The incident began on September 10. Gather stats through September 30:
- Target: Horses
- Type: Planned
- Method: Helicopter
- Category: Cruel and costly (advocates have a better way)
- Captured: 863, up from 802 on Day 19
- Average daily take: 41.1
- Capture goal: 1,076
- Removal goal: 1,036
- Returned: None
- Deaths: 26, up from 25 on Day 19
- Shipped: 776, up from 725 on Day 19
The figures above are based on the daily reports, not the totals posted by the BLM.
Gather ops concluded on Day 21.
A mare was put down on Day 20 due to a pre-existing injury.
The death rate is 3.0%.
The capture total includes 330 stallions, 400 mares and 133 foals.
Youngsters represented 15.4% of the animals gathered.
Of the adults, 45.2% were male and 54.8% were female.
The herd can’t be growing at a rate of 20% per year with a birth rate of 15% per year.
Body condition scores were not provided.
The location of the trap was not disclosed.
The HMAs and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.
Day 21 ended with 61 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): 952
- Forage assigned to horses: 11,424 AUMs per year
- Pre-gather population: 1,593
- Forage liberated to date: 10,356 AUMs per year
- Water liberated to date: 8,630 gallons per day
- Forage assigned to livestock: Unknown
- Horses displaced from Complex by permitted grazing: Unknown
- True AML: Unknown
- Stocking rate at new AML: Unknown
- Horses displaced from Complex by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates
The pre-gather population exceeded the AML but not necessarily the number of horses the land can support.
RELATED: Calico Roundup, Day 19.
Western Horse Watchers Association 