East Pershing Roundup, Day 29

The incident began on December 28.  Results through January 25:

• 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 the mares with PZP, let the ranchers win*
• Captured: 1,823, up from 1,755 on Day 27
• Average daily take: 62.9
• Capture goal: 2,875
• Removal goal: 2,875
• Released: 3, no change from Day 27
• Deaths: 20, no change from Day 27
• Shipped: 1,794, up from 1,726 on Day 27

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

Helicopters did not fly on Day 28.  The trap site was moved to an unspecified location.

The death rate is 1.1%.  All deaths are chargeable to the roundup.

The capture total includes 758 stallions, 840 mares and 225 foals.  The sidebar at the gather page says 756/834/227.

Youngsters represented 12.3% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of seven percent per year.

Of the adults, 47.4% were male and 52.6% were female, no evidence of an abnormal sex ratio.

Body condition scores ranged from 3 to 5 on Day 29.

The name of the contractor was not given.

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 29 ended with 6 unaccounted-for animals.  The totals at the gather page balance, suggesting the numbers in the daily report are not accurate.

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: 21,840 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 18,200 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 27.