East Pershing Roundup, Day 13

The incident began on December 28.  Results through January 9:

• Scope: Sonoma Range HA, East Range HA, Humboldt HA, Tobin Range HMA, North Stillwater HMA, Augusta Mountains 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: 1,139, up from 940 on Day 11
• Average daily take: 87.6
• Capture goal: 2,875
• Removal goal: 2,875
• Returned: 2, up from zero on Day 11
• Deaths: 11, no change from Day 11
• Shipped: 925, up from 841 on Day 11

The figures above are based on the daily reports, not the totals posted by the BLM.

The trap site was moved back to the North Stillwater HMA on Day 13.

Previously, trapping occurred in the Humboldt HA where 122 horses were caught, an area unfit for them, supposedly.

Two stallions were released (escaped?) on Day 13.

The death rate is 1.0%.

The capture total includes 480 stallions, 538 mares and 121 foals.  The sidebar at the gather page says 532 mares captured.

Youngsters represented 10.6% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of five to six percent per year.

Of the adults, 47.2% were male and 52.8% were female, no evidence of an abnormal sex ratio.

Body condition scores ranged from 2.5 to 3.5 on Days 12 and 13.

The Complex is managed primarily for animal agriculture.  The National Data Viewer shows habitat loss and grazing allotments.  Click on image to open in new tab.

*According to advocates.

Day 13 ended with 201 unaccounted-for animals.

There are no plans to treat any of the captured mares with fertility control pesticides and return them to the range.

Other statistics:

• Forage liberated to date: 13,644 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 11,370 gallons per day
• Horses allowed by plan: 555
• Pre-gather population: 3,375
• Forage assigned to horses: 6,660 AUMs per year
• Forage assigned to livestock: Not determined
• Horses displaced from Complex by permitted grazing: Not determined
• True AML: Not determined
• Stocking rate at new AML: Not determined
• Horses displaced by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

Overpopulation means more horses than allowed by plan, not necessarily more horses than the land can support.

The ability of the Complex to sustain wild horses has been limited by the bureaucrats, who have assigned most of their food to the public-lands ranchers.

Refer to these reports for an indication of the problem:

• Sonoma Range HA
• East Range HA
• Tobin Range HMA
• Augusta Mountains HMA

RELATED: East Pershing Roundup, Day 11.