The incident started on September 4. Results through October 8:
- FY: 2026
- Scope: Sheepshead/Heath Creek HMA
- Target: Horses
- AML: 302
- Pre-gather population: 1,200
- Type: Emergency
- Contractor: Cattoor
- Contract amount: $269,383
- Unit cost: $540
- Method: Helicopter
- Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
- Better way: Destroy the breeding population with PZP (according to advocates)
- Capture goal: 499
- Removal goal: 499
- Captured: 387, up from 370 on Day 33
- Shipped: 355, up from 285 on Day 33
- Released: None
- Deaths: 2, no change from Day 33
- Average daily take: 11.1 (includes two-week lull for helicopter repairs)
- Unaccounted-for animals: 30
- 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.
Aerial operations have concluded but the incident can’t be marked complete with 30 unaccounted-for animals.
The death rate is 0.5%.
The capture total includes 145 stallions, 161 mares and 81 foals.
Youngsters represented 20.9% of the animals gathered, a sign of genetic diversity and large enough to support a herd growth rate of 15% per year.
Of the adults, 47.4% were male and 52.6% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio (usually found in herds where the advocates are involved).
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 pesticides and return them to the range, which would prolong the genetic bottleneck created by the roundup.
The HMA is subject to permitted grazing.
The area is closed to the public with no allowance for observers or reporters.
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