The incident began on July 15. Gather stats through July 29:
- Target: Horses
- Type: Planned
- Method: Helicopter
- Category: Cruel and costly
- Captured: 776, up from 725 on Day 13
- Average daily take: 51.7
- Capture goal: 1,050
- Removal goal: 750
- Returned: None, no change from Day 13
- Deaths: 3, no change from Day 13
- Shipped: 668, up from 633 on Day 13
The death rate is 0.4%.
The total, based on the daily reports, includes 279 stallions, 347 mares and 150 foals.
The eighteen horses taken off the range in Part 1 have been omitted.
Youngsters represented 19.3% of the animals captured. Of the adults, 44.6% were male and 55.4% 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 15 ended with 105 unaccounted-for animals.
The capture goal is 74% 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: 9,312 AUMs per year
- Water liberated to date: 7,760 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 13.
Western Horse Watchers Association 