The incident started on October 2. Results through October 10:
- 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: 196, up from 167 on Day 7
- Shipped: 193, up from 118 on Day 7
- Released: None
- Deaths: 2, no change from Day 7
- Average daily take: 21.8
- 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.
The gather stats say 194 shipped.
The death rate is 1.0%.
The capture total includes 59 stallions, 98 mares and 39 foals.
Youngsters represented 19.9% of the animals gathered, enough to support a herd growth rate of 15% per year.
Of the adults, 37.6% were male and 62.4% were female. These numbers don’t look like they came from a population that’s 50% male / 50% female.
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: 2,352 AUMs per year
- Water: 1,960 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.
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