and will vamoose soon
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Old 11-19-2019, 10:34 AM
 
Location: Sierra Nevada
758 posts, read 807,517 times
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Well they are a unique and beautiful phenomenon here in Northern Nevada. I have really noticed the population has exploded in the past few years though..in the hills near my home there can be close to 100 horses milling about at times. Having lived here my whole life and owned horses myself that I rode into these mountains I have never seen so many herds hanging close together like this. The good thing about them is they are cutting down on wildfire fuels. They even eat the cheatgrass. They can really damage the natural springs though.

The Virginia Range herds are not managed by BLM, they are not considered 'wild', but estray. They descend from the Virginia City area during the gold rush era.

Nevada is a 'fence out' state, so it is up to the homeowner to keep them off the property. I love all the wildlife in our area, and would rather deal with 'my' wild animals in the NE hills than the bears on the west side, Hah!
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Old 12-28-2019, 11:54 AM
 
Location: NW Nevada
18,123 posts, read 15,512,307 times
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I know one thing that spooks horses off. The barest whiff of a mountain lion. They will stay plumb shut of that. I do believe they make bait scent you can buy at hunting stores like Sportsman's.
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Old 12-28-2019, 08:16 PM
 
Location: Sierra Nevada
758 posts, read 807,517 times
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Interesting, our neighborhood herd ended up galloping up and down the very busy College Parkway for a week until wild horse advocates were called in to get them off the busy roads and business parking lots.

It looks like they drove this marauding herd over the mountains into Washoe Lake state park and so far they are staying put over there even though there are several herds in that valley now.

Let's hope they don't come back to Carson for awhile as they were getting into too much trouble over here

A unique Nevada situation!
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Old 02-03-2020, 10:43 PM
 
Location: Redwood City, CA
15,240 posts, read 12,801,675 times
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I'll trade you our Arizona bobcats for your wild horses.
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Old 02-04-2020, 01:46 PM
 
Location: Sierra Nevada
758 posts, read 807,517 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fluffythewondercat View Post
I'll trade you our Arizona bobcats for your wild horses.
LOL! We have those, too! I had one in my garage not too long ago...they are worse than the coyotes in some ways because they can climb anywhere your cats climb
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Old 04-21-2021, 09:48 AM
 
Location: NW Nevada
18,123 posts, read 15,512,307 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisMT View Post
LOL! We have those, too! I had one in my garage not too long ago...they are worse than the coyotes in some ways because they can climb anywhere your cats climb
One thing I have never had any trouble with is Bobbies. Nothing ever pillaged of my little spread by them. Oh we certainly do have them around. But funny thing is in all my life in NV I have actually never seen one in the wild. Mountain lions oh yes. I've had to track a few of them down over the years.Bears, yep seen them. Even saw a red fox. Yes a red one which a wildlife bioligist with NDOW told me we don't have. Just greys and kits he say. Ummmm...OK.Saw that critter in a place that not many people can go. But I had authorization and purpose for being there.

Won't say exactly where but this place is downright incredible. It's like going back in time 10000 years or better. NV as it once was. There used to be a herd of Alpine Mountain goats up there. They weren't native though. They were released by a guy who used to live up there way back that raised them. Turned them loose when he left. His old cabin site is still there. Well is disrepair but there. We call that place sheep camp.Their gone now. At least they haven't been spotted for a long time. They could have moved over to adjacent peaks. But this range is dripping with cats soooo.

Lots of issues with yotes of course but never with Bobbies . All the diverse critters I've seen in NV in the wild and never a bobcat. LOL, go figure. I live in Cartoon City now and those feral horses around here are a nuisance. They cause accidents, a lot of serious ones, on hwy 50 all the time. Oh, and btw they are NOT "mustangs." True mustangs have bloodlines going back to when the Spanish reintroduces horses to N America. As far back as the bloodlines in NV go is to cavalry and ranching stock in the 19th century.

But these horses around here are considerably more ...recent. They are ferals. Most turned loose by knot heads who didn't want to have to deal with them anymore. They are invasive and destructive. These wild horse advocacy groups don't have any idea what they are talking about with them and less about what they're doing or want done with them. These animals are no different than feral dogs and cats but they aren't predators . I'm a horseman. Have been all my life and I love horses. But I also know as a horseman that you have to be very practical and objective with them. And in the greatest percentage this herd here is riddled with useless inbred dinks that contribute nothing and take much.

I truly fail to see why so many people just go goo goo over seeing them. (sigh) City folks. Many from like Sac and the Bay area who've never even seen a horse up lose I guess. So it's a novel experience for them. They're not standing in the middle of their highways at 0300. I often drive Hwy 50 at such hours and really have to be alert. Hitting a horse is not something I want to do. I hit a cow once coming back to Yerington from Fallon at night and came damn close to not walking away from it. I've seen some very bad wrecks caused by these feral horses and know a couple folks who tangled with them. Hitting one in your vehicle is no Twinky thing.

Their here to stay though. OK, fine. But they need to be properly managed. Properly being the operative word. These advocacy groups have no clue how to manage horses. So the state should hire real horse men and women who do to handle these herds. Regular culling especially of the studs and keep their numbers at safer less destructive levels. Introduce that fresh blood at regular intervals and keep the inbreeding down. Get them healthy and sound. Feral horses can't just be left be. It's not practical. Just my 2 cents.
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Old 04-21-2021, 11:38 AM
 
Location: Sierra Nevada
758 posts, read 807,517 times
Reputation: 1337
Interesting observations, Plumber!

Re: Bobcat-they surprise you because they run down roads and trails instead of in the brush...so if your out hiking and your husband says there is a 'Rottweiler' running down the road in front of you and you see a white patch on it's backside...it's not Rottweiler! Ha ha! He didn't believe me when I said it was probably a bobcat until it stopped and looked back at us....he thought it was the strangest cat/dog looking creature! The one in our garage, he thought it was a baby bear under the truck lol!

Re: Alpine goats-that is really cool they were running wild out there! I would love to see Northern Nevada BLM ditch the sheep on the range and introduce Bighorn back into the river canyons...I know some Bighorn are outside of Sparks now...

Re: Wild horses-yes, the Virginia Range herds are not considered to be truly mustangs...they actually are not even managed by the BLM because they are considered feral horses descended from horses and ponies used for ranching and mining around Virginia City. So the State of Nevada is supposed to manage them and local wild horse advocates were actually doing a good job of birth control and management. A national advocacy group filed a lawsuit against the State and an injunction was placed on all management while the lawsuit worked it's way through the courts...so now there are hundreds of horses where there used to be far-flung herds. There must be over one hundred horses in Washoe Valley and the hillsides there now...it's actually a good place for them with all the grass in there, but it's striking to see so many in that location as they never were down in there before.
I do know that the State is placing fencing all along Hwy 50 out to Silver Springs to try and keep the horses off of the highway...hopefully it will work!
I have to say that the horses are looking pretty healthy for being over-populated like they are right now. Of course my neighbors grass helps keep them well-fed
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