Piceance Roundup, Day 23

The incident started on August 2. Results through August 24:

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: Snuff out new life with PZP (according to advocates)
Capture goal: 1,025
Removal goal: 1,011
Captured: 835, up from 808 on Day 21
Shipped: 791, up from 712 on Day 21
Released: None
Deaths: 7, up from 5 on Day 21
Average daily take: 36.3
Unaccounted-for animals: 37
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.

On Day 22 a colt was found dead at temporary holding.

On Day 23, a stallion was dispatched for a neck injury that did not heal properly.

The death rate is 0.8%.

The capture total includes 331 stallions, 344 mares and 160 foals.

Youngsters represented 19.2% of the animals gathered, enough to support a herd growth rate of 14% per year.

Of the adults, 49.0% were male and 51.0% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio.

Body condition scores on Days 22 and 23 were 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:

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

The average daily take continues to decline.

For the first 11 days of the roundup it was 53.5.

For the last 12 days it was 20.5.

How much longer can the contractor tolerate low productivity and lackluster results?

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