MARSING, Idaho -- People at the Bureau of Land Management are asking for your help in finding the person or persons responsible for shooting two wild horses. It happened about 15 miles southeast of Marsing, likely last weekend.
Many people take a lot of pride in the wild horse herds of Idaho, and those we talked to were saddened about the news, and also worried about the safety of everyone who recreates in that area.
"Hard to miss the beauty of the high desert," said Anthony Bunt, who loves to run the trails in the Hardtrigger Wild Horse Herd Management Area between Marsing and Murphy.
"The wild horse herds are always a pleasant surprise," said Bunt.
But the sight of some of the 170 wild horses that call the area home will be a little more rare now.
On Tuesday, the BLM received a call from someone who found two wild horses dead in the Hardtrigger Management Area. Investigators later found they had been shot.
"It's just a bit unnerving," said Bunt, who's worried for the horses and all recreators in the area. "If they're out here shooting horses, it's kind of hard to know if it's really safe."
M.J. Byrne is with the BLM, who manages about 800 wild horses across the state.
"It really is a serious matter," said Byrne.
She says the last time this happened was in November of 2010 near Salmon when three horses were shot. While some disagree with BLM's management of the wild horses, Byrne can't speculate on why anyone would kill them and she says it's a shame that Idaho lost some of what makes it special.
"Especially for people in other parts of the world to hear that we have wild free-roaming horses out in the West, and when people see that it can be really, a very exciting experience," said Byrne. "We really do care a great deal about the welfare of these animals."
The penalty for this sort of crime is fairly severe. Byrne says anyone found guilty of harassing or shooting a wild animal on public lands faces a fine of up to $100,000.
The BLM is offering a $1,000 reward for anyone with information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. You can call (208) 373-4024, or send an anonymous email to BLM.
