Blue Wing Roundup, Day 11

The incident started on July 8.  Results through July 18:

• Scope: Blue Wing Complex
• Target: Horses and burros
• AML: 555 horses and 90 burros
• Pre-gather population: 1,912 horses and 476 burros
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
• Better way: Snuff out new life with PZP (according to advocates)
• Goals
  • Horses: Gather 1,373 and remove 1,333
  • Burros: Gather 356 and remove 356
• Captured
  • Horses: 638, up from 357 on Day 9
  • Burros: 360, no change from Day 9
• Shipped
  • Horses: 531, up from 293 on Day 9
  • Burros: 353, no change from Day 9
• Released
  • Horses: 2, up from 1 on Day 9
  • Burros: None
• Deaths
  • Horses: 13, up from 8 on Day 9
  • Burros: 8, no change from Day 9
• Average daily take
  • Horses: 58.0
  • Burros: 32.7
• Unaccounted-for animals
  • Horses: 92
  • Burros: -1
• Snippet from statute: It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

Horses

The number of horses shipped on Day 8 was changed from 126 to 127.

A stallion was released (or escaped) on Day 11.

Five horses were dispatched on Day 11 for various reasons, including lameness, poor body condition and leg injuries, bringing the death rate to 2.0%.

The capture total includes 248 stallions, 263 mares and 127 foals.

Youngsters represented 19.9% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of 15% per year.  Land managers typically use 20% per year to predict herd sizes and management actions.

Of the adults, 48.5% were male and 51.5% were female.

Body condition scores were not given.

Burros

The capture goal has been reached.

More burros were processed than caught, throwing the numbers out of balance.

Captured – Shipped – Released – Dead = 360 – 353 – 0 – 8 = -1

The death rate is 2.2%.

The capture total includes 186 jacks, 152 jennies and 22 foals.

Youngsters represented 6.1% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 55% were male and 45% were female.

General

The location of the trap site is not known.  Five HMAs are involved.

The Complex is subject to permitted grazing.  Resources liberated to date:

• Forage: 9,792 AUMs per year
• Water: 8,160 gallons per day

The June 3 schedule indicates that 40 mares will be treated with a fertility control pesticide but this is not acknowledged at the gather page.

There are no such plans for the burros.

The roundup supports three tenets of rangeland management.

RELATED: Blue Wing Roundup, Day 9.