Piceance Roundup, Day 5

The incident started on August 2.  Results through August 6:

• Scope: Piceance-East Douglas HMA, West Douglas HA
• Target: Horses
• AML: 235
• Pre-gather population: 1,145
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Costly and inhumane (according to advocates)
• Better way: Sterilize the mares with PZP (according to advocates)
• Capture goal: 1,025
• Removal goal: 1,011
• Captured: 314, up from 232 on Day 3
• Shipped: 209, up from 166 on Day 3
• Released: None
• Deaths: 1, up from zero on Day 3
• Average daily take: 62.8
• Unaccounted-for animals: 104
• 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

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

A mare died on Day 5 during trailer transport.

The death rate is 0.3%.

The capture total includes 117 stallions, 134 mares and 63 foals.

Youngsters represented 20.1% of the animals gathered, large enough to support a herd growth rate of 15% per year.

Of the adults, 46.6% were male and 53.4% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio.

Body condition scores on Days 4 and 5 ranged from 3 to 4.

The location of the trap site is not known.

The name of the contractor was not specified.

The contract amount was not disclosed.

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

• Forage: 3,768 AUMs per year
• Water: 3,140 gallons per day

The West Douglas HA is unfit for wild horses, supposedly, and has no AML.

PREVIOUS: Piceance Roundup, Day 3.

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