The incident began on July 1. Gather stats through July 5:
- Target: Horses
- Type: Planned
- Method: Helicopter
- Captured: 235, up from 156 on Day 3
- Average daily take: 47.0
- Capture goal: 383
- Removal goal: 353
- Returned: 1, up from zero on Day 3
- Deaths: 8, up from 3 on Day 3
- Shipped: 177, up from 72 on Day 3
Two horses were put down on Day 4 because of physical defects. Two more were put down on Day 5 for similar reasons and one died from a fractured neck, probably from crashing into a pipe panel.
They’d be alive today if there was no roundup.
The death rate is 3.4%.
A mare was released on Day 4 but no details were given.
The cumulative total includes 87 stallions, 122 mares and 26 foals. The cumulative total at the gather page is 225.
Youngsters represented 11.1% of the animals captured. Of the adults, 41.6% were male and 58.4% were female.
The herd can’t be growing at a rate of 20% per year with a birth rate of 11% per year.
Abnormal sex ratios are often found in herds subject to the Montana Solution.
The location of the trap site within the HMA was not disclosed.
Day 5 ended with 49 unaccounted-for animals.
The removal goal is 66% complete. Mares treated with fertility control will be returned to the area at a later date.
Other statistics:
- AML: 314
- Forage assigned to horses: 3,768 AUMs per year
- Pre-gather population: 541
- Forage liberated to date: 2,808 AUMs per year
- Water liberated to date: 2,340 gallons per day
- Forage assigned to livestock: 1,135 AUMs per year (estimated)
- Horses displaced from HMA by permitted grazing: 94
- True AML: 408
- Stocking rate at new AML: 3.1 horses per thousand acres
- Horses displaced from area by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates
RELATED: Buffalo Hills Roundup Day 3.
Western Horse Watchers Association 