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?

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Bible Springs Roundup, Day 3

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

  • Scope: Bible SpringsFour 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?

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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.

Advocates Respond to Callaghan Roundup

In a surprise move, they’re calling for an end to motorized removal and greater use of humane alternatives according to a July 29 article by Nevada Current.

Who saw that coming?

Nina Jackel, founder of Lady Groupthinker, said “It’s time for Congress to protect these horses from merciless helicopter roundups and mandate compassionate fertility control instead.”

Not really.

The advocates have nothing to offer America’s wild horses.

In most cases, the herds bounce back after a roundup.

With humane management, a codeword for long-term use of immunocontraceptives, the changes are permanent: The mares will be sterilized, the breeding population will be destroyed and genetic mixing will be stopped.

Pay no attention to the advocates.  They are wolves in sheep’s clothing and don’t deserve a penny of your support.

RELATED: Roundup Season: Boon to Pesticide Salesmen, Callaghan Aftermath.

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

Lahontan Aftermath

The changes are not permanent, a huge disappointment to the advocates.

The pre-gather population was 809 and 703 animals were removed, leaving around 100 to repopulate the area.

Q. Did the helicopters sterilize any mares?

A. No, fertility control programs do that.

Q. Was the breeding population destroyed?

A. No, fertility control programs do that.

Q. Was genetic mixing prevented?

A. No, fertility control programs do that.

Q. Did the incident skew the sex ratio in favor of females?

A. No, fertility control programs do that.

Q. Did the roundup attract women?

A. No, fertility control programs do that.

Q. Are you surprised that the advocates favor techiques that are incompatible with genetic health?

A. No, they want the ranchers to win.

PREVIOUS: Lahontan Roundup Ends?

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

Bible Springs Roundup Starts Tomorrow?

It’s on the schedule with a start date of August 1 but there has been no announcement at the BLM news site.

The gather page says August 2.

The capture and removal goals are 800 each.

There are no plans to treat any of the mares with fertility control, which is incompatible with genetic health.

PREVIOUS: BLM Closing Public Lands for Bible Springs Roundup.

UPDATE: The BLM news release does not give a start date or destination of captured animals.

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

BLM Issues North Complex Final Planning Documents

The Decision Record authorizes Alternative A, the Proposed Action, discussed in section 2.2 of the Final EA.

That option includes forcible removal to low AML and application of fertility control pesticides.

The news release put the current population at 369, compared to an AML of 101 to 157.

Section 2.5 covers alternatives considered but dropped from the analysis.

Section 3.5 addresses livestock grazing.

The DR, EA and other supporting documents were copied to the project folder today.

The Complex includes the Dogskin Mountains, Flanigan and Granite Peak HMAs.

A roundup does not appear on the FY26 schedule.

PREVIOUS: Planning Documents for North Complex Out for Review.

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

Advocates Send Currituck Stallion to Beach in the Sky

They moved him to the farm last November amid claims of food aggressiveness and earlier this week they euthanized him according to a report by WAVY News.

How many times did he colic in the wild?

His transition to domestic life was documented by WTKR News.

RELATED: Advocates Remove Currituck Stallion from Beach.

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

BLM Seeks Vet Services for Litchfield ORC

The RFP was published on July 29.

The base period is one year with options for four more years.

Refer to the statement of work for a description of services to be provided.

Bidders must be familiar with CAWP.

Proposals are due by August 12.

The capacity of the preparation facility is 1,000 animals according to the May 28 report.

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

Foal-Free Friday, Beating a Dead Horse Herd Edition

Long-term use of PZP at the Salt River, under the guise of humane population reduction, has produced the following results:

  • The mares have been ruined, except for those with faulty immune systems
  • The breeding population has been destroyed
  • There is no genetic mixing

Curiously, some advocates are still calling for scientific study of herd size and genetic health, evident in a July 29 commentary in the Arizona Capitol Times.

How would the research save the herd from total collapse?

Why haven’t Van der Salm, the Salt River ringleader, and Roy, the disgraced former leader of the Campaign Against America’s Wild Horses, been held to account?

PREVIOUS: Foal-Free Friday, Blood from a Stone Edition.

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

Chincoteague Pony Auction Falls Short of Last Year

Thunderbolt was the top producer going into today’s event, credited with ten foals, but Ace was the top earner, generating $70,600 for the fire company.  A disputed foal may also be his, which would add another $50,000.

Colts outnumbered fillies 46 to 42 in this year’s foal crop, but fillies attracted $361,100 in bids compared to $274,500 for colts.

The total paid was $635,600, compared to over $1 million in 2025.

Of the 88 foals born in the refuge, 80 were offered for sale.

The seven buybacks averaged $33,886 per head, compared to $5,458 per head for the others.

The highest bid went to Tuney, one of the buybacks, for $60,000.

Six of the buybacks were female, setting the stage for more production and greater income in 2027.

Auction results provided by Superior Livestock Auction.

Refer to this spreadsheet for a ranking of sires.

List of foals by DSC Photography.

Comments on 2025 auction.

PREVIOUS: Chincoteague Pony Auction in Progress.

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

Callaghan Aftermath

The pre-gather population was over 4,500 and 2,000 animals were removed.

Q. Did the helicopters sterilize any mares?

A. No, fertility control programs do that.

Q. Was the breeding population destroyed?

A. No, fertility control programs do that.

Q. Was genetic mixing prevented?

A. No, fertility control programs do that.

Q. Did the incident skew the sex ratio in favor of females?

A. No, fertility control programs do that.

Q. Did the roundup attract women?

A. No, fertility control programs do that.

Q. Are you surprised that the advocates push for the greater of two evils?

A. No, they want the ranchers to win.

PREVIOUS: Callaghan Roundup Ends?

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