Clan Alpine Roundup, Day 7

The incident began on November 8.  Results through November 14:

• Scope: Clan Alpine HMA
• 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: 601, up from 518 on Day 5
• Average daily take: 85.9
• Capture goal: 1,594
• Removal goal: 1,381
• Returned: None
• Deaths: 8, up from 7 on Day 5
• Shipped: 467, up from 373 on Day 5

Capture operations did not occur on Day 7.  No details were given.

A mare was dispatched for a fractured pelvis on Day 6.

The death rate is 1.3%.

The capture total includes 253 stallions, 255 mares and 93 foals.

Youngsters represented 15.5% of the animals gathered, suggesting the herd is growing at a rate of 11% per year.

Of the adults, 49.8% were male and 50.2% were female.

Body condition scores were not given.

The HMA and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.

*According to advocates.

Day 7 ended with 126 unaccounted-for animals.

Up to 81 mares will be treated with GonaCon Equine, a fertility control pesticide, before being returned the range with up to 121 stallions.

Other statistics:

• Forage liberated to date: 7,212 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 6,010 gallons per day
• Horses allowed by plan: 979
• Pre-gather population: 1,661 plus this year’s foals
• Forage assigned to horses: 11,748 AUMs per year
• Forage assigned to livestock: 6,796 AUMs per year
• Horses displaced from HMA by permitted grazing: 566
• True AML: 1,545
• Stocking rate at new AML: 5.2 wild horses per thousand public acres
• Horses displaced by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

RELATED: Clan Alpine Roundup, Day 5.