# Ponies used for bear bait



## Curly_Horse_CMT (Jun 8, 2008)

Ok, I had heard this horrible story of these people that used to purchase young ponies from the auction, and then take them home and feed them so much that they would founder;they didnt want them able to walk. Then, they would shoot them and use them for bear bait :shock::evil: I cant belive some people would do something like that. Just for "sport" of animal hunting.


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## kickshaw (May 7, 2008)

what?!?!

those people should be sliced open with a sharp knife and drug behind a boat on the west cost (or wherever there are great white sharks). :evil: :twisted:


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## Pinto Pony (Jul 28, 2008)

Wha??? Purposely abusing horses then using them as bait?? Why don't they use horses who have already died or are up for euthanasia as bait? And also as long as those peeps then have permits to hunt the bears too, but people who abuse horses...

When my mums horse died, (many years ago I might add) she had the local lion safari come pick the body up and he was fed to the wildlife there. Was free pick up of the body and he was put to good use cause a lion has to eat too, even though it is kinda sad.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

That's terrible! They need to be made to eat the bear and the pony's. I have nothing against hunting for food, but hunting for sport is just wrong. Using pony's to catch a bear that you just know they are going to trash the meat and stuff the carcass for bragging rights and stick it in their den is wrong. *******s! :evil:


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Curly_Horse_CMT said:


> Ok, I had heard this horrible story of these people that used to purchase young ponies from the auction,


Where did you hear something like this? Not only cruel, but it really doesn't make sense for the people to feed for the purpose of foundering, then shooting the animals anyway before putting out for bait. Plus the fact that dead animals don't make great bear bait in the first place. Unless maybe grizzlies or polars...


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

I can understand overfeeding, wanting to have plump, fat animals, and ponies are notorious for foundering, so I think that might have just been a resulting cause, and might not have actually been the intent.

I'm just curious as to why a man can't shoot his own pony? For whatever reason he wishes to use the body afterward?


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## Rachluvshorses4eva (Apr 11, 2007)

People like that just need to be shot! Ok, figure of speech there!

SO SHAMEFUL!

Wonder how they'd like it. They really need a kick up the bum. And that's one of the understatements of the year!!


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## Curly_Horse_CMT (Jun 8, 2008)

northernmama said:


> Where did you hear something like this? Not only cruel, but it really doesn't make sense for the people to feed for the purpose of foundering, then shooting the animals anyway before putting out for bait. Plus the fact that dead animals don't make great bear bait in the first place. Unless maybe grizzlies or polars...


One of my friends knew of a girl that saved one of these ponies (thank God) from these people. I am glad at least one pony is saved from a horrible death like that. Honestly...those people should be shot and fed to the bears themselves. But, I am glad to report that the pony that was saved by my friend's friend is doing just grand and is a loved riding and driving companion

Idk why they wanted them to founder...they just fed and fed them till the point that they couldnt move and then they would shoot them....


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## Kentucky (Aug 2, 2008)

Bears, when they attack and eat people, are put down, no questions asked. That bear if not killed, will keep killing and eating people until it dies. With this fact, training a bear to eat horse flesh is stupid. 

Predators are hunted for different reasons than other game animals. Wolves, coyotes, feral dogs, pumas, and bears are dangerous animals. If they ain't being hunted, their numbers will grown as long as their food scources last, and compared to deer and elk, horse and cows are easy prey. Those attackes on humans in CA and other western states are direct results of the ban on predator hunting in those state. 

Personally, I agree with LadyDreamer, the owner has certian rights. But, those who indanger others with their actions, ie training bears to eat horse flesh, should in punished. This could lead to a trailrider being attacked and killed, or their horse being attacked.


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## Snapple122 (Aug 8, 2008)

> I'm just curious as to why a man can't shoot his own pony? For whatever reason he wishes to use the body afterward?


um.. what?


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

LadyDreamer said:


> I'm just curious as to why a man can't shoot his own pony? For whatever reason he wishes to use the body afterward?


I don't see why not, if done quickly and humanely. It's the inhumane treatment before that is so totally out of line to me. Same as the slaughterhouse debate. 

And with that, I bow out of this thread... looks like it could get too hot for me.


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

Was it proven that founder was the intent? Was that what they wanted, or did they just want fat ponies? How many of us horse people know that a lot of ponies can get fat off of air, and need to be watched and monitored in their diet in fear of founder? Almost all of us, right? These people obviously aren't "horse people". 

Whether or not they cared, did the people even know that it was the over feeding that caused the ponies to founder? Did they realize that the ponies were in massive amounts of pain? Sure they were just going to be shot, but some people really can't comprehend what the horses go through, how it happens or that they are the ones that cause it.

How many people do you see on Animal Cops who see their skinny horses and think nothing is wrong with them? Sure we are APPALLED by some of them, but there really are people who don't see anything wrong, nor will assume the blame for it. 

I'm really not trying to defend those people at all. However, I just see holes and feel the need to think this through.

I agree with the poster about essentially "training" the bears to eat horse. Not a smart thing to do. I wonder however if it is different for the bears than staking the ponies out alive. (Remember the beginning of "Enemy at the Gate". They showed the sniper as a boy with his grandfather. They had a horse tied to a tree, baiting the wolf to come into range of gunshot. Granted that is just a movie.) I wonder if the bears would associate a live horse to the cut meat? Just because he has eaten horse meat, and not physically killed one himself, I wonder if that would lead him to attacking and killing live horses. KnowwhatImean?


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## jazziesduet (Oct 24, 2008)

*ohh geese*

wow that is horrible! did the police find out cos that is animal crultey:shock::!::shock:...oh that makes me p*ssed!:evil:


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

Just as cruel as using puppies and kittens as shark bait as was done in France (and other places I'm sure). This article is very disturbing and I would not suggest viewing the pictures at the bottom. Sea Shepherd - Man Charged With Using Puppies for Shark Bait in Reunion


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## Dumas'_Grrrl (Apr 2, 2008)

I want to say that the story (bear bait) has holes in it and that perhaps your friends didn't get the story straight, like why would they spend the money to fatten them up...bait is bait......things that my rational mind doesn't want to believe. Fact of the matter is that some people are twisted and disgusting.


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

*Wolf bait.*

A ranch I used to work for sold 4 horses to a guy to do use them as wolf bait.
He would get them fat, then take them out to the forests around his place, get drunk with his buddies, shoot the horse, pack it with poison, and wait for wolves to come around... then they'd shoot the wolves.

I quit the ranch, and am trying to think of a way to get this guy prosecuted.


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## Rachluvshorses4eva (Apr 11, 2007)

Hmmm, animal abuse maybe? Would that qualify JDI?


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## xkatex (Oct 7, 2007)

The story does sound like it has hole in it. BUt from what i can tell the bottom line is that the ponies are abused THEN killed. I agree with the poster that said taking horses that were already euthanized out and using them as bait but "A-ok" ponies? Thats a bit much. Is there an article about it? Maybe someone should post a link if they find it.


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## shawbulldogs (May 15, 2008)

Easy solution. Stop breeding. The market is flooded with thousands of unwanted horses. You can go to nearly any auction and get a grade horse for under $100.00. That's why these people are using horses, they're cheap. I agree, the story doesn't sound right. Why pay to fatten the pony up the bear or wolves are going to be interested either way. And why pack it full of poison if your going to be there to shot them? You can't kill the wolves twice. Once you shot them they're dead no need for poison. If the supply goes down prices will go up, and nobody is going to pay top dollar for bait.


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

shawbulldogs said:


> Easy solution. Stop breeding. The market is flooded with thousands of unwanted horses. You can go to nearly any auction and get a grade horse for under $100.00. That's why these people are using horses, they're cheap. I agree, the story doesn't sound right. Why pay to fatten the pony up the bear or wolves are going to be interested either way. And why pack it full of poison if your going to be there to shot them? You can't kill the wolves twice. Once you shot them they're dead no need for poison. If the supply goes down prices will go up, and nobody is going to pay top dollar for bait.


 
No, I can guarantee that what I said is true. I had 2 men "bragging" about their "fun" weekend wolf baiting.
The idea with the poison is that ... well... the guys who do this generally get drunk while they're waiting for the wolves to come and find the horse... so generally they don't shoot too well. So the ones they miss die from the poison.
They don't pay top dollar. The ranch sold a few broken down trail ponies (without my consent!!) to this guy for a few hundred dollars each.


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## kenda (Oct 10, 2008)

Perhaps it was just the way I read it, but I was under the impression that the ponies were fed until they could barely move and then shot, not to kill, but to start bleeding. Then the hunter would have living bait that couldn't move to fast and smelled of blood. Quite aside from the dangers of bears acquiring the taste of horse, I'm disgusted with this treatment of horses at all, whether they're destined for the slaughter house any way or not.


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## hillbillyin (Jul 26, 2008)

Maybe someone just told your friend this story to get her to "rescue" a pony? Bears eat mostly berries, fish, and whatever else they find----of course they do eat carrion too, so it could make sense----but why would you spend all that money on hay and feed---couldn't you just use roadkill---it is free, after all. :???:


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