BLM to Scrap Plan for Riddle Mountain Horses?

The DNA for the roundup said all of the horses would be removed but some would be held for two growing seasons and returned to the HMA after the land recovered.

With most of them still on the range per court order, leaving the HMA at 5X AML, there is probably little if any interest in repatriating those in off-range holding.

PREVIOUS: Riddle Mountain Population Threshold Sustainable?

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Price of Hay Going Up Again

A bale of alfalfa/grass mix sold for $30 last week, compared to $29 in August and $28 in April.

The price five years ago was $19.

A horse in private care would need around five bales per month, putting the cost of feed at $150 per AUM.

Forage on public lands sells for $1.69 per AUM.

The upward trend may correlate with the rising cost of diesel.

PREVIOUS: Price of Hay Coming Down.

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

Purveyors of Irreparable Harm

Which of the following characteristics can you associate with this dedicated practitioner of sustained fertility control?

a. Permanent infertility.

b. Destruction of breeding populations.

c. Loss of genetic diversity.

d. Irreversible decline.

e. Victory for ranchers.

The correct answer, not listed, is all of the above.

Which of the characteristics can you associate with low flying helicopters?

If your faithful public servants have a statutory responsibility protect free-roaming horses, why is fertility control an accepted management strategy?

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

Fighting to Protect Wild Horses

Who made the following statement?

“The aim is to reduce and control the wild horse population so that horses don’t have to suffer.”

a. A driller in Wyoming.

b. A miner in Nevada.

c. A bureaucrat in Oregon.

d. An advocate in California.

e. A permittee in Utah.

The correct answer is d, even though you thought it was c or e.

The advocates, obsessed with fertility control, want the horse populations beaten down permanently so the ranchers don’t have to suffer.

RELATED: Overpopulation and Protection: Not What You Think They Are.

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

Red Desert Roundup, Day 9

The incident started on October 16.  Results through October 24:

  • FY: 2027
  • Scope: Green Mountain and Stewart Creek HMAs (two of five in Complex)
  • Target: Horses
  • AML: 475 (720 for Complex)
  • Pre-gather population: Unknown (2,278 for Complex)
  • Type: Planned
  • Contractor: Sampson
  • Contract amount: $393,488
  • Unit cost: $380
  • Method: Helicopter
  • Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
  • Better way: Snuff out life with PZP, pray for older horses to die (per advocates)
  • Capture goal: 1,035
  • Removal goal: Unknown
  • Captured: 776, up from 666 on Day 7
  • Shipped: 588, up from 432 on Day 7
  • Released: None
  • Deaths: 11, up from 7 on Day 7
  • Average daily take: 86.2
  • Unaccounted-for animals: 177
  • 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 sidebar at the gather page says 777 horses captured.

Four horses were dispatched on Day 8 for physical defects.  To date, all deaths are intentional.

The death rate is 1.4%.

The capture total includes 278 stallions, 328 mares and 170 foals.

Youngsters represented 21.9% of the animals gathered, a sign of genetic vigor.

Of the adults, 45.9% were male and 54.1% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

An unspecified number of mares will be treated with fertility control and returned to the range, prolonging the genetic bottleneck created by the roundup.

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

  • Forage: 9,312 AUMs per year
  • Water: 7,760 gallons per day

Public lands within two miles of active trapping locations and temporary holding pens are closed to the public, with the exception of observers escorted by BLM staff.

PREVIOUS: Red Desert Roundup, Day 7.

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

North Complex Aftermath

The pre-gather population was thought to be 424 and the roundup removed 323, leaving around 100 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 cause irreparable harm?

A. No, fertility control programs do that.

Q. Why are the advocates obsessed with fertility control?

A. They want the ranchers to win.

PREVIOUS: North Complex Roundup Ends.

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

North Complex Roundup Ends

The incident concluded on October 22 with 323 horses captured, 322 shipped, none released and one dead.

There were no unaccounted-for animals.

Operations continued for six days and the average daily take was 53.8.

The death rate was 0.3%.

The capture total included 100 stallions, 145 mares, and 78 foals.

Foals represented 24.1% of the haul, a sign of genetic vigor.

There was some evidence of an abnormal sex ratio but not enough to provide a basis for action.

There were no plans to treat any of the mares with fertility control and return them to the range, which means the 100 horses left behind should be able to repopulate the area and reverse the genetic bottleneck created by the roundup.

The incident liberated 3,876 AUMs per year for other mandated uses of public lands.

RELATED: BLM Announces North Complex Roundup.

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

Riddle Mountain Population Threshold Sustainable?

The management plan allows 56 wild horses on 28,331 public acres, or two wild horses per thousand public acres.

In an October 7 hearing about the emergency roundup, the plaintiffs testified that, based on the current literature, a minimum population of 278 is necessary for the herd to be genetically viable.

The court agreed, specifying that limit in its October 15 ruling.

A roundup this week took 140 off the range, leaving 278.

The court did not stipulate that the herd be protected from chemical extermination, sometimes referred to as sustained fertility control, so the order does not guarantee its future.

A population of 278 requires 3,336 AUMs per year.

The management plan offers 672.

The judge did not order the BLM to update the AML and forage allocations to sustain a herd of 278.

If that number is a minimum, the upper end of the AML would be around 500, allowing for a doubling of herd size every four to five years (a sign of genetic vigor).

Where are those resources coming from?

The Burnt Flat Allotment, which contains the HMA, offers 3,716 AUMs per year, which would support a herd of 278 but not 500.

The stocking rate would be 9.8 wild horses per thousand public acres, despite claims by your faithful public servants that public lands in the western U.S. can only support one wild horse per thousand acres.

Shifting AUMs from livestock to horses, a frequent request in EAs for roundups, is not easy:

“Changes to livestock grazing cannot be made through a wild horse gather decision and are only possible if BLM first revises the land-use plans to re-allocate livestock forage to wild horses and to eliminate or reduce livestock grazing.”

The allotment would have to be zeroed out and the HMA enlarged, triggering a lengthy NEPA review and strong opposition from ranching interests.

RELATED: Management Priorities at Riddle Mountain.

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

Foal-Free Friday, Irreparable Harm Edition

Roundups do not cause irreparable harm provided the remaining population does not fall below the threshold established by SMEs (278 in the Riddle Mountain order, 150-200 in the BLM handbook), and the remaining population is not subjected to PGS, which includes fertility control (chemical sterilization), sex ratio skewing and surgical sterilization.

Specifying a threshold without the PGS qualifier leaves the herds vulnerable to nonmotorized extermination, which is happening at the Salt River, Virginia Range and elsewhere under the guise of humane manegement.

Roundups create genetic bottlenecks, some more severe than others, but if the advocates are confined to their base properties, the herds will recover.

The best way to achieve “Stay Wild!” is for them to stay home.

PREVIOUS: Foal-Free Friday, Enemies from Within Edition.

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

Red Desert Roundup, Day 7

The incident started on October 16.  Results through October 22:

  • FY: 2027
  • Scope: Green Mountain and Stewart Creek HMAs (two of five in Complex)
  • Target: Horses
  • AML: 475 (720 for Complex)
  • Pre-gather population: Unknown (2,278 for Complex)
  • Type: Planned
  • Contractor: Sampson
  • Contract amount: $393,488
  • Unit cost: $380
  • Method: Helicopter
  • Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
  • Better way: Stop new life with PZP, pray for older horses to die (per advocates)
  • Capture goal: 1,035
  • Removal goal: Unknown
  • Captured: 666, up from 467 on Day 5
  • Shipped: 432, up from 250 on Day 5
  • Released: None
  • Deaths: 7, no change from Day 5
  • Average daily take: 95.1
  • Unaccounted-for animals: 227
  • 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 1.1%.

The capture total includes 236 stallions, 284 mares and 146 foals.

Youngsters represented 21.9% of the animals gathered, a sign of genetic vigor.

Of the adults, 45.4% were male and 54.6% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

An unspecified number of mares will be treated with fertility control and returned to the range, prolonging the genetic bottleneck created by the roundup.

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

  • Forage: 7,992 AUMs per year
  • Water: 6,660 gallons per day

Public lands within two miles of active trapping locations and temporary holding pens are closed to the public, with the exception of observers escorted by BLM staff.

PREVIOUS: Red Desert Roundup, Day 5.

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

North Complex Roundup, Day 5

The incident started on October 17.  Results through October 21:

  • FY: 2027
  • Scope: Dogskin Mountains, Flanigan, Granite Peak HMAs
  • Target: Horses
  • AML: 157
  • Pre-gather population: 424
  • Type: Planned
  • Contractor: Cattoor
  • Contract amount: $213,082
  • Unit cost: $666
  • Method: Helicopter
  • Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
  • Better way: Sterilize mares with PZP, pray for older horses to die (per advocates)
  • Capture goal: 320
  • Removal goal: 320
  • Captured: 275, up from 87 on Day 3
  • Shipped: 136, up from 47 on Day 3
  • Released: None
  • Deaths: 1, no change from Day 3
  • Average daily take: 55.0
  • Unaccounted-for animals: 138
  • 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 0.4%.

The capture total includes 84 stallions, 122 mares and 69 foals.

Youngsters represented 25.1% of the animals gathered, a sign of genetic vigor.

Of the adults, 40.8% were male and 59.2% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio but close.

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

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, which would prolong the genetic bottleneck created by the roundup.

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

  • Forage: 3,300 AUMs per year
  • Water: 2,750 gallons per day

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

PREVIOUS: North Complex Roundup, Day 3.

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

Riddle Mountain Roundup Ends on Day 2

The incident concluded on October 21 with 140 horses captured, 139 shipped, none released and one dead.

There were no unaccounted-for animals.

The death rate was 0.7%.

The capture total included 55 stallions, 70 mares, and 15 foals.

The operation was delayed and scaled back due to legal action.

A court order prevented the BLM from reducing the population below 278.

The pre-gather population was thought to be 418.

RELATED: BLM Announces Riddle Mountain Partial Emergency Roundup.

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

Red Desert Roundup: Gift to New Owners of Pathfinder Ranches?

The Stewart Creek Unit, the largest of four in the conglomerate, overlaps the Crooks Mountain, Stewart Creek and Green Mountain HMAs.

The roundup covers Stewart Creek and Green Mountain.

Crooks Mountain is on the drawing boards for next year.

Learn more about Pathfinder at the agent’s listing.

RELATED: Pathfinder Ranches Sold.

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

Riddle Mountain Roundup Begins and Ends, Almost

The incident started today with 133 horses captured, none shipped, none released and no deaths but it was marked complete—with 133 unaccounted-for animals.

The Day 2 report should fill in the gaps, including shipping and deaths if any.

The remaining population should be around 285, which satisfies the court order.

PREVIOUS: BLM Announces Riddle Mountain Partial Emergency Roundup.

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

Red Desert Roundup, Day 5

The incident started on October 16.  Results through October 20:

  • FY: 2027
  • Scope: Green Mountain and Stewart Creek HMAs (two of five in Complex)
  • Target: Horses
  • AML: 475 (720 for Complex)
  • Pre-gather population: Unknown (2,278 for Complex)
  • Type: Planned
  • Contractor: Sampson
  • Contract amount: $393,488
  • Unit cost: $380
  • Method: Helicopter
  • Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
  • Better way: Snuff out new life with PZP, pray for older horses to die (per advocates)
  • Capture goal: 1,035
  • Removal goal: Unknown
  • Captured: 467, up from 167 on Day 3
  • Shipped: 250, up from 127 on Day 3
  • Released: None
  • Deaths: 7, up from 3 on Day 3
  • Average daily take: 93.4
  • Unaccounted-for animals: 210
  • 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.

Four horses were dispatched on Day 4 for physical defects.

The death rate is 1.5%.

The capture total includes 167 stallions, 198 mares and 102 foals.

Youngsters represented 21.8% of the animals gathered, a sign of genetic vigor.

Of the adults, 45.8% were male and 54.2% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

An unspecified number of mares will be treated with fertility control and returned to the range, prolonging the genetic bottleneck created by the roundup.

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

  • Forage: 5,604 AUMs per year
  • Water: 4,670 gallons per day

Public lands within two miles of active trapping locations and temporary holding pens are closed to the public, with the exception of observers escorted by BLM staff.

PREVIOUS: Red Desert Roundup, Day 3.

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

North Complex Roundup, Day 3

The incident started on October 17.  Results through October 19:

  • FY: 2027
  • Scope: Dogskin Mountains, Flanigan, Granite Peak HMAs
  • Target: Horses
  • AML: 157
  • Pre-gather population: 424
  • Type: Planned
  • Contractor: Cattoor
  • Contract amount: $213,082
  • Unit cost: $666
  • Method: Helicopter
  • Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
  • Better way: Beat the numbers down permanently with PZP (according to advocates)
  • Capture goal: 320
  • Removal goal: 320
  • Captured: 87, up from 32 on Day 1
  • Shipped: 47, up from zero on Day 1
  • Released: None
  • Deaths: 1, up from zero on Day 1
  • Average daily take: 29.0
  • Unaccounted-for animals: 39
  • 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 dispatched for a broken leg on Day 3 after transfer to a holding corral.

The death rate is 1.1%.

The capture total includes 25 stallions, 39 mares and 23 foals.

Youngsters represented 26.4% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 39.1% were male and 60.9% were female.

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

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, which would prolong the genetic bottleneck created by the roundup.

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

  • Forage: 1,044 AUMs per year
  • Water: 870 gallons per day

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

PREVIOUS: North Complex Roundup Begins.

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

Advocates Insist That PZP Is Safe and Reversible

If the bureaucrats, ranchers and advocates held a lying contest, who would win?

Pay no attention to the advocates and their followers on socialist media who sell mass sterilization as wild horse conservation.

Did you know that the Pine Nut advocates, whose volunteers are poisoning the Pine Nut mares with PZP, receive material support from one of the permittees in the HMA?

That would be the Campaign Against America’s Wild Horses, whose LLC holds 75% of the active AUMs in the Buckeye Allotment.

RELATED: Three Steps You Can Take to Help Wild Horses.

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