The incident started on August 2. Results through August 8:
- 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: Destroy the breeding population with PZP (according to advocates)
- Capture goal: 1,025
- Removal goal: 1,011
- Captured: 397, up from 314 on Day 5
- Shipped: 333, up from 209 on Day 5
- Released: None
- Deaths: 1, no change from Day 5
- Average daily take: 56.7
- Unaccounted-for animals: 63
- 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.
The death rate is 0.3%.
The capture total includes 149 stallions, 167 mares and 81 foals.
Youngsters represented 20.4% of the animals gathered, large enough to support a herd growth rate of 15% per year.
Of the adults, 47.2% were male and 52.8% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio in the population.
Body condition scores on Days 6 and 7 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: 4,764 AUMs per year
- Water: 3,970 gallons per day
The West Douglas HA is unfit for wild horses, supposedly, and has no AML.
PREVIOUS: Piceance Roundup, Day 5.
► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.
Western Horse Watchers Association 