CATTLE VS. MUSTANGS
On public land cattle outnumber mustangs 200 to 1.
One of the most common questions about this hot topic is: Why does the BLM do it? The round-ups? The adoptions? The holding facilities? Well, they don't do it for fun. They do it for profit. The BLM is in charge of issuing grazing permits to cattle ranchers. Some ranchers may complain that mustangs eat their cattles' forage, but in reality, it is quitet the opposite. Cattle eat approximately 70% of the grass on public land, and mustangs consume less than 5%. (The other 25% is made up of other wildlife such as antelope and mule deer) Also, cattle on public lands will not graze more than a mile from a water source. Mustangs, however, will venture 5-10 miles from water at higher elevations and more rugged terrain. Livestock grazing on public lands costs taxpayers an excess of $132 million annually, yet these same cattle make up a mere 3% of our nation's beef supply.