The incident began on October 22. Results through October 26:
- Scope: Roberts Mountain, Whistler Mountain, Fish Creek HMAs
- Purpose: Pest control, resource enforcement, rancher protection
- Target: Horses
- Type: Planned
- Method: Helicopter
- Category: Cruel and costly*
- Better way: Sterilize mares with restricted-use pesticides*
- Captured: 380, up from 243 on Day 3
- Average daily take: 76.0
- Capture goal: 1,106
- Removal goal: 1,068
- Returned: None
- Deaths: 3, no change from Day 3
- Shipped: 272, up from 158 on Day 3
The location of the trap site was not given.
The death rate is 0.8%.
The capture total includes 154 stallions, 175 mares and 54 foals.
Youngsters represented 14.2% of the animals gathered, suggesting the herd is growing at a rate of 9% per year.
Of the adults, 46.3% were male and 53.7% were female.
Body condition scores ranged from 4 to 5 on Days 4 and 5.
The HMAs and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.
*According to advocates.
Day 5 ended with 105 unaccounted-for animals.
Up to 19 mares will be treated with GonaCon Equine, a fertility control pesticide, before being returned to the range with up to 19 stallions.
Other statistics:
- Forage liberated to date: 4,560 AUMs per year
- Water liberated to date: 3,800 gallons per day
- Forage assigned to livestock: Undetermined
- Horses displaced from Complex 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: Roberts Mountain Roundup, Day 3.
Western Horse Watchers Association 