The initiative, announced in 2022 and briefly discussed at the last WHBAB meeting, was acknowledged by the BLM in a blog post dated August 11.

Let’s put the first sentence under the microscope:

Wild horses in the Reveille herd in southern Nevada were among the first to be part of a new initiative from the Bureau of Land Management aimed at expanding the use of fertility control vaccines to slow population growth and protect wild herds from overpopulation.

Like PZP, GonaCon Equine is a pesticide, not a vaccine.

It does not slow population growth, it reverses it.  With sufficient use, breeding populations dip well below the minimum specified in the WHB Handbook, allowing death rates to exceed birth rates.

It protects livestock operators, not wild horses.

The article said 29 mares had been inhibited while the gather page says 27.

It includes a photo of a mare in a chute receiving a booster dose prior to release.

The final paragraph suggests it was applied 30 days after the primer and is expected to prevent pregnancy for four to five years.

Unfortunately, this is a violation of federal law.  A 2017 labeling amendment that dropped the RUP designation extended the interval to 90 days.

The person applying the product is not wearing the proper PPE, another violation.

Is it by stupidity or brazenness that such images are released for public consumption?

The Hog Creek roundup will likely be the next installment of CTR, which, in the interest of accuracy, is really catch-treat-release-a-small-subset-of-the-original-herd.

Public acceptance of these poisons, and the concept of nonmotorized removal, has been driven mostly by propaganda from the wild horse advocates, especially the Campaign Against America’s Wild Horses, an outspoken proponent of PZP.

NOTE: The August 2 report at the bottom of the gather page confirms the treatment interval was not 90 days.

RELATED: Reveille HMA Now Crime Scene?

The comment count in ePlanning topped 4,000 yesterday.

“More poison, less bait.”

Good riddance.

RELATED: Who’s Behind the Surge in McCullough Comments?

The incident began on July 9.  Results through August 10:

• Scope: Spruce-Pequop, Goshute, Antelope Valley HMAs
• Purpose: Pest control, resource enforcement, rancher protection
• Target: Horses
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly*
• Better way: Poison mares with ovary-killing pesticides*
• Captured: 1,701, up from 1,607 on Day 31
• Average daily take: 51.5
• Capture goal: 2,000
• Removal goal: 2,000
• Returned: 5, no change from Day 31
• Deaths: 22, up from 21 on Day 31
• Shipped: 1,644, up from 1,563 on Day 31

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

The number of horses captured is 1,707 and the number shipped is 1,646 according to the figures in the sidebar.

No horses were gathered on Day 33.

A deformity on the left front leg of a stallion was reported as a death on Day 33.

The death rate is 1.3%.

The capture total includes 666 stallions, 774 mares and 261 foals.

Youngsters represented 15.3% of the animals gathered.

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

A 15% birth rate corresponds to a growth rate of 10% per year, a bit less than the 20% growth rate used by land managers to predict herd sizes and management actions.

Body condition scores on Day 32 ranged from 3 to 5.  They’re not starving.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

The HMAs and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.

*According to advocates.

Day 33 ended with 30 unaccounted-for animals.

Other statistics:

• Forage liberated to date: 20,352 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 16,960 gallons per day
• Forage assigned to livestock: Unknown
• Horses displaced from area by permitted grazing: Unknown
• True AML: Unknown
• Stocking rate at new AML: Unknown
• 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: Antelope Roundup North, Day 31.

When the advocates say “Jump!” their drones say “How high?”

Such is the case for the McCullough Peaks bait trapping project, which is now being flooded with the same stupid comments and talking points.

“Give the darting program a chance.”

“No need to remove wild horses.”

“More poison, less bait.”

Removal by any method—using helicopters or ovary-killing pesticides—keeps the scales tipped in favor of the public-lands ranchers.

RELATED: Foal-Free Friday, Controlling the Narrative Edition.

Up to 15 mares captured in the Water Canyon area, part of the South roundup, will be treated with GonaCon Equine and returned to the HMA.

As of today, the gather page shows no such animals.

The incident started on July 9 and concluded on July 26.

If they receive two doses, the booster cannot be given sooner than 90 days after the primer, according to a 2017 labeling amendment, which couldn’t be given before July 9.

If treated mares are released before October 9, then the product was applied unlawfully and the matter should be turned over to EPA law enforcement.

This pattern has already been observed at the Reveille HMA.

RELATED: BLM Using Outdated Information to Apply GonaCon Equine?

The incident started in July but results weren’t posted until this week.

As of August 3, Day 16, 29 burros have been captured and 29 have been shipped.

No deaths were reported.

The capture total includes 17 jacks, 10 jennies and two foals.

Youngsters represented 6.9% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 63% were male and 37% were female.

The HMA is subject to permitted grazing.

RELATED: Alamo Roundup Pending?

After a seven-hour hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Larry Hicks denied Wild Horse Education’s request for an emergency restraining order, according to a story dated August 9 by AP News.

RELATED: Antelope Hearing Today.

A public notice dated August 8 does not say why.

The next meeting is set for November 16.

Your host believes the greatest threat to the herd is not tourism, not vehicles, not global warming, but the advocates and their ovary-killing pesticides.

RELATED: Currituck Wild Horse Advisory Board Meets August 17.

A U.S. district judge will hear testimony from both sides as he considers WHE’s request for a temporary restraining order, according to a story dated August 8 by AP News.

RELATED: BLM Responds to Antelope Legal Complaint.

The agency believes it’s complying with the Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program, citing “sensational allegations” in the lawsuit, according to a story dated August 8 by KLAS News.

The North roundup is approximately 80% complete, although it was suspended yesterday for a “resource flight.”

The South roundup concluded on July 26.

The report indicated that a similar complaint had been filed in Oregon by The Cloud Foundation, seeking real-time monitoring of gather operations.

Attention will shift to that area next week when three roundups are scheduled to begin.

The group’s founder stated that “The public has the right to see how our federal government is using our tax dollars and how the agency is treating America’s wild horses and burros.”

Your host believes the American people need to know how the advocates, including TCF, are treating wild horses and burros.

They think the agency should be controlling their numbers with pesticide-laced darts, not motorized equipment, so ranchers can access most of the food and water in their lawful homes.

RELATED: Antelope Legal Action Unlikely to Stop Roundup?

The incident began on July 9.  Results through August 8:

• Scope: Spruce-Pequop, Goshute, Antelope Valley HMAs
• Purpose: Pest control, resource enforcement, rancher protection
• Target: Horses
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly*
• Better way: Poison mares with ovary-killing pesticides*
• Captured: 1,607, up from 1,568 on Day 29
• Average daily take: 51.8
• Capture goal: 2,000
• Removal goal: 2,000
• Returned: 5, no change from Day 29
• Deaths: 21, no change from Day 29
• Shipped: 1,563, up from 1,490 on Day 29

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

The number of horses captured is 1,613 and the number shipped is 1,565 according to the figures in the sidebar.

Gather operations were suspended in favor of a “resource flight” on Day 31.

The death rate is 1.3%.

The capture total includes 629 stallions, 735 mares and 243 foals.

Youngsters represented 15.1% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 46.1% were male and 53.9% were female.

A 15% birth rate corresponds to a growth rate of 10% per year, a bit less than the 20% growth rate used by land managers to predict herd sizes and management actions.

Body condition scores on Day 30 ranged from 3 to 5.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

The HMAs and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.

*According to advocates.

Day 31 ended with 18 unaccounted-for animals.

Other statistics:

• Forage liberated to date: 19,224 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 16,020 gallons per day
• Forage assigned to livestock: Unknown
• Horses displaced from area by permitted grazing: Unknown
• True AML: Unknown
• Stocking rate at new AML: Unknown
• 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: Antelope Roundup North, Day 29.

The HMA is a subset of Allotment #4, which offers 5,502 active AUMs on 58,369 public acres, according to the Allotment Master Report.

The HMA covers 22,381 total acres, including 21,819 public acres, according to the 2023 HA/HMA Report, and the AML ranges from 30 to 50.

The forage assigned to livestock inside the HMA would be 21,819 ÷ 58,369 × 5,502 = 2,057 AUMs per year, assuming the resource is distributed evenly across the parcel.

The number of horses displaced from the HMA by permitted grazing is 2,057 ÷ 12 = 171.

The True AML would be 50 + 171 = 221, to be achieved by confining the ranchers to their base properties and expecting them to pay the going rate to feed their animals.

The stocking rate at the new AML would be 221 ÷ 21,819 × 1,000 = 10.1 wild horses per thousand public acres, ten times higher than the target rate across all HMAs of one wild horse per thousand acres (27,000 anmials on 27 million acres).

The BLM collects 2,057 × 1.35 = $2,777 per year from ranching activity inside the HMA, while it spends 171 × 5 × 365 = $312,075 per year to care for horses displaced thereby.

Would you say that’s a wise use of public lands?

RELATED: Hog Creek Roundup Announced.

The roundup will take all horses off the range.

Thirty will be released.

The July 13 schedule indicates that 15 will be treated with fertility control.

The balance will probably be stallions.

The post-gather population will consist of 15 stallions and 15 barren mares.

The growth rate may go negative.

The breeding population will be zero.

If the pesticide-of-choice is GonaCon Equine, will it be applied unlawfully as at Reveille HMA?

RELATED: Hog Creek Roundup Announced.

The incident will begin on or around August 21, according to a BLM news release, but the capture and removal goals were not given.

The July 13 schedule shows 66 and 36.

The current population is thought to be 66, suggesting it’s a purge—all horses will be taken off the range, followed by selective return.

A helicopter will push them into the trap and the two-day operation will be open to public observation.

The announcement did not indicate if any of the retained mares would be treated with fertility control pesticides.

The HMA covers 22,381 total acres in eastern Oregon, including 21,819 public acres, according to the 2023 HA/HMA Report, and the AML ranges from 30 to 50.

At the upper end, the AML corresponds to a forage demand of 27.5 AUMs per year per thousand public acres.

The stocking rate allowed by plan is 2.7 wild horses per thousand public acres.

The HMA lies within Allotment #4.

The National Data Viewer shows the arrangement.  Click on image to open in new tab.

The parcel offers 5,502 active AUMs on 58,369 public acres, according to the Allotment Master Report, or 94.3 AUMs per year per thousand public acres of forage supply.

That resource would support 94.3 × 21,819 ÷ 1,000 ÷ 12 = 171 wild horses, on top of the 50 allowed by plan, for a True AML of 221.

The stocking rate would be 10.1 wild horses per thousand public acres, on par with the Virginia Range before the advocates got involved.

The HMA is not overpopulated.

You don’t have a wild horse problem, you have a resource management problem.

Animals identified for removal will be taken to the off-range corrals in Hines.

A link to the gather stats and daily reports was not provided but should be added to the Oregon gather and removal page before the start date.

The incidents began on July 9.  The North roundup continues.  The South roundup ended on July 26.

Combined results through August 6:

• Scope: Spruce-Pequop, Goshute, Antelope, Antelope Valley HMAs
• Purpose: Pest control, resource enforcement, rancher protection
• Target: Horses
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly*
• Better way: Poison mares with ovary-killing pesticides*
• Captured: 2,675
• Average daily take: 92.2
• Capture goal: 3,107
• Removal goal: 3,107
• Percent complete: 86.1
• Returned: 7
• Deaths: 31
• Shipped: 2,585

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

The death rate is 1.2%.

The capture total includes 980 stallions, 1,224 mares and 471 foals.

Youngsters represented 17.6% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 44.5% were male and 55.5% were female, still outside the expected range of variation from a simple random process centered at 50% males / 50% females with a sample of 2,204 adults.

A birth rate of 18% per year corresponds to a herd growth rate of 13% per year.

Day 29 ended with 52 unaccounted-for animals.

The HMAs and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing, with livestock receiving over seven times more forage than horses inside the Complex.

That resource would support an additional 6,079 wild horses, putting the True AML at 6,868.

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

*According to advocates.

RELATED: Antelope Roundup North, Day 29, Antelope Roundup South Over.

The incident began on July 9.  Results through August 6:

• Scope: Spruce-Pequop, Goshute, Antelope Valley HMAs
• Purpose: Pest control, resource enforcement, rancher protection
• Target: Horses
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly*
• Better way: Poison mares with ovary-killing pesticides*
• Captured: 1,568, up from 1,530 on Day 27
• Average daily take: 54.1
• Capture goal: 2,000
• Removal goal: 2,000
• Returned: 5, no change from Day 27
• Deaths: 21, no change from Day 27
• Shipped: 1,490, up from 1,449 on Day 27

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

The number of horses captured is 1,574 and the number shipped is 1,492 according to the figures in the sidebar.

The death rate is 1.3%.

The capture total includes 612 stallions, 717 mares and 239 foals.

Youngsters represented 15.2% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 46.0% were male and 54.0% were female.

A 15% birth rate corresponds to a growth rate of 10% per year, a bit less than the 20% growth rate used by land managers to predict herd sizes and management actions.

Body condition scores on Days 28 and 29 ranged from 3 to 5.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

The HMAs and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.

*According to advocates.

Day 29 ended with 52 unaccounted-for animals.

Other statistics:

• Forage liberated to date: 18,756 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 15,630 gallons per day
• Forage assigned to livestock: Unknown
• Horses displaced from area by permitted grazing: Unknown
• True AML: Unknown
• Stocking rate at new AML: Unknown
• 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: Antelope Roundup North, Day 27.