The advocates are trying to convince you that they care about wild horses, by protesting the BLM’s resource enforcement goals for FY 2022, while they’re getting rid of as many as possible with PZP.
The Virginia Range darting program, sponsored by the Campaign Against America’s Wild Horses, is equivalent to five Desatoya roundups every year.
Similar programs are taking root in other areas.
In most cases, helicopters effect large changes in herd sizes over a few days or a few weeks, with the advocates protecting the ranchers after the fact in a mopping up role.
But on the Virginia Range, the advocates have been given authority for the entire operation, with goals to be achieved over a much longer timeframe, mostly by attrition.
What about accountability to the public? Western Horse Watchers has not seen any reports on deaths or injuries attributable to the field work, changes in herd behavior due to the increased presence of humans in their habitat, or trends in the sex ratios and death rates of the bands.
We don’t even know the final population target.
RELATED: Can Darting Programs Compete with Helicopter Roundups?