Roberts Mountain Roundup, Day 11

The incident began on October 22.  Results through November 1:

  • 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: 761, up from 589 on Day 9
  • Average daily take: 69.2
  • Capture goal: 1,106
  • Removal goal: 1,068
  • Returned: None
  • Deaths: 4, no change from Day 9
  • Shipped: 551, up from 501 on Day 9

The location of the trap site was not given.

The death rate is 0.5%.  Horses lost in the Day 9 truck rollover were not included in the death count.

The capture total includes 295 stallions, 351 mares and 115 foals.

Youngsters represented 15.1% of the animals gathered, suggesting the herd is growing at a rate of 10% per year.

Of the adults, 45.7% were male and 54.3% were female.

Body condition scores ranged from 4 to 5 on Days 10 and 11.

The HMAs and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.

*According to advocates.

Roberts Mountain Complex with Allotments 10-16-23

Day 11 ended with 206 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: 9,132 AUMs per year
  • Water liberated to date: 7,610 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 9.

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