Roberts Mountain Roundup, Day 15

The incident began on October 22.  Results through November 5:

• 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: 858, up from 817 on Day 13
• Average daily take: 57.2
• Capture goal: 1,106
• Removal goal: 1,068
• Returned: None
• Deaths: 9, up from 6 on Day 13
• Shipped: 774, up from 668 on Day 13

The location of the trap site was not given.

Gather operations concluded on Day 15 but shipping will continue for another day or two.

A filly was put down on Day 15 because of club feet.  Two mares were also dispatched because of blindness.

The death rate is 1.0%.  Horses lost in the Day 9 truck rollover are not included in the total.

The capture total includes 338 stallions, 397 mares and 123 foals.

Youngsters represented 14.3% of the animals gathered, suggesting the herd is growing at a rate of 9% per year.

Of the adults, 46.0% were male and 54.0% were female.

Body condition scores ranged from 3 to 5 on Days 14 and 15.

The HMAs and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.

*According to advocates.

Day 15 ended with 75 unaccounted-for animals.

Data quality has been good.

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: 10,296 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 8,580 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 13.