Piceance Roundup, Part 2 Day 3

The incident began on July 15.  Gather stats through July 17:

• Target: Horses
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly
• Captured: 292, up from 159 on Day 1
• Average daily take: 97.3
• Capture goal: 1,050
• Removal goal: 750
• Returned: None, no change from Day 1
• Deaths: 2, up from zero on Day 1
• Shipped: 172, up from zero on Day 1

Horses were put down on Days 2 and 3, presumably, due to pre-existing conditions but no details were given.  The death rate is 0.7%.

The total includes 106 stallions, 132 mares and 54 foals.

Youngsters represented 18.5% of the animals captured.  Of the adults, 44.5% were male and 55.5% were female.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

The HMA and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.

Day 3 ended with 118 unaccounted-for animals.

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

Other statistics:

• AML: 235
• Forage assigned to horses: 2,820 AUMs per year
• Pre-gather population: 1,385
• Forage liberated to date: 3,504 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 2,920 gallons per day
• Forage assigned to livestock: 6,840 AUMs per year (estimated)
• Horses displaced from HMA by permitted grazing: 570
• True AML: 805
• Stocking rate at new AML: 4.2 horses per thousand acres
• Horses displaced from HMA by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

RELATED: Helicopters Take to the Skies at Piceance HMA.