At or near South Steens HMA with TallSky Walker.

The incident began on July 17.  Gather stats through August 6:

• Target: Horses
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly
• Captured: 747, up from 735 on Day 19
• Average daily take: 35.6
• Capture goal: 1,900
• Removal goal: 1,800
• Returned: None, no change from Day 19
• Deaths: 16, no change from Day 19
• Shipped: 712, up from 674 on Day 19

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

No horses were gathered on Day 21 due to heavy rains.

The death rate is 2.1%.

The capture total includes 263 stallions, 356 mares and 128 foals.

Youngsters represented 17.1% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 42.5% were male and 57.5% were female.

The herd can’t be growing at a rate of 20% per year with a birth rate of 17% per year.

A better estimate would be 12% per year, assuming a death rate of 5% per year.

The observed percentages of stallions and mares cannot be attributed to a simple random process centered at 50% males / 50% females.

Abnormal sex ratios are often found in herds subject to the Montana Solution but not double-digit birth rates.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap was not disclosed.

The Complex and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.

Day 21 ended with 19 unaccounted-for animals.

Mares treated with fertility control may be returned to the area at a later date.

Other statistics:

• Horses allowed by plan (AML): 821
• Forage assigned to horses: 9,852 AUMs per year
• Pre-gather population: 3,475
• Forage liberated to date: 8,964 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 7,470 gallons per day
• Forage assigned to livestock: 49,188 AUMs per year (estimated)
• Horses displaced from Complex by permitted grazing: 4,099
• True AML: 4,911
• Stocking rate at new AML: 3.0 horses per thousand acres
• Horses displaced from Complex by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

RELATED: Triple B Roundup, Day 19.

The incident began on August 1.  Gather stats through August 6:

• Target: Horses and burros
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly
• Horses captured: None
• Burros captured: 693, up from 378 on Day 3
• Average daily take: 0.0 horses, 115.5 burros
• Capture goal: 200 horses, 800 burros
• Removal goal: 200 horses, 800 burros
• Horses returned: None
• Burros returned: None
• Horse deaths: None
• Burro deaths: 6, up from 4 on Day 3
• Horses shipped: None
• Burros shipped: 438, up from 108 on Day 3

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

No animals were gathered on Day 6.

Two jacks were put down on Day 5 due to pre-existing conditions.

The burro death rate is 0.9%.

The burro total includes 279 jacks, 358 jennies and 56 foals.

Youngsters represented 8.1% of the burros captured.

Of the adults, 43.8% were male and 56.2% were female.

The herd can’t be growing at a rate of 20% per year with a birth rate of 8% per year.

A better estimate would be 3% per year, assuming a death rate of 5% per year.

The observed percentages of jacks and jennies cannot be attributed to a simple random process centered at 50% males / 50% females.

Abnormal sex ratios and low birth rates are often associated with the Montana Solution but the Blue Wing HMAs are not on the fertility control list in the latest schedule.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap was not disclosed.

The five HMAs in the Complex are subject to permitted grazing.

Day 3 ended with no unaccounted-for horses and 249 unaccounted-for burros.

Other statistics:

• AML: 553 horses and 90 burros, equivalent to 598 horses
• Forage assigned to horses and burros: 7,176 AUMs per year
• Pre-gather population: 1,695 horses and 1,327 burros, equivalent to 2,359 horses
• Forage liberated to date: 4,158 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 3,465 gallons per day
• Forage assigned to livestock: 9,631 AUMs per year (estimated)
• Animals displaced from Complex by permitted grazing: 802 horses
• True AML: 1,355 horses and 90 burros, equivalent to 1,400 horses
• Stocking rate at new AML: 1.2 horses per thousand acres
• Horses displaced from Complex by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

RELATED: Blue Wing Roundup, Day 3.

Filmed on July 26, when 46 horses were captured, including six foals.

The description at the gather page said there were nine members of the public observing that day, including Joy Benedict, a reporter from KCBS TV, Los Angeles and her crew.

Benedict interviewed two BLM public affairs officers and the BLM Northern California District monitoring coordinator.

For an example of “Save a Horse, Hire a Cowboy,” and how the wranglers might handle the horses, watch the video in this post.

RELATED: Twin Peaks Roundup, Day 13.

Agency spokesman Eric Coulter told the ABC affiliate in Denver that maintaining the HMA is a balancing act because the land is used for wild horses, livestock, oil and gas, and recreation.

“That’s one of our big challenges as an agency.  We have a multiple-use mission.  You know, herd management area is a multiple use area, it’s not managed primarily for horses.”

Problem identified.  Causes known.

The helicopter shown in the story, tail number N166MB, is registered to Helicopter Roundup Service LLC of Nephi, UT, according to information at FlightAware.

The listing at Dun & Bradstreet indicates the key principal is Dave Cattoor.

RELATED: Congress Sets AMLs?

The incident began on July 23.  Gather stats through August 4:

• Target: Horses and burros
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly
• Horses captured: 1,458, up from 1,211 on Day 11
• Burros captured: 38, no change from Day 11
• Average daily take: 112.2 horses, 2.9 burros
• Capture goal: 1,978 horses, 339 burros
• Removal goal: 1,868 horses, 339 burros
• Horses returned: None, no change from Day 11
• Burros returned: None, no change from Day 11
• Horse deaths: 21, up from 18 on Day 11
• Burro deaths: None, no change from Day 11
• Horses shipped: 1,258, up from 1,016 on Day 11
• Burros shipped: 38, no change from Day 11

Data quality is poor.  The figures above are based on the daily reports.  They may differ from the totals at the gather page.

No burros have been taken since Day 8.

A colt was put down on Day 12 due to a broken leg.  Two more horses were euthanized on Day 13 because of pre-existing conditions.

The horse death rate is 1.4%.

The horse total includes 559 stallions, 648 mares and 251 foals.

Youngsters represented 17.2% of the horses captured.

Of the adults, 46.3% were male and 53.7% were female.

The herd can’t be growing at a rate of 20% per year with a birth rate of 17% per year.

A better estimate would be 12% per year, assuming a death rate of 5% per year.

Body condition scores on Days 12 and 13 ranged from 4 to 5.

The trap is in the North Twin Peaks Home Range.

The HMA is subject to permitted grazing.

Day 13 ended with 179 unaccounted-for horses and no unaccounted-for burros.

Mares treated with fertility control will be returned to the area at a later date.

Other statistics:

• AML: 758 horses and 116 burros, equivalent to 816 horses
• Forage assigned to horses and burros: 9,792 AUMs per year
• Pre-gather population: 3,316 horses and 401 burros, equivalent to 3,516 horses
• Forage liberated to date: 17,724 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 14,770 gallons per day
• Forage assigned to livestock: 27,178 AUMs per year (estimated)
• Animals displaced from HMA by permitted grazing: 2,264 horses
• True AML: 3,022 horses and 116 burros, equivalent to 3,080 horses
• Stocking rate at new AML: 4.1 horses per thousand acres
• Horses displaced from HMA by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

RELATED: Twin Peaks Roundup, Day 11.

The BLM is required by law to keep mustang herd sizes down to a number set by Congress more than two decades ago, according to this story about the Piceance roundup by CBS News in Denver.

Dang!  Your host thought those numbers—which are small relative to the available resources—were set by the bureaucrats, who never have to face the voters.

RELATED: Piceance Roundup Cut Short by GonaCon Supply?

The incident began on July 17.  Gather stats through August 4:

• Target: Horses
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly
• Captured: 735, up from 647 on Day 17
• Average daily take: 38.7
• Capture goal: 1,900
• Removal goal: 1,800
• Returned: None, no change from Day 17
• Deaths: 16, up from 14 on Day 17
• Shipped: 674, up from 554 on Day 17

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

Two horses were put down on Day 19 due to pre-existing conditions.  They’d be alive if there was no roundup.

The death rate is 2.2%.

The capture total includes 255 stallions, 352 mares and 128 foals.

Youngsters represented 17.4% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 42.0% were male and 58.0% were female.

The herd can’t be growing at a rate of 20% per year with a birth rate of 17% per year.

A better estimate would be 12% per year, assuming a death rate of 5% per year.

The observed percentages of stallions and mares could not be produced by a simple random process centered at 50% males / 50% females (p-bar = .5, n = 607 adults).

Abnormal sex ratios are often found in herds subject to the Montana Solution but not double-digit birth rates.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap was not disclosed.

The Complex and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.

Day 19 ended with 45 unaccounted-for animals.

Mares treated with fertility control may be returned to the area at a later date.

Other statistics:

• Horses allowed by plan (AML): 821
• Forage assigned to horses: 9,852 AUMs per year
• Pre-gather population: 3,475
• Forage liberated to date: 8,820 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 7,350 gallons per day
• Forage assigned to livestock: 49,188 AUMs per year (estimated)
• Horses displaced from Complex by permitted grazing: 4,099
• True AML: 4,911
• Stocking rate at new AML: 3.0 horses per thousand acres
• Horses displaced from Complex by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

RELATED: Triple B Roundup, Day 17.

The herd on the Maryland side of the island has been all but ruined by the Montana Solution, an unstated goal of the advocates.

Now, the Park Service may be trying to save them from disappearing altogether.

That means separating them from you.  You are the problem, not the bureaucrats and not the advocates.

Park officials announced a series of initiatives this week aimed at reducing or eliminating human interaction, according to a story by the Maryland Coast Dispatch.

As such, the animals will be moved from new “red zones,” formerly known as visitor areas, to prevent undesirable interactions from occurring.

An announcement describing the changes has not appeared on the Assateague news page as of this morning.

RELATED: Assateague Ponies Flee Island.

The herd on the Maryland side of Assateague Island is still trying to recover from the darting program, which was shut off in 2016.  The advocates point to it as a paragon of wild horse management.

The Park Service buried the census results for 2022, breaking a long tradition of transparency.  What are they hiding?

On the Virginia side, the ponies are rounded up in July and pushed into the channel for the annual swim, seen in the following video.

The herd makes the return trip a few days later minus the youngsters, who were stripped away and sold at auction.

With the exception of a few “buy backs” who return with the adults, the breeding population doesn’t change.

If you visited the island today, you’d think it was subject to the Montana Solution.

As in other such cases, the volunteers don’t publish any reports showing the effects of their management strategy.  There is no accountability to the public.

RELATED: Foal-Free Friday, Abnormal Sex Ratios and Mother’s Milk Edition.

The news release was posted today, almost one week into the comment period.

The HMA is subject to permitted grazing, as discussed previously, and is managed primarily for livestock.

RELATED: New Bordo Atravesado Resource Enforcement Plan Out for Review.

The BLM wasn’t able to secure enough of the vaccine, which may act as a sterilant, to carry out the original plan according to a story by the Steamboat Pilot & Today.

Personnel with Piceance Mustangs, a ranching advocacy group, helped the agency select the 41 stallions that were returned to the HMA.

Another 56 mares, representing most of the unaccounted-for animals, are still in temporary corrals, awaiting a second dose of the pesticide.

Others are still whining about some horses that flipped over a hidden fence during the chase, when they’d be first in line to get rid of them with the Montana Solution.

The wild horse and burro program has been a drag on the grazing program for 50 years.

RELATED: Piceance Roundup Ends Early.

The incident began on August 1.  Gather stats through August 3:

• Target: Horses and burros
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly
• Horses captured: None
• Burros captured: 378, up from 174 on Day 1
• Average daily take: 0.0 horses, 126.0 burros
• Capture goal: 200 horses, 800 burros
• Removal goal: 200 horses, 800 burros
• Horses returned: None
• Burros returned: None
• Horse deaths: None
• Burro deaths: 4, up from 1 on Day 1
• Horses shipped: None
• Burros shipped: 108, up from zero on Day 1

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

Three burros were put down on Day 2 due to pre-existing conditions.

The burro death rate is 1.1%.

The burro total includes 155 jacks, 193 jennies and 30 foals.

Youngsters represented 7.9% of the burros captured.

Of the adults, 44.5% were male and 55.5% were female.

The herd can’t be growing at a rate of 20% per year with a birth rate of 8% per year.

A better estimate would be 3% per year, assuming a death rate of 5% per year.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap was not disclosed.

The five HMAs in the Complex are subject to permitted grazing.

Day 3 ended with no unaccounted-for horses and 266 unaccounted-for burros.

No animals will be treated with fertility control and returned to the area according to the latest schedule.

Other statistics:

• AML: 553 horses and 90 burros, equivalent to 598 horses
• Forage assigned to horses and burros: 7,176 AUMs per year
• Pre-gather population: 1,695 horses and 1,327 burros, equivalent to 2,359 horses
• Forage liberated to date: 2,268 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 1,890 gallons per day
• Forage assigned to livestock: 9,631 AUMs per year (estimated)
• Animals displaced from Complex by permitted grazing: 802 horses
• True AML: 1,355 horses and 90 burros, equivalent to 1,400 horses
• Stocking rate at new AML: 1.2 horses per thousand acres
• Horses displaced from Complex by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

RELATED: Blue Wing Roundup in Progress.

The incident began on July 23.  Gather stats through August 2:

• Target: Horses and burros
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly
• Horses captured: 1,211, up from 945 on Day 7
• Burros captured: 38, up from 2 on Day 7
• Average daily take: 110.1 horses, 3.5 burros
• Capture goal: 1,978 horses, 339 burros
• Removal goal: 1,868 horses, 339 burros
• Horses returned: None, no change from Day 7
• Burros returned: None, no change from Day 7
• Horse deaths: 18, up from 14 on Day 7
• Burro deaths: None, no change from Day 7
• Horses shipped: 1,016, up from 694 on Day 7
• Burros shipped: 38, up from 2 on Day 7

Data quality is poor.  The figures above are based on the daily reports.  They may differ from the totals at the gather page.

A colt was found dead in the pens on Day 8, cause unknown.  A stallion was put down after breaking his neck on panel while loading.

On Day 11, two foals were put down for injuries and wounds.

The horse death rate is 1.5%.

The horse total includes 472 stallions, 539 mares and 200 foals.

Youngsters represented 16.5% of the horses captured.  Of the adults, 46.7% were male and 53.3% were female.

The herd can’t be growing at a rate of 20% per year with a birth rate of 17% per year.

A better estimate would be 12% per year, assuming a death rate of 5% per year.

Body condition scores since Day 7 ranged from 4 to 5.

The trap is in the North Twin Peaks Home Range (whatever that means).

The HMA is subject to permitted grazing.

Day 11 ended with 177 unaccounted-for horses and no unaccounted-for burros.

Mares treated with fertility control will be returned to the area at a later date.

Other statistics:

• AML: 758 horses and 116 burros, equivalent to 816 horses
• Forage assigned to horses and burros: 9,792 AUMs per year
• Pre-gather population: 3,316 horses and 401 burros, equivalent to 3,516 horses
• Forage liberated to date: 14,760 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 12,300 gallons per day
• Forage assigned to livestock: 27,178 AUMs per year (estimated)
• Animals displaced from HMA by permitted grazing: 2,264 horses
• True AML: 3,022 horses and 116 burros, equivalent to 3,080 horses
• Stocking rate at new AML: 4.1 horses per thousand acres
• Horses displaced from HMA by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

RELATED: Twin Peaks Roundup, Day 7.

Observers were placed more than a mile from the trap location on Day 1, which was blocked with trailers, and captured animals were taken to a corral that’s off limits to public observation, according to the news release.

The complaint cites infringement of rights protected by the First Amendment.

A previous complaint involved HMAPs and the lack of current information in the planning process.

RELATED: Blue Wing Legal Action Centers Around HMAPs.

The incident began on July 17.  Gather stats through August 2:

• Target: Horses
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly
• Captured: 647, up from 552 on Day 15
• Average daily take: 38.1
• Capture goal: 1,900
• Removal goal: 1,800
• Returned: None, no change from Day 15
• Deaths: 14, up from 13 on Day 15
• Shipped: 554, up from 473 on Day 15

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

A filly was euthanized on Day 17 due to weak tendons.

The death rate is 2.2%.

The capture total includes 232 stallions, 304 mares and 111 foals.

Youngsters represented 17.2% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 43.3% were male and 56.7% were female.

The herd can’t be growing at a rate of 20% per year with a birth rate of 17% per year.

A better estimate would be 12% per year, assuming a death rate of 5% per year.

The observed percentages of stallions and mares could not be produced by a simple random process centered at 50% males / 50% females (p-bar = .5, n = 536 adults).

Abnormal sex ratios are often found in herds subject to the Montana Solution but not double-digit birth rates.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap was not disclosed.

The Complex and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.

Day 17 ended with 79 unaccounted-for animals.

Mares treated with fertility control may be returned to the area at a later date.

Other statistics:

• Horses allowed by plan (AML): 821
• Forage assigned to horses: 9,852 AUMs per year
• Pre-gather population: 3,475
• Forage liberated to date: 7,764 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 6,470 gallons per day
• Forage assigned to livestock: 49,188 AUMs per year (estimated)
• Horses displaced from Complex by permitted grazing: 4,099
• True AML: 4,911
• Stocking rate at new AML: 3.0 horses per thousand acres
• Horses displaced from Complex by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

RELATED: Triple B Roundup, Day 15.

Still no reply from the herd manager.

The mare may have been kicked out of her band because she wasn’t bearing any fruit.

Not her fault.

How long before that happens in her new band?

This is what the advocates bring to the table:

• Barren mares
• Confused stallions
• Shrinking herds
• Increasing death rates
• Abnormal sex ratios
• Injuries and infections
• Disruption of natural order

Contrary to the statement in the article, the best-case scenario for Alma is when the advocates are out of the picture.

RELATED: The Untold Story of Alma, Abandoned Currituck Mare?

Operations concluded today, according to a statement at the gather page, with 867 horses captured, 761 shipped, 41 returned and six dead.

The numbers don’t balance.

There were 867 – 761 – 41 – 6 = 59 unaccounted-for animals.

The capture goal was 1,050 and the removal goal was 750.

The 41 horses returned were stallions, probably freed to skew the herd’s sex ratio, reducing its growth rate.

Around 200 mares were to be treated with fertility control and returned to the HMA.

Foals represented approximately 19% of the horses captured.  Of the adults, 45% were male and 55% were female.

The advocates complained that the chase would be too stressful on foals and pregnant mares while concealing their belief that there shouldn’t be any foals or pregnant mares.

An on-site survey found ample forage in the HMA but did not mention that most of it had been reserved for the public-lands ranchers.

Others disputed the rationale for the roundup.

The forage assigned to livestock would support an additional 570 wild horses, for a True AML of 805.

The pre-gather population was thought to be 1,385.

RELATED: Piceance Roundup Starts This Week, Not an Emergency.