Jackson Mountains Roundup, Day 3

The incident started on September 20. Results through September 22:

FY: 2026
Scope: Jackson Mountains HMA
Target: Horses
AML: 217
Pre-gather population: 679
Type: Planned
Contractor: Warner
Contract amount: $303,630
Unit cost: $607
Method: Helicopter
Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
Better way: Destroy the breeding population with PZP (according to advocates)
Capture goal: 500
Removal goal: 500
Captured: 218, up from 147 on Day 1
Shipped: 210, up from 115 on Day 1
Released: None
Deaths: 7, up from 3 on Day 1
Average daily take: 72.7
Unaccounted-for animals: 1
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 stallion was euthanized on Day 2 for poor body condition.

Two mares were dispatched on Day 3 for the same reason and a third for blindness.

To date, all deaths are intentional.

The death rate is already high, 3.2%.

The capture total includes 80 stallions, 93 mares and 45 foals.

Youngsters represented 20.6% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 46.2% were male and 53.8% were female.

Body condition scores on Days 2 and 3 ranged from 1 to 4.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

There are no plans to treat any of the mares with fertility control and return them to the range, a move that would prolong the genetic bottleneck created by the roundup.

Recovery is expected.

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

Forage: 2,616 AUMs per year
Water: 2,180 gallons per day

Public lands within five miles of active trapping locations and temporary holding facilities are closed to the public for the duration of the roundup, with the exception of observers escorted by BLM staff.

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