Unsolved Wild Horse Killings in Ochoco National Forest
Nearly five months after six wild horses were found shot along a road in the Ochoco National Forest, the identity of the shooter or shooters remains unknown. Despite a reward of nearly $10,000, no solid tips have led to an arrest. The incident has sparked outrage and concern among wild horse advocates and the public.
“We are still desperate for information,” said Patrol Capt. Dan Smith of the U.S. Forest Service, who is leading the investigation. The horses were part of the Big Summit Wild Horse Herd, protected under the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, which makes it illegal to harm, harass, or kill wild horses.
The first three horses were found on October 12, with two dead and one severely wounded along Forest Road 22. The injured horse was euthanized. A week later, three more horses were found dead nearby. Smith believes all six were shot at the same time.
Wild horses often evoke strong emotions, with debates over their management on public lands. Gayle Hunt, president of the Central Oregon Wild Horse Coalition, believes the shootings were deliberate, not random acts. This incident echoes a similar unsolved case from 2011, where six wild horses were also shot dead in the same area.
The Central Oregon Wild Horse Coalition, Mustangs to the Rescue, the Humane Society of the United States, and individual contributors have pooled a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. Bill Wilber, wildlife chairman for the Oregon Cattleman’s Association, while critical of wild horses on public land, condemns the shootings as not the right way to address the issue.
Hunt and other advocates argue that horses originated in North America and should be allowed to roam freely. The Big Summit Wild Horse Herd, originating from horses released or escaped from ranches in the 1920s, now roams about 42 square miles of the forest.
Hunt, who has a former member of the herd as her saddle horse, describes the horses as stubborn yet relentless. She visited the site of the shootings last fall and described it as a massacre, with the horses appearing to be mares and their young.
“They were nothing but targets,” she said, emphasizing the need for justice and protection for these iconic animals.
Originally Posted By The Bulletin