East Pershing Roundup, Day 23

The incident began on December 28.  Results through January 19:

• 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: Get rid of them with PZP, let the ranchers have their way*
• Captured: 1,535, up from 1,388 on Day 21
• Average daily take: 66.7
• Capture goal: 2,875
• Removal goal: 2,875
• Returned: 3, no change from Day 21
• Deaths: 17, up from 14 on Day 21
• Shipped: 1,392, up from 1,273 on Day 21

The figures in this post are based on the daily reports, not the totals posted by the BLM.

A mare and stallion were dispatched on Day 22 for pre-existing conditions, followed by another stallion on Day 23, lifting the death rate to 1.1%.

The capture total includes 644 stallions, 706 mares and 185 foals.  The sidebar at the gather page says 700 mares captured.

Youngsters represented 12.1% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of seven percent per year.

Of the adults, 47.7% were male and 52.3% were female, no evidence of an abnormal sex ratio.

The location of the trap site was not given.

Body condition scores ranged from 3 to 5 on Days 22 and 23.

The sidebar puts the total shipped at 1,394.

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 23 ended with 123 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: 18,384 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 15,320 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
• North Stillwater HMA

RELATED: East Pershing Roundup, Day 21.