The incident began on July 9. Results through July 19:
- Scope: Spruce-Pequop, Goshute, Antelope Valley HMAs
- Purpose: Pest control, resource enforcement, rancher protection
- Target: Horses
- Type: Planned
- Method: Helicopter
- Category: Cruel and costly*
- Better way: Poison mares with ovary-killing pesticides*
- Captured: 347, up from 289 on Day 9
- Average daily take: 31.5
- Capture goal: 2,000
- Removal goal: 2,000
- Returned: None
- Deaths: 5, up from 4 on Day 9
- Shipped: 268, up from 234 on Day 9
The figures above are based on the daily reports, not the totals posted by the BLM.
The number of horses shipped to date is 274 according to the summary.
The trap was moved on Day 10.
A mare was put down on Day 11 due to blindness in one eye, a non-life-threatening condition.
The death rate is 1.4%.
The capture total includes 107 stallions, 180 mares and 60 foals.
Youngsters represented 17.3% of the animals gathered.
Of the adults, 37.3% were male and 62.7% were female. These statistics fall outside the expected range of variation from a simple random process centered at 50% males / 50% females with a sample of 287 adults. The disparity might be explained by the contractor targeting family bands.
A 17% birth rate corresponds to a herd growth rate of 12% per year.
Land managers often use growth rates of 20% per year to predict herd sizes and management actions.
Body condition scores on Day 11 ranged from 3 to 4.
The location of the trap site was not disclosed.
The HMAs and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.
*According to advocates.
Day 11 ended with 74 unaccounted-for animals.
There are no plans to treat captured mares with fertility control pesticides and return them to the area.
Other statistics:
- Forage liberated to date: 4,164 AUMs per year
- Water liberated to date: 3,470 gallons per day
- Forage assigned to livestock: Unknown
- Horses displaced from area by permitted grazing: Unknown
- True AML: Unknown
- Stocking rate at new AML: Unknown
- Horses removed because of drilling and mining: Ask the advocates
Overpopulation means more horses than allowed by plan, not necessarily more horses than the land can support.
RELATED: Antelope Roundup North, Day 9.
Western Horse Watchers Association 