Murderer’s Creek Roundup, Day 73

The incident started on November 29. Results through February 9:

Scope: Murderer’s Creek HMA, WHT
Target: Wild horses
AML: 140
Pre-gather population: 650
True AML: TBD
Type: Emergency
Method: Bait
Capture goal: 350 – 400
Removal goal: 350 – 400
Captured: 373, up from 350 on Day 66
Shipped: 340, no change from Day 66
Released: None
Deaths: 6, up from 5 on Day 66
Average daily take: 5.1
Unaccounted-for animals: 27
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
Snippet from manual: To protect wild horses and burros from unauthorized capture, branding, harassment or death

Results for Days 68, 71, 72 and 73 were posted today. No reports were given for Days 67, 69 and 70.

The low end of the capture goal has been reached.

A stallion died of colic on Day 68, lifting the death rate to 1.6%.

The capture total includes 135 stallions, 148 mares and 90 foals. The gather page says 135/153/85.

Youngsters represented 24.1% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of 19% per year. The Rule of 72 says the herd size would double in 3.8 years.

Of the adults, 47.7% were male and 52.3% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio in the population at large.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

The name of the contractor was not provided.

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

No decisions have made regarding the long-term disposition of horses, which means they could be treated or altered in off range holding, including the stallions.

The status of livestock grazing in the burned area is not known.