The incident began on September 6. Results through September 10:
- Scope: Black Mountain, Hardtrigger, Sands Basin 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: 215, up from 177 on Day 3
- Average daily take: 43.0
- Capture goal: 220
- Removal goal: 142
- Returned: None
- Deaths: 1, no change from Day 3
- Shipped: 214, up from 176 on Day 3
The figures above are based on the daily reports, not the totals posted by the BLM.
Gather results for Day 3 were changed from 25 stallions and 40 mares to 26 stallions and 39 mares. No change to foals.
Trapping occurred at Hardtrigger on Day 4 and Sands Basin on Day 5.
The death rate is 0.5%.
The capture total includes 71 stallions, 87 mares and 57 foals.
Youngsters represented 26.5% of the animals gathered.
Of the adults, 44.9% were male and 55.1% were female.
Body condition scores were not given.
The HMAs and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.
*According to advocates.
Day 5 ended with no unaccounted-for animals.
Operations will likely conclude this week.
Up to 38 mares will be treated with GonaCon Equine, a fertility control pesticide, and be returned to the area with up to 40 stallions.
Other statistics:
- Forage liberated to date: 2,580 AUMs per year
- Water liberated to date: 2,150 gallons per day
- Forage assigned to livestock: Undetermined
- Horses displaced from area by permitted grazing: Undetermined
- True AML: Undetermined
- Stocking rate at new AML: Undetermined
- 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: Owyhee Roundup, Day 3.
Western Horse Watchers Association 