SHOCKER: BLM to Conduct Wild Horse Roundups in FY27

The agency is taking urgent actions to protect wild horses and burros from extreme overpopulation and widespread drought according to the news release.

The current population exceeds 3X AML.

That means more horses and burros than allowed by plan, not necessarily more animals than the land can support.

If the photo in the news release showing degraded rangeland was taken in Riddle Mountain, it was also taken in the Burnt Flat Allotment, which contains the HMA.

Your faithful public servants decide how the available resources will be apportioned: Some for wild horses, more for livestock and little for wildlife.

As for the list of roundups in the announcement, there is a small problem.

The BLM doesn’t have a budget for FY27, which starts on October 1.

A continuing resolution keeps the lights on until December 11.

In FY26, the budget wasn’t approved until late January and a roundup schedule wasn’t published until mid March.

RELATED: Management Priorities at Riddle Mountain.

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

Sand Wash Roundup, Day 5

The incident started on September 19.  Results through September 23:

  • FY: 2026
  • Scope: Sand Wash Basin HMA
  • Target: Horses
  • AML: 362
  • Pre-gather population: 505
  • Type: Planned
  • Contractor: Cattoor
  • Contract amount: $222,590
  • Unit cost: $742
  • Method: Helicopter
  • Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
  • Better way: Sterilize the mares with PZP (according to advocates)
  • Capture goal: 300
  • Removal goal: 245
  • Captured: 152, up from 93 on Day 3
  • Shipped: 119, up from zero on Day 3
  • Released: None
  • Deaths: None
  • Average daily take: 30.4
  • Unaccounted-for animals: 33
  • 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 70 stallions, 60 mares and 22 foals.  The gather page says 69, 61 and 22.

Youngsters represented 14.5% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 53.8% were male and 46.2% were female.

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

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

Up to 55 horses will be returned to the area, including 22 mares treated with fertility control.

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

  • Forage: 1,824 AUMs per year
  • Water: 1,520 gallons per day

Public lands within two miles of active trapping locations and temporary holding facilities are closed to the public for the duration of the roundup.

PREVIOUS: Sand Wash Roundup, Day 3.

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

National Wild Horse and Burro Roundtable Comes and Goes

A BLM representative told Western Horse Watchers in an email message that the roundtable was a one-time, closed listening session to gather diverse perspectives on humane, sustainable wild horse management.

It’s not clear if the big tent included any opponents to fertility control or permitted grazing.

Recall the comments by Celeste Carlisle of Return to Freedom, one of the nonprofits participating in the roundtable, about who to invite to such meetings:

“You definitely have fringe groups that do have valid concerns and bring a lot to the table but by them being at the table there’s no advancement in the discussion.”

Video queued up to the mark, just hit Go.

PREVIOUS: Ever Hear of the National Wild Horse and Burro Roundtable?

UPDATE: The BLM rep said in a subsequent email that the meeting was not open to the public.

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

Jackson Mountains Roundup, Day 3

The incident started on September 20.  Results through September 22:

  • FY: 2026
  • Scope: Jackson Mountains HMA
  • Target: Horses
  • AML: 217
  • Pre-gather population: 679
  • Type: Planned
  • Contractor: Warner
  • Contract amount: $303,630
  • Unit cost: $607
  • Method: Helicopter
  • Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
  • Better way: Destroy the breeding population with PZP (according to advocates)
  • Capture goal: 500
  • Removal goal: 500
  • Captured: 218, up from 147 on Day 1
  • Shipped: 210, up from 115 on Day 1
  • Released: None
  • Deaths: 7, up from 3 on Day 1
  • Average daily take: 72.7
  • Unaccounted-for animals: 1
  • 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 stallion was euthanized on Day 2 for poor body condition.

Two mares were dispatched on Day 3 for the same reason and a third for blindness.

To date, all deaths are intentional.

The death rate is already high, 3.2%.

The capture total includes 80 stallions, 93 mares and 45 foals.

Youngsters represented 20.6% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 46.2% were male and 53.8% were female.

Body condition scores on Days 2 and 3 ranged from 1 to 4.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

There are no plans to treat any of the mares with fertility control and return them to the range, a move that would prolong the genetic bottleneck created by the roundup.

Recovery is expected.

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

  • Forage: 2,616 AUMs per year
  • Water: 2,180 gallons per day

Public lands within five miles of active trapping locations and temporary holding facilities are closed to the public for the duration of the roundup, with the exception of observers escorted by BLM staff.

PREVIOUS: Jackson Mountains Roundup in Progress.

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

Sand Wash Roundup, Day 3

The incident started on September 19.  Results through September 21:

  • Scope: Sand Wash Basin HMA
  • Target: Horses
  • AML: 362
  • Pre-gather population: 505
  • Type: Planned
  • Contractor: Cattoor
  • Contract amount: $222,590
  • Unit cost: $742
  • Method: Helicopter
  • Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
  • Better way: Perpetual application of PZP (according to advocates)
  • Capture goal: 300
  • Removal goal: 245
  • Captured: 93, up from 11 on Day 1
  • Shipped: None
  • Released: None
  • Deaths: None
  • Average daily take: 31.0
  • Unaccounted-for animals: 93
  • 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.

No animals were taken on Day 2.

The capture total includes 44 stallions, 37 mares and 12 foals.

Youngsters represented 12.9% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 54.3% were male and 45.7% were female.

Body condition scores on Day 3 ranged from 4 to 5.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

Up to 55 hand-picked horses will be returned to the area, including 22 mares treated with fertility control.

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

  • Forage: 1,116 AUMs per year
  • Water: 930 gallons per day

Public lands within two miles of active trapping locations and temporary holding facilities are closed to the public for the duration of the roundup.

PREVIOUS: Sand Wash Roundup in Progress.

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

Ever Hear of the National Wild Horse and Burro Roundtable?

You didn’t get an invitation?

Today’s meeting included pesticide pushers and ranching sympathizers from Humane World for Animals, American Wild Horse Conservation, Return to Freedom, Beaver County, the Nevada Department of Wildlife and the Wild Horse and Burro Working Group according to a BLM news release.

Your faithful public servants announced a $30 million earmark from the Department of Agriculture to expand and accelerate fertility control efforts nationwide.

The expenditure will allow the BLM to increase field capacity, train and deploy more fertility control applicators and expand pesticide delivery across remote herd areas.

The announcement said that fertility control is most effective once gathers reduce herds to sustainable sizes.

In other words, use helicopters to create genetic bottlenecks then transition to chemical sterilization to make sure there is no possibility of recovery.

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

Jackson Mountains Roundup Announced, No Lead Time

The incident was set to begin on the day of the news release.

The capture and removal goals are 500 each.

The target is horses.

The pre-gather population is thought to be around 700.

The management plan allows 217.

A helicopter will push the horses into the traps.

The contractor is Warner and the contract amount is $303,630.

Public lands within five miles of active trapping locations and temporary holding facilities will be closed to public access except for observers escorted by BLM staff.

Captured animals will be taken to the privately owned corrals near Winnemucca.

There are no plans to beat the numbers down permanently and declare victory for the ranchers, sometimes referred to as sustained fertility control, a huge disappointment to the advocates.

The HMA is the last one on the FY26 schedule.

The agency does not have a budget for FY27, which begins on October 1.

The government was funded by a continuing resolution until December 11.

PREVIOUS: FY26 Roundup Tour Ends at Jackson Mountains

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

Fifteenmile Aftermath

The incident was basically a 100% roundup with selective return, leaving around 100 hand-picked wild horses to repopulate the area.

Q. Did the helicopter sterilize any mares?

A. No, fertility control programs do that.

Q. Was the breeding population destroyed?

A. No, fertility control programs do that.

Q. Did the roundup stop genetic mixing?

A. No, fertility control programs do that.

Q. Did the incident attract women?

A. No, fertility control programs do that.

Q. Did the contractor impose an irreversible genetic bottleneck?

A. No, fertility control programs do that.

Q. Why do the advocates favor extinction over recovery?

A. They want the ranchers to win.

PREVIOUS: Fifteenmile Roundup Ends.

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

Fifteenmile Roundup Ends

The incident concluded on September 18 with 356 horses captured, 235 shipped, 109 released and 12 dead.

There were no unaccounted-for animals.

The death rate was 3.4%.  All deaths were intentional.

The capture total included 131 stallions, 157 mares and 68 foals.

Of the animals released, 56% were stallions, 41% were mares and 3% were foals, an attempt to skew the sex ratio in favor of males and prolong the genetic bottleneck created by the roundup.

The average daily take was 89.

The roundup liberated 2,964 AUMs per year for other mandated uses of public lands.

RELATED: Fifteenmile Roundup Announced.

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

Sand Wash Roundup Announced

The incident will begin on September 19 according to a BLM news release.

The capture goal is 300 and the removal goal is 245.

The target is horses.

A helicopter will push them into the traps.

The contractor is Cattoor and the contract amount is $222,590.

Public lands within two miles of active trapping locations and temporary holding facilities are closed to public entry except for observers escorted by BLM staff.

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

Of the 55 horses returned to the HMA, 22 will be mares treated with a fertility control pesticide, probably PZP.

The roundup supports three tenets of rangeland management.

PREVIOUS: Sand Wash Roundup Delayed?

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

BLM Closing Public Lands for Jackson Mountains Roundup

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

The Decision Record says that public lands within five miles of active trapping locations and temporary holding facilities will be closed to all public entry for the duration of the incident.

Only contractor personnel and observers escorted by BLM staff will be admitted.

The event is on the schedule with a start date of September 20.

RELATED: BLM Releases Jackson Mountains Final Planning Documents.

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

Foal-Free Friday, PGS Edition

Genetic diversity comes from genetic mixing and genetic mixing comes from breeding.

Anything that interferes with breeding puts long-term viability at risk.

Methods, which fall under the general heading of population growth suppression, include fertility control, sex ratio skewing and surgical sterilization.

Are you surprised that the advocates prefer methods that are more harmful to wild horses than motorized removal?

Helicopters don’t sterilize mares.  They don’t destroy breeding populations and they don’t stop genetic mixing.

They do create genetic bottlenecks but recovery is possible.

Not so for the advocates.

PREVIOUS: Foal-Free-Friday, Down for the Count Edition.

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

Fifteenmile Roundup, Day 3

The incident started on September 15.  Results through September 17:

  • Scope: Fifteenmile HMA
  • Target: Horses
  • AML: 230
  • Pre-gather population: 386
  • Type: Planned
  • Contractor: Sampson
  • Contract amount: $198,732
  • Unit cost: $695
  • Method: Helicopter
  • Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
  • Better way: Sterilize the mares with PZP (according to advocates)
  • Capture goal: 286
  • Removal goal: 286
  • Captured: 356, up from 238 on Day 1
  • Shipped: 164, up from zero on Day 1
  • Released: 109, up from zero on Day 1
  • Deaths: 7, up from zero on Day 1
  • Average daily take: 118.7
  • Unaccounted-for animals: 76
  • 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.

Seven horses were euthanized on Day 3 for pre-existing conditions.

The death rate is 2.0%.

The capture total includes 131 stallions, 157 mares and 68 foals.

Youngsters represented 19.1% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 45.5% were male and 54.5% were female.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

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

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

  • Forage: 2,964 AUMs per year
  • Water: 2,470 gallons per day

PREVIOUS: Fifteenmile Roundup Begins.

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

Challis Roundup Ends

The incident concluded on September 16 with 226 horses gathered and removed according to the BLM news release.

The original plan was to capture 281 and remove 146.

The news release does not say if any of the mares would be treated with fertility control and returned to the HMA at a later date.

The daily reports indicate two unaccounted-for animals:

226 captured – 223 shipped – 1 dead = 2 not accounted for

The capture total included 75 stallions, 101 mares, 7 geldings and 43 foals.

The death rate was 0.4%.

The average daily take was 28.3.

The operation liberated 2,712 AUMs per year for other mandated uses of public lands.

RELATED: Challis Roundup Announced.

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