Month: July 2024

BLM Winnemucca Seeks Wild Horse and Burro Specialist

The full-time position pays $63,091 to $98,305 per year according to an undated job listing on Indeed.

The successful candidate will prepare and implement documents such as Gather Plans and Herd Area Management Plans, organize the gathering and removal of wild horses and burros, and provide technical direction for wild horse and burro inventories and monitoring, allotment evaluations and management plans, and environmental assessments and impact statements.

You may have to join a public-sector union whereby you will be strongly encouraged to vote for liberals.

The description does not indicate if pesticide pushers and ranching sympathizers are preferred, but that would definitely be a plus.

Salt River Advocates Trying to Block Alpine Horse Removal?

The Salt River Wild Horse Darting Group and the Campaign Against America’s Wild Horses filed suit yesterday in U.S. District Court against the Johnson County Livestock Exchange, Rail Lazy H Contracting and Consulting, the United States Forest Service and United States Department of Agriculture according to a summary of the case at Justia.

A copy of the complaint was not attached.

They may be seeking a temporary restraining order to stop the removal of wild horses from the forest near Alpine, AZ.

RELATED: Advocates to ASNF: Let Us Fix Your Wild Horse Problem.

Best Way to Disarm the Wild Horse Protesters

Tell them you decided to get rid of the horses with pesticides instead of helicopters.

They’ll walk off the picket line and offer to help.

Tell them you’d like to use PZP and they’ll offer to apply it for free, up to and including the point of no return, when most of the mares are sterile.

VR Darting Injury 09-15-21

Beware of the wild horse advocates.

RELATED: How to Bring the Advocates to Their Knees.

BLM Director Says Wild Horses a Big, Important, Hard Issue

The tree-spiker in charge was in Grand Junction this week for a series of meetings and spoke to a reporter for The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel about wild horses, among other things.

The overpopulation narrative permeated the discussion.

“With no natural predators on their ranges, wild horse population numbers would double every four years absent action by the BLM.”

That problem is man-made.  Predators are minimized, mostly at the state level, in favor of privately owned livestock.

An eighteen percent growth rate is needed for a herd to double in four years, according to the Rule of 72, which requires a birth rate of 23 to 24 percent per year, figures not seen in roundup data.

“There are horses out there with their ribs sticking out, there are horses who are dying on the range right now because they don’t have enough water, and it is our obligation to get them off the range so they don’t suffer.”

Most of the horses are in good condition, evident when body condition scores are reported during roundups.

The land can carry many more animals than the government admits.

The horses are removed from their lawful homes because the bureaucrats have given most of their food to nonnative species.

The Ranching Juggernaut works very hard to preserve the status quo and keep these truths from the American people.

RELATED: Why Are There So Many Wild Horses in Off-Range Holding?

Ranching Juggernaut 11-26-23

Salt River Advocates to Miss Population Target?

A report last week by The Arizona Republic said there were 311 horses in the herd.

The goal is 200, to be reached in ten years.

The darting program started in 2019 with support from the Campaign Against America’s Wild Horses.  It has two key components: Pesticides and death.

Protect Wild Horses from Advocates 08-29-21

The advocates will need another seven years finish the job, assuming a zero percent birth rate and six percent death rate.

Salt River Darting Calcs 07-23-24

They’re not on track to hit the target.

They need a way to increase the death rate.

They’ve already driven the birth rate to zero, or nearly so, and you can count the breeding population on one hand.  Genetic diversity was overrated anyway.

With few if any new foals hitting the ground, the average age of the herd is increasing so deaths should follow suit.

Still, they need other options.

Nobody spends more man-hours trying to get rid of wild horses than the advocates.

RELATED: Advocates Double Down on Zonastat Lies.

Blue Wing Roundup, Day 15

The incident started on July 8.  Results through July 22:

  • 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: 917, up from 727 on Day 13
    • Burros: 360, no change from Day 13
  • Shipped
    • Horses: 764, up from 652 on Day 13
    • Burros: 353, no change from Day 13
  • Released
    • Horses: 2, no change from Day 13
    • Burros: None
  • Deaths
    • Horses: 23, up from 17 on Day 13
    • Burros: 8, no change from Day 13
  • Average daily take
    • Horses: 61.1
    • Burros: 24.0
  • Unaccounted-for animals
    • Horses: 128
    • 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

A mare died on Day 14 due to a kick in the head.  Another mare was found dead on a truck when it arrived at off-range holding.  A third mare was dispatched for poor body condition.

On Day 15, a stallion was put down for lack of teeth, a mare was dispatched for excessive curvature of the spine and another stallion was euthanized for blindness in one eye, boosting the death rate to 2.5%.

The capture total includes 364 stallions, 377 mares and 176 foals.

Youngsters represented 19.2% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of 14% per year.  Land managers typically use 20% per year to predict herd sizes and management actions.

Of the adults, 49.1% were male and 50.9% 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: 13,140 AUMs per year
  • Water: 10,950 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 13.

Blue Wing Complex with Allotments 05-02-24

North Lander Protesters Gather in “First Amendment Area?”

Yep, the bureaucrats put up signs designating a place for the demonstration according to a story dated July 22 by Cowboy State Daily.

You can speak freely here but not there.  You can petition your government for redress of grievances in the parking lot but not at the picnic tables.

Look the photo at the beginning of the article.  Are they protesting the removals or the method of removal?

If the BLM decided to get rid of the horses with PZP instead of helicopters, how many would discard their posters and offer to help?

Beware of the wild horse advocates.

RELATED: North Lander Protest Set for July 22.

Swasey Roundup, Day 3

The incident started on July 20.  Results through July 22:

  • Scope: Swasey HMA
  • Target: Horses
  • AML: 100
  • Pre-gather population: 287
  • True AML: 749
  • Type: Planned
  • Method: Helicopter
  • Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
  • Better way: Pummel mares with pesticide-laced darts (according to advocates)
  • Goals: Gather 166, remove 154
  • Captured: 85, up from 36 on Day 1
  • Shipped: 71, up from zero on Day 1
  • Released: None
  • Deaths: None
  • Average daily take: 28.3
  • Unaccounted-for animals: 14

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

The capture total includes 24 stallions, 44 mares and 17 foals.

Youngsters represented 20% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 35.3% were male and 64.7% were female.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site is not known.

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

  • Forage: 1,020 AUMs per year
  • Water: 850 gallons per day

The June 3 schedule indicates that 10 mares will be treated with GonaCon Equine and be returned to the range but this is not discussed at the gather page.

The roundup supports three tenets of rangeland management.

RELATED: Swasey Roundup in Progress, No News Release.

Swasey HMA with Allotmenmts 07-21-24

Swasey Roundup in Progress, No News Release

The incident started yesterday as planned, with 36 horses captured, none shipped, none released and no deaths.

The capture and removal goals are 166 and 154 according to the June 3 schedule.

Animals identified for removal will be taken to the Axtell Off-Range Corrals.

Up to ten mares will be treated with GonaCon Equine and be returned to the range.

The HMA is subject to permitted grazing.

Swasey HMA with Allotmenmts 07-21-24

North Lander Roundup, Day 21

The incident started on July 1.  Results through July 21:

  • Scope: North Lander Complex
  • Target: Horses
  • AML: 536
  • Pre-gather population: 3,035
  • True AML: 4,616
  • Type: Planned
  • Method: Helicopter
  • Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
  • Better way: Sterilize mares with PZP (according to advocates)
  • Goals: Gather 2,766, remove 2,716
  • Captured: 2,576, up from 2,462 on Day 19
  • Shipped: 2,461, up from 2,424 on Day 19
  • Released: None
  • Deaths: 16, up from 14 on Day 19
  • Average daily take: 122.7
  • Unaccounted-for animals: 99

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

A foal was dispatched for a broken leg on Day 21.  A stallion was put down for a reproductive organ injury.  NOTE: All stallions identified for removal will have reproductive organ injuries.

The death rate is 0.6%.

The capture total includes 1,005 stallions, 1,101 mares and 470 foals.

Youngsters represented 18.2% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of 13% per year.  Land managers often use a growth rate of 20% per year to predict herd sizes and management actions.

Of the adults, 47.7% were male and 52.3% were female.

Body condition scores were not given.

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

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

  • Forage: 30,912 AUMs per year
  • Water: 25,760 gallons per day

The June 3 schedule indicates that 20 mares will be treated with fertility control pesticides and returned to the range but this is not discussed at the gather page.

The roundup supports three tenets of rangeland management.

RELATED: North Lander Roundup, Day 19.

North Lander Allotments 06-27-24

Blue Wing Roundup, Day 13

The incident started on July 8.  Results through July 20:

  • 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: 727, up from 638 on Day 11
    • Burros: 360, no change from Day 11
  • Shipped
    • Horses: 652, up from 531 on Day 11
    • Burros: 353, no change from Day 11
  • Released
    • Horses: 2, no change from Day 11
    • Burros: None
  • Deaths
    • Horses: 17, up from 13 on Day 11
    • Burros: 8, no change from Day 11
  • Average daily take
    • Horses: 55.9
    • Burros: 27.7
  • Unaccounted-for animals
    • Horses: 56
    • 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

A stallion was put down on Day 12 for lameness along with a foal for deformed legs.  A filly died of a broken neck.

On Day 13 a stallion died of a broken neck, lifting the death rate to 2.3%.

The capture total includes 285 stallions, 299 mares and 143 foals.

Youngsters represented 19.7% 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, 48.8% were male and 51.2% 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: 10,860 AUMs per year
  • Water: 9,050 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 11.

Blue Wing Complex with Allotments 05-02-24

Advocates Double Down on Zonastat Lies

They’re now claiming they can apply the pesticide as long as they want with no ill effects.

This, of course, is to give cover to their darting programs at the Salt River and Virginia Range, now in their sixth year, where they’re quietly trying to convince the bureaucrats and ranchers that mass sterilization is a practical alternative to helicopter roundups.

If you think they’re being dishonest, here are three steps you can take to cure your doubt and become one of their supporters:

1. Ignore Jay Kirkpatrick’s warning about long-term use.  In a 2012 paper, he said “PZP is designed to bring about short-term infertility and is reversible, if not used beyond five consecutive years.”

2. Disavow the disaster on the Maryland side of Assateague Island, where the herd is still shrinking eight years after the darting program was shut off.

3. Ignore the experience of ISPMB, which demonstrated that Kirkpatrick was correct.

A common denominator in many darting programs is the Campaign Against America’s Wild Horses, a leader in nonmotorized removal.

RELATED: Advocates Discuss Better Way (to Get Rid of Wild Horses).

Pesticide Pushers 07-17-23