The incident began on July 15. Gather stats through July 31:
- Target: Horses
- Type: Planned
- Method: Helicopter
- Category: Cruel and costly
- Captured: 835, up from 776 on Day 15
- Average daily take: 49.1
- Capture goal: 1,050
- Removal goal: 750
- Returned: None, no change from Day 15
- Deaths: 5, up from 3 on Day 15
- Shipped: 668, no change from Day 15
The figures above are based on the daily reports. The number of horses shipped doesn’t match the total at the gather page.
Two horses were put down on Day 17, presumably, but no details were given.
The death rate is now 0.6%.
The capture total includes 304 stallions, 370 mares and 161 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, 45.1% were male and 54.9% were female.
The herd can’t be growing at a rate of 20% per year with a birth rate of 19% per year.
A better estimate would be 14% per year, assuming a death rate of 5% per year.
Body condition scores were not given.
The location of the trap was not disclosed.
The HMA and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.
Day 17 ended with 162 unaccounted-for animals.
The capture goal is 80% 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: 10,020 AUMs per year
- Water liberated to date: 8,350 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 15.
Western Horse Watchers Association 