Cool Nature Photos

[dj1701]

Little stroll around the yard yesterday. The blueberries and aspens never disappoint.

 

[dj1701]

Another autumn shot from yesterday.

 

[deserteagle71]

Band of wild mustangs I came across on my ride through Nevada's outback yesterday afternoon. Care to count how many were in this band? There were many more than what are in this photo!

 

[EddieWalker]

I've heard that the Mustangs do a lot of damage to the land. Have you seen any of that? or is it even true?

 

[masseyrider]

I've heard that the Mustangs do a lot of damage to the land. Have you seen any of that? or is it even true?

if you drive them appropriately it's minimal.
It gets bad when you start doing brake stands, burnouts and such.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

.

 

[deserteagle71]

I've heard that the Mustangs do a lot of damage to the land. Have you seen any of that? or is it even true?

It is absolutely true. For most intents and purposes the mustangs have no natural predators to keep down their numbers so their population increases rapidly. But this is Nevada - the driest state in the nation. These horses are not grazing grassy fields. Look at the photo I posted. It is mostly brush. Waterholes/springs are few and far between and when a big band of mustangs comes to the spring they leave nothing but a muddy mess. In summer many of those springs dry up and many of those mustangs are found dead around dried up springs. So all the devastated brush (which deer and other wildlife browse) and destroyed springs have a big effect on our wildlife. Around cities and towns the mustangs have adapted - they are protected by law and find grazing people's lawns and gardens and stripping their fruit trees good fodder. How'd you like to see this on your front lawn...and you can't do a thing about it?

Several people are killed every year in Nevada when they hit a mustang while driving at night. Its not like hitting a cow - the horse is so tall that when the car hits it in the legs the body of the horse hits the windshield. By law the Government is supposed to keep the mustang numbers in check - range management experts set allowable numbers that the land can support. And they try. Right now Nevada has an estimated 70,000 mustangs roaming free - way over what the desert land can support. But every time they try to gather some of them up any number of "wild horse protective" organizations (mostly made up of older women, by the way) file a lawsuit and the gather is delayed.

The BLM (Bureau of Land Management) has around 65,000 wild horses in various holding facilities around the country where they live out their lives as per the last paragraph of the above article. You and I, the taxpayer, pay for the upkeep...to the tune of $100,000,000+ per year.

I consider that another example of government waste.



cannot be

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

These maples near the house I planted when they were tiny.

 

[lman]

It is absolutely true. For most intents and purposes the mustangs have no natural predators to keep down their numbers so their population increases rapidly. But this is Nevada - the driest state in the nation. These horses are not grazing grassy fields. Look at the photo I posted. It is mostly brush. Waterholes/springs are few and far between and when a big band of mustangs comes to the spring they leave nothing but a muddy mess. In summer many of those springs dry up and many of those mustangs are found dead around dried up springs. So all the devastated brush (which deer and other wildlife browse) and destroyed springs have a big effect on our wildlife. Around cities and towns the mustangs have adapted - they are protected by law and find grazing people's lawns and gardens and stripping their fruit trees good fodder. How'd you like to see this on your front lawn...and you can't do a thing about it?

View attachment 4327241

Several people are killed every year in Nevada when they hit a mustang while driving at night. Its not like hitting a cow - the horse is so tall that when the car hits it in the legs the body of the horse hits the windshield. By law the Government is supposed to keep the mustang numbers in check - range management experts set allowable numbers that the land can support. And they try. Right now Nevada has an estimated 70,000 mustangs roaming free - way over what the desert land can support. But every time they try to gather some of them up any number of "wild horse protective" organizations (mostly made up of older women, by the way) file a lawsuit and the gather is delayed.

View attachment 4327243

The BLM (Bureau of Land Management) has around 65,000 wild horses in various holding facilities around the country where they live out their lives as per the last paragraph of the above article. You and I, the taxpayer, pay for the upkeep...to the tune of $100,000,000+ per year.

I consider that another example of government waste.



cannot be

Open Range. If you don't want livestock on your property, put a fence around it.

 

[Runner]

Hickoy tree in the pasture today, near where I was grinding stumps.