The incident began on September 17. Gather stats through September 25:
- Target: Horses
- Type: Planned
- Method: Helicopter
- Category: Cruel and costly (advocates have a bettter way)
- Captured: 620, up from 462 on Day 7
- Average daily take: 68.9
- Capture goal: 700
- Removal goal: 400
- Returned: None
- Deaths: 6, up from 1 on Day 7
- Shipped: 444, up from 316 on Day 7
The figures above are based on the daily reports, not the totals posted by the BLM.
A stallion was put down on Day 8 due to a broken leg, followed by four more stallions on Day 9 due to blindness and other deformities.
The death rate is 1.0%.
The capture total includes 243 stallions, 250 mares and 127 foals.
Youngsters represented 20.5% of the animals gathered.
Of the adults, 49.3% were male and 50.7% were female.
The observed percentage of foals suggests the herd growth rate may be closer to 16% per year, given a death rate of 5% per year.
Body condition scores were not provided.
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.
The capture goal is 88% complete. Operations will likely conclude this week.
Other statistics:
- Horses allowed by plan (AML): 390
- Forage assigned to horses: 4,680 AUMs per year
- Pre-gather population: 920
- Forage liberated to date: 7,440 AUMs per year
- Water liberated to date: 6,200 gallons per day
- Forage assigned to livestock: 17,068 AUMs per year (estimated)
- Horses displaced from HMA by permitted grazing: 1,422
- True AML: 1,812
- Stocking rate at new AML: 8.6 horses per thousand acres
- Horses displaced from HMA by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates
How can the HMA be overpopulated with 920 wild horses when the BLM authorizes privately owned livestock equivalent to 1,422 wild horses in the same area, on top of the 390 horses allowed by plan?
RELATED: Cedar Mountain Roundup, Day 7.
Western Horse Watchers Association 