Axtell Burros Have New Job: Protecting Cattle from Wolves

Two jacks and four jennies were taken from the off-range corrals in Utah to a ranch near Walden, CO, according to a story posted yesterday by KDVR News of Denver, courtesy of Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

The agency is required to restore and manage gray wolves in the state by the end of 2023, following the passing of Proposition 114, and wolf kills are already increasing.

The ranch covers 11,000 acres but Western Horse Watchers was unable to determine if it secures grazing preference on public lands.

Best Way to Control Wild Horses

Yesterday’s column by the Campaign Against America’s Wild Horses in The Salt Lake Tribune referred to helicopter roundups as “pointless,” as if the government routinely engages in the capture, branding, harassment and death of the animals without regard to the statute.

Section 1331 notwithstanding, removal of wild horses from their congressionally designated habitats, by any method, including helicopters, wranglers and PZP, shifts resources back to the public-lands ranchers, as specified in management plans that put ranching interests far above those of the horses.

Did the writer explain that?

Of course not.

She starts with the premise that the horses have to go, then tries to convince her readers that the Montana Solution is best suited to the task, forgetting that darted mares still eat, exactly what the bureaucrats and ranchers don’t want.

As noted previously, the technique will likely find favor in a mopping-up role, protecting the ranchers after the fact by making sure the herds don’t bounce back.

Foal-Free Friday, Highlighting the Work of the Advocates

Back to the Salt River with Rick Vanderwielen.

Best viewed while wearing a “Stay Wild” cap.

National ‘Save Our Wild Horses’ Conference Debuts in April

Refer to this news release on EIN and this web site on Weebly.

Western Horse Watchers is skeptical of the event, its organizers and affiliates, and shall remain so until convinced otherwise.

This post is for information only and should not be construed as an endorsement.

Advocates to America: Let Us Get Rid of Your Wild Horses

Refer to this column in The Salt Lake Tribune by the communications director of the Campaign Against America’s Wild Horses.

They want the horses off the range as much as the bureaucrats and ranchers, but they want it done with PZP not helicopters.

You’ll never hear them talk about resource allocations, mismanagement of HMAs and confining the ranchers to their base properties because those discussions might make life better for the horses.

Love Triangle 03-17-22

Horses Clash with Livestock at Blackfeet Nation?

The Reservation covers 1.5 million acres in northwest Montana and is home to around 16,000 free-roaming horses, according to a story posted yesterday by the Cut Bank Pioneer Press of Cut Bank, MT.

The Branch of Agriculture and Rangeland Development, Bureau of Indian Affairs, offers oversight and technical assistance for rangeland protection and improvements, among other things, and provides leasing and permitting services for farmers and ranchers.

Salt River Stallion Freed from Cattle Guard

The guard had to be cut and the horse suffered serious injuries, according to a story posted today by KPNX News of Phoenix.

BONUS QUESTION: Were any of the advocates involved in the rescue wearing ‘Stay Wild’ caps?

Will Advocates Wear ‘Stay Wild’ Caps to Alpine?

It’s how they signal their support for the ranching agenda.

Given that the area is covered with grazing allotments it would be a smart thing to do.

Wild Horses Destroying Jumping Mouse Habitat?

The Western Watersheds map shows the area around Alpine in eastern Arizona, habitat for the New Mexico Jumping Mouse according to yesterday’s story by Arizona’s Family, is covered by grazing allotments. (Click on image to open in new tab.)

The advocate interviewed for the report, ringleader of the Salt River Wild Horse Darting Group and field marshal for the Campaign Against America’s Wild Horses, is not a voice for the horses and discussions later this week with the Forest Service will likely include options for humane management, code words for getting rid of them with PZP.

Western Horse Watchers was unable to find a project associated with the removal at the ASNF NEPA site.

Forest Service to Remove Horses from Apache-Sitgreaves Forests

The incident, prompted by legal action, will begin on March 21, according to a report posted today by KPHO News of Phoenix, AZ.

Western Horse Watchers was unable to find an announcement on the ASNF news page.

The horses will be drawn into the traps by bait.

The pre-gather population is thought to be around 400.

Delegates from the Salt River Wild Horse Darting Group will meet with Forest Service personnel later this week to discuss options.

The story did not indicate if the area was subject to permitted grazing.

FY 2022 Spending Bill Now Law

It was signed by the President today according to the Actions Overview for H.R. 2471 at Congress.gov. Confirmed by White House news release.

Explanatory statements were posted to this page. Division G covers the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service.

Status of FY 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act

The bill was presented to the President yesterday according to the Actions Overview for H.R. 2471 at Congress.gov.

Provisions for the Wild Horse and Burro Program, as of last week, include:

The continuing resolution that funded the federal government expires today.

The task force will have monthly meetings to review performance metrics, monitor outcomes, and address any delays or setbacks to the implementation of the May 2020 Report to Congress.

A keyword search of the report yielded these results:

Livestock – 0 occurrences
Allotment – 0
Grazing – 0
Forage – 1
Permit – 0
Cattle – 0
Sheep – 0
Habitat – 1
Fencing – 0
Allocation – 0
Fragmentation – 0
Mismanagement – 0

The long-term goal is to achieve and maintain AMLs, which are small relative to the available resources.

The aim of the wild horse and burro program is to minimize its impact on the grazing program.

Livestock Responsible for Poor Condition of Rangelands?

High Country News looks at a new report by the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility in an article posted this morning.

The story precedes a news release just issued by PEER.

Status of ‘Save a Horse, Hire a Cowboy’ Act

The measure, formally known as the Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act of 2022, has been referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources, according to the overview at Congress.gov.

The title is a misnomer. Like the Montana Solution, it’s a different way of protecting the public-lands ranchers.

Pneu-Dart Impact 01-03-22

Mustang Monday

In Shannon County, MO with Tim Layton.

Why Do Advocates Target the Animals They Claim to Protect?

Headlines from Drudge. The link pointed to a story by The Times of Israel, but it doesn’t explain the twisted philosophy of the advocates.

Drudge Headlines 03-13-22

Big Summit Roundup Delayed Until Fall

The horses will be drawn into the traps with bait, but the chute ordered by the Forest Service to process them was the wrong size, according to a story posted today by the Bend Bulletin of Bend, OR.

RELARED: Big Summit Roundup Attracts Legal Action.

Can WHB Budget Hit FY 2022 Resource Enforcement Targets?

The BLM plans to remove 50% more wild horses from their home range this year than last year, while its budget increased just 18% over the same period according to figures on page 203 of the Division G Explanatory Statement for the FY 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act.

Worse, the cost of fuel for motorized equipment has skyrocketed, along with the price of feed, so how exactly will the agency achieve those goals?

Removal of excess animals, sometimes referred to as achieving and maintaining AMLs, means shifting the resources back to the public-lands ranchers in areas set aside for wild horses.

Helicopters do the achieving while the advocates do the maintaining.

Advocates are the Predators 11-30-21

No Western States Horse Expo This Year

The event has been moved to June of next year.

Attendance was light last year.

Protect the Harvest and the Campaign Against America’s Wild Horses, cheerleaders for the public-lands ranchers, didn’t show up.

Fix, Sell or Close: What to Do About the Advocacy Groups?

They’re wrong about almost everything in the wild horse world.

They say they’re protecting the horses while they’re getting rid of them with PZP.

Most are defenders of the public-lands ranchers.

They couldn’t convert an AML to AUMs if their lives depended on it, much less compute a forage allocation for livestock in an area set aside for the horses, but they know exactly how much adjuvant to add to the pesticide and how long to mix them.

Don’t give them a penny!

You know them not by their words but by their deeds.