VA, 9th Grayson Highlands (Fall Festival?) Hang, Sept 24-28, 2020

[peeeeetey]

I mentioned to Debbie a possibility of a hike to the Wise shelter?

[slowhike]

I herd back from Marci, friend and Head Ranger for GHSP, on the pony round up but it's still up in the air.

"I don’t know if the Wilburn Ridge Pony Association is planning to cull the herd this fall or have an auction, they haven’t made their decision yet."

Sorry Hickery & Mooseman. I know you probably weren't actually going to do it but Marci says "People are not allowed take the ponies off in vehicles any more – you have to have a livestock trailer or panels on a pickup."
Sounded kinda risky for the ponies anyway.

And Marci's word on interaction with the ponies...
"Please don’t feed or pet them. Feeding them is bad for the ponies as it causes them to depend on humans for food as well as increasing the density of herds around more populated areas which leads to scarcity of natural foods and increased fighting between the stallions. From the human safety standpoint, some people get contact dermatitis from petting or hugging them. Also, annoyed ponies kick as a defense but the person doing the annoying isn’t always the one to get kicked. Like the 3 year old whose family was trying to get around the ponies and wound up with 7 stitches in his cheek from a mare who was trying to protect her foal."
I sure wouldn't want to make it worse for the ponies or the visitors.

[mistone]

I've seen people pet them And I always thought that was a big no no cause you're not supposed to! When we have been on hikes I always leave wild animals alone and leave them be

[Terminator]

We had a case recently, on the banks,where a tourist feed a pony an apple and the poor thing died because it choked on it.

[mistone]

That's terrible!

[bonsaihiker]

I remember years ago when the sign- up sheet had a listing for a 5- gallon bucket of barbecue sauce... for cooking up one of the 300 lb "shelter rats."


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[slowhike]

I remember years ago when the sign- up sheet had a listing for a 5- gallon bucket of barbecue sauce... for cooking up one of the 300 lb "shelter rats."


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[peeeeetey]

I still have never seen one in the wild. Just the auction.

[slowhike]

I still have never seen one in the wild. Just the auction.

If they round them up for a check up and to take a few, they are probably many out except those that escaped the round up.

[Hickery]

For a good campfire story,ask me or Homerun about the Kashi incident .