Piceance Roundup, Day 9

The incident started on August 2.  Results through August 10:

  • Scope: Piceance-East Douglas HMA, West Douglas HA
  • Target: Horses
  • AML: 235
  • Pre-gather population: 1,145
  • Type: Planned
  • Method: Helicopter
  • Category: Costly and inhumane (according to advocates)
  • Better way: Beat the numbers down with PZP (according to advocates)
  • Capture goal: 1,025
  • Removal goal: 1,011
  • Captured: 502, up from 397 on Day 7
  • Shipped: 416, up from 333 on Day 7
  • Released: None
  • Deaths: 3, up from 1 on Day 7
  • Average daily take: 55.8
  • Unaccounted-for animals: 83
  • Snippet from statute: It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death
  • Snippet from manual: To protect wild horses and burros from unauthorized capture, branding, harassment or death

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

Two stallions were put down on Day 8 for preexisting conditions.  No details were given.

The death rate is 0.6%.

The capture total includes 194 stallions, 211 mares and 97 foals.

Youngsters represented 19.3% of the animals gathered, large enough to support a herd growth rate of 14% per year.

Of the adults, 47.9% were male and 52.1% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio.

Body condition scores on Days 8 and 9 ranged from 3 to 4.

The location of the trap site is not known.

The name of the contractor was not specified.

The contract amount was not disclosed.

The area is subject to permitted grazing.  Resources liberated to date:

  • Forage: 6,024 AUMs per year
  • Water: 5,020 gallons per day

The West Douglas HA is unfit for wild horses, supposedly, and has no AML.

PREVIOUS: Piceance Roundup, Day 7.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Quote of the Month

It was attributed to Lady Groupthinker in the July 29 article by Nevada Current.

It’s time for Congress to protect these horses from merciless helicopter roundups and mandate compassionate fertility control instead.

The advocates are all cut from the same cloth and drank the same Kool-Aid.

RELATED: Advocates Respond to Callaghan Roundup.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Holy Grail of the Wild Horse World

The term refers to an elusive object or goal of great significance according to the explanation at Wikipedia.

It’s a report titled “How Fertility Control Improves Genetic Diversity.”

Unobtanium might be more accurate.

That term originally referred to materials that don’t exist according to the definition at Wikipedia.

The report, if found, would save the advocates from total embarrassment and defeat.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Bible Springs Roundup, Day 7

The incident started on August 2.  Results through August 8:

  • Scope: Bible Springs, Four Mile, Tilly Creek HMAs, Blawn Wash HA
  • Target: Horses
  • AML: 170
  • Pre-gather population: 961
  • Type: Planned
  • Method: Helicopter
  • Category: Costly and inhumane (according to advocates)
  • Better way: Snuff out new life with PZP (according to advocates)
  • Capture goal: 800
  • Removal goal: 800
  • Captured: 223, up from 146 on Day 5
  • Shipped: 171, up from 81 Day 5
  • Released: None
  • Deaths: 2, up from 1 on Day 5
  • Average daily take: 31.9
  • Unaccounted-for animals: 50
  • Snippet from statute: It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death
  • Snippet from manual: To protect wild horses and burros from unauthorized capture, branding, harassment or death

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

A foal was found dead in temporary holding on Day 6.

The death rate is 0.9%.

The capture total includes 79 stallions, 98 mares and 46 foals.

Youngsters represented 20.6% of the animals gathered, large enough to support a herd growth rate of 15% per year.

Of the adults, 44.6% were male and 55.4% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site is not known.

The name of the contractor was not specified.

The contract amount was not disclosed.

There are no plans to treat any of the mares with fertility control pesticides and return them to the range.

The HMAs are subject to permitted grazing.  Resources liberated to date:

  • Forage: 2,676 AUMs per year
  • Water: 2,230 gallons per day

The Blawn Wash HA is unfit for wild horses, supposedly, and has no AML.

PREVIOUS: Bible Springs Roundup, Day 5.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Piceance Roundup, Day 7

The incident started on August 2.  Results through August 8:

  • Scope: Piceance-East Douglas HMA, West Douglas HA
  • Target: Horses
  • AML: 235
  • Pre-gather population: 1,145
  • Type: Planned
  • Method: Helicopter
  • Category: Costly and inhumane (according to advocates)
  • Better way: Destroy the breeding population with PZP (according to advocates)
  • Capture goal: 1,025
  • Removal goal: 1,011
  • Captured: 397, up from 314 on Day 5
  • Shipped: 333, up from 209 on Day 5
  • Released: None
  • Deaths: 1, no change from Day 5
  • Average daily take: 56.7
  • Unaccounted-for animals: 63
  • Snippet from statute: It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death
  • Snippet from manual: To protect wild horses and burros from unauthorized capture, branding, harassment or death

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

The death rate is 0.3%.

The capture total includes 149 stallions, 167 mares and 81 foals.

Youngsters represented 20.4% of the animals gathered, large enough to support a herd growth rate of 15% per year.

Of the adults, 47.2% were male and 52.8% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio in the population.

Body condition scores on Days 6 and 7 ranged from 3 to 4.

The location of the trap site is not known.

The name of the contractor was not specified.

The contract amount was not disclosed.

The area is subject to permitted grazing.  Resources liberated to date:

  • Forage: 4,764 AUMs per year
  • Water: 3,970 gallons per day

The West Douglas HA is unfit for wild horses, supposedly, and has no AML.

PREVIOUS: Piceance Roundup, Day 5.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Salt River Horse Act Omitted Protections from Advocates

The statute declared that the horses are not stray livestock, according to an opinion piece in the Arizona Capitol Times, and it prohibited anyone from harassing, capturing or euthanizing them without written authorization, and only for humane purposes.

But it didn’t protect them from mass sterilization and those who would sacrifice the herd to prove their nutty ideas and win the approval of its detractors.

The debate about removal should include humane management, a codeword for long-term use of PZP, with the inevitable result of permanent infertility and herd collapse.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

BLM Releases Jackson Mountains Final Planning Documents

Three new documents have been copied to the project folder.

The Decision Record authorizes Alternative A, the Proposed Action, discussed in section 2.0 of the Final Environmental Assessment.

  • Implement new HMAP
  • No changes to AML
  • Forcible removal to low AML
  • Application of fertility control pesticides
  • Return of sterilized males and females to range
  • Sex ratio adjustments favoring males

The EA analyzed the direct, indirect and cumulative effects of implementing the HMAP on the lands, resources and wild horses within the HMA according to the news release.

The Finding of No Significant Impact asserts that no further analysis is needed.

PREVIOUS: Jackson Mountains Planning Documents Out for Review.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Foal-Free Friday, Connecting the Dots Edition

The advocates, blinded by ideology, cannot see the relationship between their fertility control programs and genetic diversity.

Consider this example from Appendix XII, response to public comments, in the North Complex Wild Horse Gather Plan.

Item 15 concerns AMLs and genetic viability:

Item 17, submitted by the same person, concerns fertility control:

BLM Handbook H-4700-1 says in section 4.4.6.3 that a minimum population size of 50 effective breeding animals (i.e., a total population size of about 150-200 animals) is recommended to maintain an acceptable level of genetic diversity.

The guideline applies to reproducing populations.

Apparently, the advocates think that genetic health can be achieved and maintained by reducing or eliminating genetic mixing.

It is they, not the BLM, that have some explaining to do.

PREVIOUS: Foal-Free Friday, Beating a Dead Horse Herd Edition.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Bible Springs Roundup, Day 5

The incident started on August 2.  Results through August 6:

  • Scope: Bible Springs, Four Mile, Tilly Creek HMAs, Blawn Wash HA
  • Target: Horses
  • AML: 170
  • Pre-gather population: 961
  • Type: Planned
  • Method: Helicopter
  • Category: Costly and inhumane (according to advocates)
  • Better way: Stop the transmission of life with PZP (according to advocates)
  • Capture goal: 800
  • Removal goal: 800
  • Captured: 146, up from 50 on Day 3
  • Shipped: 81, up from zero on Day 3
  • Released: None
  • Deaths: 1, up from zero on Day 3
  • Average daily take: 29.2
  • Unaccounted-for animals: 64
  • Snippet from statute: It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death
  • Snippet from manual: To protect wild horses and burros from unauthorized capture, branding, harassment or death

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

A mare was found dead in temporary holding on Day 4.

The death rate is 0.7%.

The capture total includes 52 stallions, 61 mares and 33 foals.

Youngsters represented 22.6% of the animals gathered, large enough to support a herd growth rate of 17% per year.

Of the adults, 46.0% were male and 54.0% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site is not known.

The name of the contractor was not specified.

The contract amount was not disclosed.

There are no plans to treat any of the mares with fertility control pesticides and return them to the range.

The HMAs are subject to permitted grazing.  Resources liberated to date:

  • Forage: 1,752 AUMs per year
  • Water: 1,460 gallons per day

The Blawn Wash HA is unfit for wild horses, supposedly, and has no AML.

PREVIOUS: Bible Springs Roundup, Day 3.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Piceance Roundup, Day 5

The incident started on August 2.  Results through August 6:

  • Scope: Piceance-East Douglas HMA, West Douglas HA
  • Target: Horses
  • AML: 235
  • Pre-gather population: 1,145
  • Type: Planned
  • Method: Helicopter
  • Category: Costly and inhumane (according to advocates)
  • Better way: Sterilize the mares with PZP (according to advocates)
  • Capture goal: 1,025
  • Removal goal: 1,011
  • Captured: 314, up from 232 on Day 3
  • Shipped: 209, up from 166 on Day 3
  • Released: None
  • Deaths: 1, up from zero on Day 3
  • Average daily take: 62.8
  • Unaccounted-for animals: 104
  • Snippet from statute: It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death
  • Snippet from manual: To protect wild horses and burros from unauthorized capture, branding, harassment or death

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

A mare died on Day 5 during trailer transport.

The death rate is 0.3%.

The capture total includes 117 stallions, 134 mares and 63 foals.

Youngsters represented 20.1% of the animals gathered, large enough to support a herd growth rate of 15% per year.

Of the adults, 46.6% were male and 53.4% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio.

Body condition scores on Days 4 and 5 ranged from 3 to 4.

The location of the trap site is not known.

The name of the contractor was not specified.

The contract amount was not disclosed.

The area is subject to permitted grazing.  Resources liberated to date:

  • Forage: 3,768 AUMs per year
  • Water: 3,140 gallons per day

The West Douglas HA is unfit for wild horses, supposedly, and has no AML.

PREVIOUS: Piceance Roundup, Day 3.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Second Flat Fire Stopped Short of Oregon ORC

The fire covered 105,462 acres as of August 4 with 55% containment.

The August 4 map shows a black border near the corrals, indicating little if any spread is expected in that area.

Not shown are the grazing allotments, both BLM and USFS, affected by the incident.

The nearest HMA was Palomino Buttes, a few miles west of the corrals.

RELATED: Second Flat Fire Approaching Oregon ORC?

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Bible Springs Roundup, Day 3

The incident started on August 2.  Results through August 4:

  • Scope: Bible Springs, Four Mile, Tilly Creek HMAs, Blawn Wash HA
  • Target: Horses
  • AML: 170
  • Pre-gather population: 961
  • Type: Planned
  • Method: Helicopter
  • Category: Costly and inhumane (according to advocates)
  • Better way: Snuff out new life with PZP (according to advocates)
  • Capture goal: 800
  • Removal goal: 800
  • Captured: 50, up from 19 on Day 1
  • Shipped: None
  • Released: None
  • Deaths: None
  • Average daily take: 16.7
  • Unaccounted-for animals: 50
  • Snippet from statute: It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death
  • Snippet from manual: To protect wild horses and burros from unauthorized capture, branding, harassment or death

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

The capture total includes 20 stallions, 18 mares and 12 foals.

Youngsters represented 24% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 52.6% were male and 47.4% were female.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site is not known.

The name of the contractor was not specified.

The contract amount was not disclosed.

There are no plans to treat any of the mares with fertility control pesticides and return them to the range.

The HMAs are subject to permitted grazing.  Resources liberated to date:

  • Forage: 600 AUMs per year
  • Water: 500 gallons per day

The Blawn Wash HA is unfit for wild horses, supposedly, and has no AML.

PREVIOUS: Bible Springs Roundup Begins.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Piceance Roundup, Day 3

The incident started on August 2.  Results through August 4:

  • Scope: Piceance-East Douglas HMA, West Douglas HA
  • Target: Horses
  • AML: 235
  • Pre-gather population: 1,145
  • Type: Planned
  • Method: Helicopter
  • Category: Costly and inhumane (according to advocates)
  • Better way: Beat the population down with PZP (according to advocates)
  • Capture goal: 1,025
  • Removal goal: 1,011
  • Captured: 232, up from 96 on Day 1
  • Shipped: 166, up from zero on Day 1
  • Released: None
  • Deaths: None
  • Average daily take: 77.3
  • Unaccounted-for animals: 66
  • Snippet from statute: It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death
  • Snippet from manual: To protect wild horses and burros from unauthorized capture, branding, harassment or death

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

The capture total includes 81 stallions, 105 mares and 46 foals.

Youngsters represented 19.8% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 43.5% were male and 56.5% were female.

Body condition scores on Days 2 and 3 ranged from 3 to 4.

The location of the trap site is not known.

The name of the contractor was not specified.

The contract amount was not disclosed.

The area is subject to permitted grazing.  Resources liberated to date:

  • Forage: 2,784 AUMs per year
  • Water: 2,320 gallons per day

The West Douglas HA is unfit for wild horses, supposedly, and has no AML.

PREVIOUS: Piceance Roundup in Progress.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Cedar Mountain DNA Out for Review

One document has been uploaded to the project folder with comments due by September 3.

The Proposed Action is to remove up to 500 wild horses from the Cedar Mountain HMA.

The news release said the current population is nearly twice the number the range can sustain, which might be true if the land was managed principally for wild horses.

A roundup, if approved, would occur in FY27.

PREVIOUS: BLM Assessing NEPA Adequacy at Cedar Mountain?

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Scoping Begins for Range Creek HMAP

A new project has been started in ePlanning and three documents have been uploaded.

The management evaluation report contains two incompatible goals:

You cannot achieve genetic diversity by ending genetic mixing.

The workaround, to keep the population small and minimize impacts to livestock, would be to bring in horses from other areas, altering the genetic identity of the herd.

The current population is thought to be around 300 according to the news release.

The HMA lies mostly within the Green River allotment.

The allotment master report puts it in the Improve category with 38% of the permitted use in the suspended column, suggesting that your stewards of the public lands are not taking their responsibilities seriously.

Comments on the MER are due by September 2.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Confusion Roundup Announced

The news release covered the Confusion and Bible Springs roundups but gave few details.

The capture and removal goals are 360 each according to the gather page.

The start date is August 23.

A helicopter will push the horses into the traps.

The area will be closed to public entry with the exception of observers escorted by BLM staff.

Animals identified for removal will be taken to the Sutherland off-range corrals.

There are no plans to treat any of the mares with fertility control pesticides and return them to the range, a huge disappointment to the advocates.

The HMA is subject to permitted grazing.

Overpopulation means more horses than allowed by plan, not necessarily more horses than the land can support.

RELATED: BLM Closing Public Lands for Confusion Roundup?

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.