Piceance Roundup, Day 13

The incident started on August 2.  Results through August 14:

• 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: Beat the numbers down with PZP (according to advocates)
• Capture goal: 1,025
• Removal goal: 1,011
• Captured: 627, up from 589 on Day 11
• Shipped: 586, up from 500 on Day 11
• Released: None
• Deaths: 5, up from 4 on Day 11
• Average daily take: 48.2
• Unaccounted-for animals: 36
• 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 colt was euthanized on Day 13 for a preexisting condition.

The death rate is 0.8%.

The capture total includes 250 stallions, 255 mares and 122 foals.

Youngsters represented 19.5% of the animals gathered, enough to support a herd growth rate of 14% per year.

Of the adults, 49.5% were male and 50.5% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio.

Body condition scores on Days 12 and 13 ranged from 3 to 4.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

The contractor is CD Warner and the contract amount is $679,249, based on a report at USA Spending.

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

• Forage: 7,524 AUMs per year
• Water: 6,270 gallons per day

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

PREVIOUS: Piceance Roundup, Day 11.

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