Buffalo Hills Roundup Day 7

The incident began on July 1.  Gather stats through July 7:

• Target: Horses
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Captured: 328, up from 235 on Day 5
• Average daily take: 46.9
• Capture goal: 383
• Removal goal: 353
• Returned: 1, no change from Day 5
• Deaths: 8, no change from Day 5
• Shipped: 244, up from 177 on Day 5

The death rate declined from 3.4% to 2.4%.

The total, based on the daily reports, includes 118 stallions, 167 mares and 43 foals.

The total at the gather page is 318.

Youngsters represented 13.1% of the animals captured.  Of the adults, 41.4% were male and 58.6% were female.

Body condition scores were not given.

The herd can’t be growing at a rate of 20% per year with a birth rate of 13% 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 7 ended with 75 unaccounted-for animals.

Mares treated with fertility control will be returned to the area at a later date.

Operations will likely conclude by Day 9.

Other statistics:

• AML: 314
• Forage assigned to horses: 3,768 AUMs per year
• Pre-gather population: 541
• Forage liberated to date: 3,924 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 3,270 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 5.