The incident started on October 2. Results through October 4:
- FY: 2027
- Scope: Sulphur HMA
- Target: Horses
- AML: 250
- Pre-gather population: 560
- Type: Planned
- Contractor: Cattoor
- Contract amount: $287,650
- Unit cost: $959
- Method: Helicopter
- Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
- Better way: Destroy the breeding population with PZP (according to advocates)
- Capture goal: 300
- Removal goal: 300
- Captured: 73, up from 23 on Day 1
- Shipped: 42, up from zero on Day 1
- Released: None
- Deaths: 2, up from zero on Day 1
- Average daily take: 24.3
- Unaccounted-for animals: 29
- 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.
Two horses died on Day 3, one was accidental and the other was intentional.
The death rate is 2.7%.
The capture total includes 30 stallions, 33 mares and 10 foals.
Youngsters represented 13.7% of the animals gathered, too low to support a herd growth rate of 15 to 20 percent per year.
Of the adults, 47.6% were male and 52.4% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio.
Body condition scores were not given.
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, which would prolong the genetic bottleneck created by the roundup.
The HMA is subject to permitted grazing. Resources liberated to date:
- Forage: 876 AUMs per year
- Water: 730 gallons per day
Public lands within two miles of active trapping locations and temporary holding facilities are closed to the public, with the exception of observers escorted by BLM staff.
PREVIOUS: Sulphur Roundup Begins.
► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.
