Author: Western Horse Watchers

Advocate Criticizes Your Host

“I am not the only one doubting your advocacy for wild horses,” she wrote in an October 14 email.

You got a mouse in your pocket?

To repeat: I am not an advocate.  I am a voice for wild horses.  The advocates are part of the problem.

If you want to dabble in this field, you need to put on your big girl panties and admit that your ranks are filled with liars and frauds.

There is no two-state solution on America’s public lands, the ranchers must be defeated.

Confine them to their (multi-million dollar) base properties and let them pay the going rate to feed their animals.

No more gravy train, no more sucking on the government teat.

It’s time to man up and oppose the removal of wild horses from their lawful homes by any means, whether it’s helicopters, bait or pesticides.

RELATED: Western Horse Watchers Q&A.

Working Together for a Horse-Free Future 12-21-22

Nevada Stallion Shot, Killed, Marked with Ford Mustang Logo

The remains were found about 50 miles west of Ely by a field worker with the Campaign Against America’s Wild Horses, according to a story by KOLO News of Reno.

The CAAWH Communications Director called for an investigation but did not offer a reward for information leading to arrest and convictions of the person(s) responsible.

Do not be misled.  Next to the federal government, nobody’s getting rid of more wild horses than CAAWH and its army of nitwits.

Not shooters, hunters, ranchers, campers, motorists, drillers, miners or loggers.

Pesticide Pushers 07-17-23

Moriah Roundup, Day 3

The incident began on October 17.  Results through October 19:

  • Scope: Moriah HA
  • Purpose: Pest control, resource enforcement, rancher protection
  • Target: Horses
  • Type: Planned
  • Method: Helicopter
  • Category: Cruel and costly*
  • Better way: Pummel mares with pesticide-laced darts*
  • Captured: 203, up from 62 on Day 1
  • Average daily take: 67.7
  • Capture goal: 400
  • Removal goal: 400
  • Returned: None
  • Deaths: None
  • Shipped: 103, up from zero on Day 1

The figures above are based on the daily reports, not the totals posted by the BLM.

The capture total includes 69 stallions, 89 mares and 45 foals.

Youngsters represented 22.2% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 43.7% were male and 56.3% were female.

Body condition scores were not given.

The HA and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.

*According to advocates.

Moriah HA with Grazing Allotments 10-20-23

Day 3 ended with 100 unaccounted-for animals.

Other statistics:

  • Horses allowed by plan (AML): None
  • Forage liberated to date: 2,436 AUMs per year
  • Water liberated to date: 2,030 gallons per day
  • Forage assigned to livestock: Undetermined
  • Horses displaced from HA by permitted grazing: Undetermined
  • True AML: Undetermined
  • Stocking rate at new AML: Undetermined
  • Horses removed because of drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

Overpopulation means more horses than allowed by plan, not necessarily more horses than the land can support.

RELATED: Moriah Roundup in Progress.

Nye County Commissioners Balk at Helicopter Ban

They opted instead for a new rule seeking humane treatment during roundups, according to a report dated October 19 by the Pahrump Valley Times.

An outright ban would be a serious affront to those associated with animal agriculture, which the commissioners promote as a key part of the local economy.

A markup of the proposed rule describes it as NYE COUNTY ORDINANCE NO. 599.

The article said the motion passed unanimously, with an effective date of October 30, but it has not been posted to the county’s ordinance page as of this morning.

RELATED: Nye County Commissioners Reject Helicopter Roundups.

BLM Lakeview District Seeks WHB Specialist

In this role, you will analyze and interpret Wild Horse and Burro policy and related manual guidance to respond to requests from the District Office, State Office and Headquarters for technical assistance, according to the listing at ZipRecruiter.

For example, if the EPA specifies a minimum 90-day interval between primer and booster doses of GonaCon Equine, you can interpret that as 30 days.

Gonacon 90-Day Requirement 07-01-23

If federal law says wild horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment or death, you can ignore it.

If you believe that areas identified for wild horses should be managed primarily for cattle and sheep, you can use your organizing skills to get the ranchers to control the pests, as Shaney Rockefeller did at the Vale Office.

Her advice is only a phone call away.

Lakeview District Office with HMAs 10-19-23

Undeniable Truths Reiterated

1. The greatest threat to America’s wild horses is public-lands ranching.

2. The advocates, with their frivolous spending, false promises and obsession with pesticides, are a close #2.  They are part of the problem, not the solution.

3. Drilling and mining are a distant #3.  They affect anywhere from a few acres to a few thousand acres, while animal agriculture devours entire HMAs and beyond.

RELATED: Undeniable Truths of the Wild Horse World.

Working Together for a Horse-Free Future 12-21-22

Calico Roundup Ends Early

Gather operations concluded today, with 489 horses captured, 329 shipped, 145 released and 15 dead.

There were no unaccounted-for animals.

The capture goal was 761 and the removal goal was 380.

Data quality was good.

The death rate was 3.1%.

The capture total included 173 stallions, 257 mares and 59 foals.

Youngsters represented 12.1% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of 7% per year.

Of the adults, 40.2% were male and 59.8% were female, not consistent with a simple random process centered at 50% males / 50% females and a sample of 430 horses.

Some of the mares will be treated with a fertility control pesticide and be returned to the range, so the net removal cannot be determined at this time.

The roundup was billed at catch-treat-release.

RELATED: BLM Announces Surprise-Calico Wild Horse Roundups.

Roberts Mountain Roundup Starts Next Week

The incident will begin on or about October 22.  Three HMAs are affected.

The capture goal is 1,106 and the removal goal is 1,068.

Helicopters will push the horses into the traps and operations will be open to public observation.

Up to 19 mares will be treated with GonaCon Equine, a fertility control pesticide, before being returned to the range with up to 19 stallions.

The current population is thought to be 1,161.

The AML, the number of horses allowed by plan, is 110 – 184.

The National Data Viewer shows habitat loss and the beneficiaries thereof, not named in the news release.  Click on image to open in new tab.

The roundup supports three tenets of rangeland management:

  • Pest control
  • Resource enforcement
  • Rancher protection

Captured animals will be taken to the off-range corrals in Axtell, UT.

Gather stats and daily reports will be posted to this page.

RELATED: Decision Published for Roberts Mountain Complex.

Roberts Mountain Complex with Allotments 10-16-23

Richfield Base Property Available for $25 Million

The ranch includes 7,942 deeded acres east of Richfield, UT, with grazing preference on approximately 80,000 state and federal acres, according to the agent’s listing.

The operator runs approximately 350 cow/calf pairs year around.

In addition to forage on public lands, the owners feed hay produced from valley operations as well as purchased hay.

The agent’s map links the deeded acreage, shown in red, to six BLM allotments, shown in yellow, and one FS allotment, shown in green.

The National Data Viewer shows the BLM allotments.  The FS allotment is south of North Cove Mountain and west of Bear Valley in the Fishlake NF.

The allotments do not intersect any wild horse or burro areas.

Richfield Base Property with Allotments 10-16-23

The Operator Information Report at RAS ties Annabella Land & Cattle to Authorization #4305032.  The Allotment Information Report ties the authorization to Bear Valley, Gypsum, North Cove Mountain and Salls Meadow.

A keyword search of the Allotment Master Report yielded four instances of “Annabella,” consistent with the Allotment Information Report.

The permittees on the two remaining allotments may be DBAs or lessees but this was not explained in the listing.

Information about the Forest Service allotment can be found in the 2023 AOI.

An outlay of $25 million obtains access to a miniscule 558 AUMs per year on BLM land and roughly 483 AUMs per year on FS land.  Not a great deal in your host’s opinion.

The price tag would break the budget of the new adoption partnerships program, but nobody said public-lands ranching was for the little guy.

Calico Roundup, Day 15

The incident began on October 1.  Results through October 15:

The figures above are based on the daily reports, not the totals posted by the BLM.

No horses were caught on Days 14 and 15.

The trap and temporary holding pens were moved to another undisclosed location on Day 15.

The contractor dispatched a mare on Day 14 due to low body condition score and loss of teeth.

The death rate is 3.3%.

The capture total includes 168 stallions, 235 mares and 45 foals.

Youngsters represented 10.0% of the animals gathered, consistent with a growth rate of five percent per year.

Of the adults, 41.7% were male and 58.3% were female, suggesting the herd has an abnormal sex ratio.

The HMAs and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.

*According to advocates.

Surprise-Calico HAs and HMAs with Allotments 09-17-23

Day 15 ended with no unaccounted-for animals.

Mares returned to the Complex will be treated with GonaCon Equine, a fertility control pesticide.  As of today, all returned animals have been stallions.

Other statistics:

  • Forage liberated to date: 3,636 AUMs per year
  • Water liberated to date: 3,030 gallons per day
  • Forage assigned to livestock: Undetermined
  • Horses displaced from area by permitted grazing: Undetermined
  • True AML: Undetermined
  • Stocking rate at new AML: Undetermined
  • Horses removed because of drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

Overpopulation means more horses than allowed by plan, not necessarily more horses than the land can support.

RELATED: Calico Roundup, Day 13.

Calico Roundup, Day 13

The incident began on October 1.  Results through October 13:

The figures above are based on the daily reports, not the totals posted by the BLM.

The location of the trap site on Days 12 and 13 was not given.

Body condition scores ranged from 3 to 4 on both days.

The contractor euthanized a stallion on Day 13 due to low BCS and lameness.

The death rate is 3.1%.

The capture total includes 168 stallions, 235 mares and 45 foals.

Youngsters represented 10.0% of the animals gathered, consistent with a growth rate of five percent per year.

Of the adults, 41.7% were male and 58.3% were female, suggesting the herd has an abnormal sex ratio.

The HMAs and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.

*According to advocates.

Surprise-Calico HAs and HMAs with Allotments 09-17-23

Day 13 ended with 65 unaccounted-for animals.

Mares returned to the Complex will be treated with GonaCon Equine, a fertility control pesticide.  As of today, all returned animals have been stallions.

Other statistics:

  • Forage liberated to date: 4,056 AUMs per year
  • Water liberated to date: 3,380 gallons per day
  • Forage assigned to livestock: Undetermined
  • Horses displaced from area by permitted grazing: Undetermined
  • True AML: Undetermined
  • Stocking rate at new AML: Undetermined
  • Horses removed because of drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

Overpopulation means more horses than allowed by plan, not necessarily more horses than the land can support.

RELATED: Calico Roundup, Day 11.