Piceance Roundup, Day 19

The incident started on August 2.  Results through August 20:

• Scope: Piceance-East Douglas HMA, West Douglas HA
• Target: Horses
• AML: 235
• Pre-gather population: 1,145
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
• Better way: Get rid of them with PZP (according to advocates)
• Capture goal: 1,025
• Removal goal: 1,011
• Captured: 769, up from 727 on Day 17
• Shipped: 711, up from 671 on Day 17
• Released: None
• Deaths: 5, no change from Day 17
• Average daily take: 40.5
• Unaccounted-for animals: 53
• 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 0.7%.

The capture total includes 302 stallions, 318 mares and 149 foals.

Youngsters represented 19.4% of the animals gathered, enough to support a herd growth rate of 14% per year.

Of the adults, 48.7% were male and 51.3% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio.

Body condition scores on Days 18 and 19 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 according to a report at USA Spending.

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

• Forage: 9,228 AUMs per year
• Water: 7,690 gallons per day

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

PREVIOUS: Piceance Roundup, Day 17.

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