The incident began on October 22. Results through October 28:
- 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 pesticide-laced darts*
- Captured: 511, up from 380 on Day 5
- Average daily take: 73.0
- Capture goal: 1,106
- Removal goal: 1,068
- Returned: None
- Deaths: 4, up from 3 on Day 5
- Shipped: 347, up from 272 on Day 5
The location of the trap site was not given.
A stallion broke a leg in the trap on Day 7 and was euthanized.
The death rate is 0.8%.
The capture total includes 200 stallions, 234 mares and 77 foals.
Youngsters represented 15.1% of the animals gathered, suggesting the herd is growing at a rate of 10% per year.
Of the adults, 46.1% were male and 53.9% were female.
Body condition scores ranged from 4 to 5 on Days 6 and 7.
The HMAs and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.
*According to advocates.
Day 7 ended with 160 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: 6,132 AUMs per year
- Water liberated to date: 5,110 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 5.
Western Horse Watchers Association 