We specialise in aerial wildlife census.. in Africa however, where we count all manners of wildlife. Contact us at info@conservationair.org should you need any advise. www.conservationair.org

Left by Red Plane on January 19th, 2007

I personally feel that the whole point to this unfortunate situation is being completely overshadowed by personal opinions. I feel that it would be a lot more worth while to spend our time working together, obtaining educated answers rather than sitting around pointing fingers. I have been raised west of Sundre. My lively hood depends on the overall health and welfare of the west country. I hope that my kids have the same opportunities that I have had. Preservation is dead. Our echo system is so far out of whack any game in the west country needs to be conserved.Rather than pointing fingers and placing blame lets all work together government departments as well as volunteer groups.To find a reasonable solution to a problem. Lets face it these horses have been shuffled threw a lot of different government departments, there are a lot of gray areas concerning these animals. So now let us all stop and ask for educated answers! Not listen to hear say. I personally would like to ask whoas where they are getting their numbers of horses from. How can they be confident of these numbers when they them selves are bringing light to the fact that there has been limited measures taken in concern with these animals. I see these horses every day! I grew up here and I don’t know how they can have such a definite number count when I can go threw the back country on horseback and see new animals all of the time.I also feel it would be a lot more productive to work together to conserve these animals, rather then use the current circumstances to push for radical measures of protection. After all these horses are wild animals the same as any other. They need to be conserved for your children as well as mine! The only way this will happen is if all of us pull toghether.To find the funding and time to come up with an educated solution. I also feel that the remarks on this site are some what misleading as far as permit holders. They are not the problem. The problem is the lack of funding,cooperation and common sense.Permit holders are law bideing individuals who do adhere to rules and regulations. rather than using them ( the permit holders) as a tool to push a point, and invoke a panic to push for protection.Why not ask them for help? After all they are the only people managing and conserving these animals in responsible manner. Can’t all of us agree that they (the permit holders) are probably the best sources to go to for information as they are the ones there all of the time. I feel that this unfortunate circumstance has at least given us the platform to ask for educated answers. Don’t let your voices be ignored. Put them to use and demand a positive and productive solution to this problem.

Left by Robin on January 25th, 2007

Robin,
I don’t know if you could ever get an extremely pin point number as preditors and man are taking their toll. All you can truly do in my opinion and I do not work with Whoa, is to go out get to know the herds and start your count that way, I do know that there has been an aeral(sp) count. But again that does not account for horses that are hidding in well brushed area’s.

I for one did not just sit and rant my rant on here, I have wrote to Ed Stelmach as well as a generic e-mail held by the Alberta Government, which they had a reply that they will be forwarding my e-mail to the correct person and I should obtain a response within three business days.

Other then getting this onto the TV and on radios etc I am unaware on how to make others aware of the problem. I do not have a lot of funds and I am not the best writer, hopefully in my e-mails to the government I was able to get my point across.

I think we all agree on the following:
1) Wild Horses are becoming far and few between.

2) We all have to get together to save these animals.

The purpose of this blog is not to fight one another, rather work together, brainstorm if you will on finding a solution to this problem. It is here to bring understanding and knowledge to those of us who did not realize the situation was as bad as it is.

I have heard of a horse being shot with a rider on it’s back as it was mistaken for a moose…If you ride in this country where these horses are being shot dont you worry for yourself and your own horses safety? (This is just a personal question of mine). A young girl was riding her horse on a gravel rode, when the mare was shot in the mouth by a hunter! The mare bucked the girl off and took off into the bush, they found the mare a few days later, and to my understanding she made a full recovery…but how terrible!

Left by Lana Bollers on January 26th, 2007