UPDATE: EVENT CANCELED Advocates reach for solutions in Big Bend Ranch burro issue
UPDATE: Big Bend Ranch State Park Superintendent Barrett Durst said Friday that Ray Field of the Wild Horse Foundation has canceled this weekend’s “Big Bend Ranch Burro Invitational Workshop” at the ranch park.
By STERRY BUTCHER
PRESIDIO COUNTY – A summit on the burro situation in Big Bend Ranch State Park has been set for September 15-18 at the park.
Organized by Ray Field, of the Wild Horse Foundation, the “Big Bend Ranch Burro Invitational Workshop” aims to send participants into the field, gather suggestions and brainstorm removal plans for the feral burros that roam the park.
“All non-profit groups are encouraged to attend,” Field wrote on his website, widlhorsefoundation.org. “Take this opportunity to make yourself available to end the war of burros.”
Hundreds of burros wander Big Bend Ranch’s stony hillsides. Thousands of aoudad perch atop its crags. Burros and aoudad – a kind of North African sheep – are considered non-native species by Texas Parks and Wildlife and are thus subject to periodic removal by lethal shooting. Parks officials fear that these exotic species compete for the scanty forage and fragile resources that are also needed by the desert bighorn that are newly re-introduced to the park.
A public uproar over the burro shooting policy erupted after it was discovered that Parks and Wildlife officials had shot 71 burros in 2007. A moratorium on burro shooting was enacted and public hearings on the matter were held, but a capture effort by a California outfit netted zero burros. A few months before the bighorn’s December 2010 reintroduction to the park, the moratorium on shooting burros and aoudads was lifted.
“We’re back to eliminating them when we see them,” Scott Boruff, the department’s executive director for operations, told the paper in October 2010.
Curt Swafford is a retired educator and an equine enthusiast from Terlingua. He’s closely followed the burros’ plight and he may attend part of the upcoming burro summit at the park.
“I don’t want the burros to be moved,” he said this week. “I’m not for those burros leaving. Their generations go back 400-plus years in this area. I’m not against the bighorn – I think they’re beautiful animals too – but I think they can coexist.”
In the effort to learn more about the issue, Swafford sought answers this summer from Parks and Wildlife personnel and shared those email exchanges with this newspaper.
According to these accounts with Kevin Good, special assistant to the director at TPWD, Parks and Wildlife shooters killed a total of 46 burros in 11 incidents from August 2010 to July 2011.
“Burros are destroyed only when authorized staff have the opportunity to do so in a safe and humane manner, when the burros are encountered during the course of normal operational duties,” Good wrote to Swafford.
Marjorie Farabee’s home in Plantersville is many hours from Big Bend Ranch and its burros. She won’t attend the summit in September but instead has taken her own course of action. She, Swafford and a few other volunteers have banded together as the Wild Burro Protection League. On August 24, Farabee traveled to a Parks and Wildlife commissioners’ meeting in Austin where she presented a proposal to “preserve, protect and defend” the state park’s burro population.
“The chairman was quite nice and said it was very complicated, but we had a fairly good exchange,” Farabee reported.
The league takes a grassroots approach, building support with area residents for keeping the burros in the park. She envisions pro-burro bumper stickers and signs propped in the windows of area businesses. Burros would be a boon to tourism, she pointed out. Texans would love to see burros living wild in their state.
“To me, Parks and Wildlife is wasting a resource,” she said. “They add to the ambience of our little towns.”
The league aims for cooperative solutions. If forage in a specific site is overgrazed, they’ll encourage the burros to leave that area. They’ll supplement feed, if necessary, or come up with plans on how to protect delicate ruins at the park.
Farabee said the league is serious about wanting proof from Parks and Wildlife that the burros do damage or pose a habitat threat to other species at the park.
“They’ve never done a study on the burros,” Farabee claimed. “Anything they say about them doing damage is nothing but opinion.”
The group is looking for an attorney’s help, too.
“We need an injunction to stop Parks and Wildlife from shooting these burros until they’ve done studies and can prove what they claim,” she said.
As for the September summit, Parks and Wildlife staffers will be present for at least some of Ray Field’s weekend meeting.
“The Wild Horse Foundation did contact us and we’re aware they’re coming,” Tom Harvey, of the department’s communications department, told the newspaper via email. “Our park folks are planning to meet with them while they’re at Big Bend Ranch and exchange information, though I don’t know that our staff will be participating in all their meetings the entire time they’re there.”
Participants at the summit set out early in the mornings and will divide into groups to scout burro territories. In the evenings, the group will gather to give briefings and reports on their observations. Ideas and plans about the burro situation will be given to parks officials.
Field, the event’s organizer, is coincidentally among the central characters in a Presidio County horse seizure case that unfurled in August. Local investigators looked into and ultimately dismissed the alleged abuse of 300 horses bound for slaughter in Mexico that were temporarily penned in Presidio. Field’s Wild Horse Foundation formed an unlikely-seeming alliance with Trenton Saulters, a kill-buyer who owned some of the animals. Field and Saulters together sued the management of the Presidio pens and Intermeat, a Belgian company that buys horses for human consumption.
Ownership of 24 of the horses and one mule could not be established and they now await auction in Marfa by the Presidio County sheriff’s office. Meanwhile, Saulters was arrested in Marfa for an outstanding Johnson County larceny warrant. Saulters is presently free on bond.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is likewise investigating the presence of horse carcasses in an arroyo adjacent to the Presidio pens.
Story filed under: Top Stories
32 Responses to “UPDATE: EVENT CANCELED Advocates reach for solutions in Big Bend Ranch burro issue”
A sad day, indeed, Marjorie, but one that we can stop from happening. This would be so wrong!
btw the now 22 survivors seized by the Sheriff’s dept will not go to auction. They have been turned over to my rescue. STOP KILLING the burros!!
Here is where our sagacious burro encountered a betrayal in the law. Texas has no BLM land, and opted out of the 1971 act. Those were Federal lands that were referred to in that Act. The law should have also followed our National Heritage Species as well as the land. And, you folks thought the BLM was bad. The state of Texas should be ashamed that they do not have a single wild horse herd, and now they want to rid themselves of an animal that not only represents the American heart, but Texas history. The day the last one is shot and killed, will be a sad chapter in their history books.
Art, WHERE ARE THE STUDIES??? You can not continue to blame the burro for what was done by cattle. There are documented eye witness accounts of what this park looked like prior to it becoming a working cattle and sheep ranch. According to J.O. Langford who wrote at the turn of the century that the lands had so much grass that it could never be eaten down. The burros were there and had been there for over 300 years, yet the terrain thrived. Then, in 1911 and the subsequent years of WWI saw an influx of cattle, sheep, and goats that was irresponsibly high. In twenty years time the region was completely denuded of its natural grasses, and a breakdown of the system ensued. The burro did not do the damage, the commercial grazing did.
It is really luck for the wildlife that they have the burro to help them. It is a documented fact that they will find water that none others can find, dig a hole, drink and leave the rest for other wildlife to survive on. Sure you want to remove the burro?
Terry, great response, and my research has also shown that the bighorn is not native and comes out of Siberia. Meanwhile the burro is a returned North American native. Seems we have some hypocrisy at play here. But, that is not even important in the context of this argument. The burro has had presence in this eco-region for over 400 years! They are as much a part of the fabric of the desert as are the cacti. Removing them could well have unintended consequences and cause populations of other species to collapse. Removing a well established species should never be done without adequate studies. Clearly, studies are sorely needed so that conflicts that are observed can be easily mitigated through non lethal means. These animals are important to the American people. Moreover, historic and cultural preservation should play a part in why the burro needs to remain in the park. One can not open a history book of the area without encountering a picture or story about the burros.
LOS BURROS PUEDEN COEXISTIR CON OTRAS ESPECIES . POR FAVOR , NO LOS MATEN . ELLOS NO SE LO MERECEN . EL SER HUMANO SE CREE EL DUEÑO DE TODA LA NATURALEZA Y NO ES ASI . DEJEMOS QUE VIVAN LOS BURROS Y OTRAS ESPECIES ANIMALES . . NO TENEMOS NINGUN DERECHO A MATARLOS . EN LA NATURALEZA , NO SOBRA NINGUN ANIMAL
that law really sounds wonderful, but doesn’t seem to help much in light of the cruelty,the killings, the imprisonment. someday this law will be respected and we all pray soon.
they say; God blessed texas, have the hunters forgotten the gentle, meek animal that carried our Lord on his back?
I am a Texan and when I read that we are killing these animals I am ashamed of that fact. It is unacceptable that the Texas Parks and Wildlife has not taken other measures or even done any credible studies on managing these animals. There are many equine welfare organizations within the state of Texas and nationwide that would be willing to work cooperatively with Parks and Wildlife to ensure the burros are managed appropriately and cooperatively with other species and the environment. I for one would welcome such a plan and the AHDF highly supports it.
cinta curtis, while I can easily favor your ideas, the question still remains as to who shall bear the cost. If it’s the state, the money must come out of other budgets: Schools, health department, other agencies. Pick one. Given that even a $1,500 per animal incentive was inefficacious, what group known to you has the money and expertise?
The issue is not burro competition with the bighorn. The animal-conflict issue is aoudad vs. bighorn. The burros merely over-graze desert land–and now, at a time where there is almost no grass. Drouth, remember? Okay, fine, let them die a nice natural death from starvation and/or thirst. But grass eaten by burros is then not available for rabbits and the grazing reduces the seed production which is important to quail and mice.
When the Parks & Wildlife employees go to retire they will be taking the food off my table. Shoot them and move on … Stupid is still stupid .
Shame on Texas! Here in Arizona I can attest as eyewitness that burros and bighorns do coexist quite well – because they don’t occupy the same habitat! Bighorns keep themselves up on the higher rocky mountainsides, burros do not. I have never in 40 years of living within a burro HA that also has bighorns seen the two within each others preferred habitats. I can also attest as an eyewitness that there is no difference on land where burros roam from land where burros don’t roam. It’s too bad that so many are so narrow-minded and blind to evidence that the burro is scapegoated and persecuted time and time again, and always with the excuse of protecting a “native” hunted species. Again, Shame on Texas! And FYI – the bighorn is native to Eurasia – not North America.
Why is this killing of burros not against Federal laws?
“It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment or death; and to accomplish this they are to be considered in the area where they are presently found as an integral part of the natural system of the public lands”.
Quote from the 1971 Congressional Act!
I have no desire to kill any of the animals. Why should hunters get priority over naturalist humanitarians that wish to keep our wildlife safely intact?
It is unspeakable cruelty to continue this form of mankind’s assault on innocent and harmless creatures, it goes to say how little we regard life,especially for those that cannot defend themselves. These helpless creatures should be re-homed or at the very least, be offered to animal sanctuaries or rescue groups. The current practice to get rid of them in this manner is very small minded and selfish and wrong!
The burros are feral and while it’s fine to own and take care of your own burro(s), the unrestricted population growth in that desert area is damaging to the ecosystem.
The feral aoudads are aggressive and territorial and will run the native mule deer and desert bighorn from water points.
There is no available budget money for any sort of effective live trapping. If the health of native species and the ecosystem is of any importance, the only way to resolve the problem is by shooting the burros and the aoudads.
The situation for the native species is exacerbated by this drouth. FWIW, here at my house in Terlingua, I’ve had a total of 0.6 inches of rain in three showers since mid-August of 2010. I won’t hunt deer or quail this year because of that.
I agree with you Arthur, People need to stop hurting Gods creatures, just because their Human and they can,does not give them the right! This is just not right! There is no excuse for animal cruelty.
Everyone keeps saying who doesn’t “belong” here. Clearly from the beginning – It’s us! Killing one species so that we can kill another? What an insane, self-serving, egocentric opinion we have of ourselves… Poor burros, poor sheep – poor everyone trapped within our clutches!
[...] HERE to consider commenting at the bottom of the Editorial Advocates reach for solutions in Big Bend [...]
The burro restores a post gastric digester to Texas and to North America, and their ancestry traces back not long ago in paleontological terms to here. They help build soils disperse the seeds of many species so they can germinate. They are also contributors to the food chain. And they have done so much for mankind over the centuries. They deserve their place in freedom where they are awesome presences tha most sane people love to observe.
“The awful wrongs and sufferings forced upon the innocent, helpless, faithful animal race form the blackest chapter in the whole world’s history.”
~Edward Freeman
According to the Wild Free-Roaming Horse & Burro Act of 1971 “It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment or death; and to accomplish this they are to be considered in the area where they are presently found as an integral part of the natural system of the public lands”.
Shooting them on sight? How barbaric can you be?
THEY HAPPEN TO BE THERE BECAUSE MANKIND ABANDONED THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE AFTER THEY WERE NO LONGER NEEDED FOR MINING.
They survived in harsh conditions they are now being punished? Sterilize them but do not shoot them on sight. SHAME ON ALL OF YOU!!!!
why have reintroduced bighorn sheep if there is not enough grass? the donkey is always there, so let him live. You forget that the donkey brought Mary and Jesus to the stable in Bethlehem is symbolic and should not be an issue to kill grass. You can, for against, make female sterilization by the pill or you can also castrated males. Prolifératon will stop at the As 2 or 3 years. It will be more humane and more reliable as a solution.
News have reached me that burros are SHOT ON SIGHT: please STOP the killing NOW!!
If you don’t want the Burros there, put them on a reserve, We Will Boycott This Park And You Will Lose Business And There shouldn’t Be Hunting In A Park..For Nature,, Burros Are Gentle And Are Our Family..No Killing In This Park..Put Your Guns Down..Out Of Nature..
[...] From: The Big Bend Sentinel [...]
I am just startled to the bone to hear that wild burros are being shot on sight at this park. If the target isn’t hit just right (and of course, if the people perpetrating this crime aren’t crack shots) the outcome is of course a long and languishing death. Is that what our State Parks have become? If one species doesn’t suit its needs, just eradicate it and move on? No one has performed an environmental study on what animal (if any) is going to cause the Bighorn Sheep problems, so how can we in continue to believe the “powers that be” this is a proper protocol for this animal. With no studies on their impact on the environment (if any at all), nor (as a close knit social animal as the burros are) could we not stop and step up for such a noble and sentient being. I, for one, cannot in good conscious allow something so unconscionable to continue and will work with all groups that are willing to find an alternative than death for these beloved burros. It really is a heinous crime. There is a reason we are #1 in the world among all worlds (third or otherwise) because we have made huge strides in the lives of animals simply because we are HUMANE and I am proud to be one of the wonderful people that speak up for those that cannot, those that are defenseless against the inhumane thinking of man.
Hello everyone,
I appreciate your responses to my posting. A quick search of various sources will consistently turn up statements that burros were brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Yes, they have been here for a long time but that does not make them native to North America. I was a hunter at one time but that is no longer the case so the possibility of hunting is not my motivation for my statement about bighorn sheep. Mary mentioned the astronomical prices for bighorn permits and she is correct about the price being very high. That in itself would take me out of the picture if I were a hunter. I have a fairly good understanding of rangeland ecology and agree that properly managed non-native animals such as cattle or burros can improve rangeland health but that takes a high degree of hands-on management and I question whether or not that can be done effectively with the burros at Big Bend Ranch. I’ve spent a good deal of time at Big Bend Ranch and have come across burros a number of times. They are indeed charming but that does not mean they belong in the park. When I hiked the Rancherias loop one of the springs along the trail had been highly impacted by the presence of burros so they have the potential to be destructive. If scientific studies can conclusively show the burros do not inordinately damage rangeland health nor heavily compete with native animals then I would consider changing my position. Again, thanks to everyone who responded to my post.
Curtis Stahnke
I wanted to make a few corrections to what has been stated in the article. The author has stated that the burro are considered non-native by the TPWD. Yes, verbally they take this stance, however, they have not formally stated this on any of their listings. By all means, please look. They are not officially listed because they are indeed native to North America, as has been proven and declared by numerous scientists.
Secondly, the Wild Burro Protection League seeks to Preserve, Protect, and PROMOTE the wild burro to the benefit of the local communities and future visitors to these magnificent parks. We are working hand in hand with local businesses, and community members who have enthusiastically thrown their support behind the humble burros they have been so blessed to have in their region.
It is our goal to educate about the true roll of the burro in the Chihuahuan biosphere, which encompasses not just the parks, but Northern Mexico, Arizona, New Mexico, and of course Southwest Texas. This effort is therefore, not just local in its scope. Nor, is it our goal to undermine the efforts of the bighorn restoration project. We are sincere in out belief that these species have, and can live harmoniously in the region.
Historical accounts are poignant when the present is compared with the past. Eye witness accounts have described what the parks area looked like prior to the advent of unregulated ranching which occurred during WWI. The burro and the bighorn were present, yet the lands thrived. After millions of cattle, sheep and goats were unleashed on the land during this time frame the terrain was lain barren in 20 years time. The burro who had been a presence there for centuries can not be blamed for the damage. Nor, can the burro be blamed for damage now.
We believe studies are crucial to understanding the complexity of the needs of the region, and action should spring from the results of those studies. Reserve Design is a better approach to satisfying the needs of the parks, the community surrounding the parks, and the animals who have always called this land their home.
@ Curtis Stahnke — Why? Do you want to hunt bighorns? Are you willing to pay the price for a lottery opportunity to shoot at them to kill them? I have heard astronomical prices quoted for those permits. We are requesting 1) a study to show whether the burros have a negative impact on the park’s ecology and 2) if it is determined that removal is necessary, an alternative means of removal (not shooting them.)
Hi Curtis,
The burros really only compete with the bighorn under certain circumstances. There’s only a small overlap in their resource use, its really only problematic under certain circumstances. Seriously, there’s actually good reason to believe that it is healthier to have the burros there, at least until the bighorn get well established. Perhaps even after that. There are functions the burro performs in the ecosystem that are positive and beneficial as well as potentially negative. I’m working with the Wild Burro Protection League, and it would be really super if you would think a bit on this. Our group intends to investigate the relationship between the big horn and the burro. We hope that those who support the bighorn restoration and hunting will work with us and share what you know. find us on FB http://www.facebook.com/Wild.Burro.Protection.League
The burros are interesting but they need to go. Resources are very limited in the park and should be reserved for the bighorn sheep.