The incident began on July 15. Gather stats through July 23:
- Target: Horses
- Type: Planned
- Method: Helicopter
- Category: Cruel and costly
- Captured: 616, up from 494 on Day 7
- Average daily take: 68.4
- Capture goal: 1,050
- Removal goal: 750
- Returned: None, no change from Day 7
- Deaths: 2, no change from Day 7
- Shipped: 444, up from 364 on Day 7
The death rate is 0.3%.
The total, based on the daily reports, includes 230 stallions, 276 mares and 110 foals.
The eighteen horses taken off the range in Part 1 have been omitted.
Youngsters represented 17.9% of the animals captured. Of the adults, 45.5% were male and 54.5% were female.
The herd can’t be growing at a rate of 20% per year with a birth rate of 18% per year.
Thirteen percent would be a better estimate based on a death rate of 5% per year.
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 9 ended with 170 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: 7,392 AUMs per year
- Water liberated to date: 6,160 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 7.
Western Horse Watchers Association 