Roberts Mountain Roundup, Day 13

The incident began on October 22.  Results through November 3:

• 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: 817, up from 761 on Day 11
• Average daily take: 62.8
• Capture goal: 1,106
• Removal goal: 1,068
• Returned: None
• Deaths: 6, up from 4 on Day 11
• Shipped: 668, up from 551 on Day 11

The location of the trap site was not given.

A mare was put down for blindness in one eye on Day 12, a non-life-threatening condition, followed by another on Day 13.

The death rate is 0.7%.  Horses lost in the Day 9 truck rollover are not included in the total.

The capture total includes 319 stallions, 379 mares and 119 foals.

Youngsters represented 14.6% 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 3 to 6 on Days 12 and 13.

The HMAs and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.

*According to advocates.

Day 13 ended with 143 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: 9,804 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 8,170 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 more horses than the land can support.  If this was not true, you’d see body condition scores of 3 or less.

The roundup was authorized because the horses have been trying to reclaim some of their food from the ranchers, not because they’re starving.

RELATED: Roberts Mountain Roundup, Day 11.