Piceance Roundup, Part 2 Day 7

The incident began on July 15.  Gather stats through July 21:

• Target: Horses
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly
• Captured: 494, up from 392 on Day 5
• Average daily take: 70.6
• Capture goal: 1,050
• Removal goal: 750
• Returned: None, no change from Day 5
• Deaths: 2, no change from Day 5
• Shipped: 364, up from 295 on Day 5

The death rate is 0.4%.

The total, based on the daily reports, includes 184 stallions, 218 mares and 92 foals.

The 18 horses taken in Part 1 were omitted.

Youngsters represented 18.6% of the animals captured.  Of the adults, 45.8% were male and 54.2% were female.

The herd can’t be growing at a rate of 20% per year with a birth rate of 19% per year.

If the death rate is 5% per year, 14% per year would be a better estimate.

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 7 ended with 128 unaccounted-for animals.

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

Other statistics:

• Horses allowed by plan (AML): 235
• Forage assigned to horses: 2,820 AUMs per year
• Pre-gather population: 1,385
• Forage liberated to date: 5,928 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 4,940 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: Piceance Roundup, Part 2 Day 5.