The incident began on July 15. Gather stats through July 27:
- Target: Horses
- Type: Planned
- Method: Helicopter
- Category: Cruel and costly
- Captured: 725, up from 665 on Day 11
- Average daily take: 55.8
- Capture goal: 1,050
- Removal goal: 750
- Returned: None, no change from Day 11
- Deaths: 3, up from 2 on Day 11
- Shipped: 633, up from 565 on Day 11
A horse was put down, presumably, on Day 12. No details were given.
The death rate is 0.4%.
The total, based on the daily reports, includes 267 stallions, 322 mares and 136 foals.
The eighteen horses taken off the range in Part 1 have been omitted.
Youngsters represented 18.8% of the animals captured. Of the adults, 45.3% were male and 54.7% were female.
The herd can’t be growing at a rate of 20% per year with a birth rate of 19% per year.
Fourteen percent would be a better estimate assuming 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 13 ended with 89 unaccounted-for animals.
The capture goal is 69% complete.
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: 8,700 AUMs per year
- Water liberated to date: 7,250 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 11.
Western Horse Watchers Association 