New Mexico Governor Fails to Sign HB 284

The Free-Roaming Horses and Livestock Code has received a pocket veto according to the bill status.

A story by The Santa Fe New Mexican said the technique was applied to 17 bills.

The deadline for approval was April 11.

Trunk Monkey Tuesday, Adult Supervision Edition

This video shows that trained monkeys can be proficient with firearms, a prerequisite to becoming a PZP darter, and may have higher moral standards.

Colorado Senate to Consider HB25-1283 Today

It’s on the schedule for a second reading.

The Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources approved the measure on April 10 according to the bill history.

RELATED: HB25-1283 Hearing Delayed?

Mustang Monday

On Cumberland Island with Mustang Mission.

Costs of Off-Range Holding Going Up?

Figures can be found in the Program Budget section of the Program Data page.

In 2024, the BLM spent 2.3 times as much for off-range holding as it did in 2012.

But as a percentage of total expenditures, are the costs really going up or just escalating with everything else?

A run chart provides some evidence of an increase.

The trendline, in black, also appears to be going up. It was fitted to the data with the Analysis Toolpak in Excel.

However, the ANOVA table provided by the toolpak tells a different story.

The p-value of the F-statistic is .095—too large to conclude that the passage of time, on the x-axis, is of use in explaining the variations in the percentage, on the y-axis.

Although there is some evidence of a long-term increase, it’s not enough to provide a basis for action. A p-value smaller than .01 might signal adverse change.

The advocates, on the other hand, believe the costs are spiraling out of control and use the narrative to push their ruinous darting programs.

Colorado Wild Horse Working Group Meets Next Week

The online meeting begins at 8:00 AM local time on April 17.

The agenda covers placement, preserves and pesticides.

A wild horse refuge is not worthy of your support if it doesn’t include public lands and doesn’t displace livestock therefrom.

The group should establish a base property fund and be ready to pounce when the right listing hits the market.

RELATED: Beware of the Sanctuaries.

Veterans for Pesticides Act Rises from Ashes?

The title of the new bill is the same as the preamble of its predecessor.

The bill text was not immediately available.

It was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources where hopefully it will languish for the next two years.

Assateague Herd Grows Slightly

The Park Service reported in an undated news release that the population in March 2025 was 79, up from 73 a year earlier.

The herd consisted of 47 females and 32 males, a ratio of approximately 1.5 to 1.

Four deaths and ten births were recorded.

The article did not indicate if mares had been brought in from other areas to replace those ruined by the darting program.

The population has remained below target for seven years.

DOI Taking Bold Steps to Restore Domestic Energy Production

Recent announcements from the BLM news site:

Western Horse Watchers was unable to find a statement declaring man-made climate change to be a hoax, a fine example of communist subversion.

The chicoms don’t have to bomb our refineries and chemical plants, we’ll destroy them ourselves.

Foal-Free Friday, Attempting the Impossible Edition

The Salt River advocates are trying to cut the herd size in half with PZP, as if they can put it into a nosedive for ten years and have it come in for a soft landing.

The Virginia Range advocates are trying to achieve a reduction of 80% or more with the same pesticide.

The herds will auger in.

The final populations will be zero because most of the mares will be sterile, if they aren’t already.

Those that bear fruit, not enough to overcome the death rate, likely have faulty immune systems, a trait that could be passed on to their offspring.

This is what the advocates bring to the table.

Lahontan Planning Documents Out for Public Review

A preliminary environmental assessment has been copied to the project folder with several appendices.

Comments will be accepted through May 12 according to the news release.

The Proposed Action, discussed in Section 2.3 of the EA, would remove all excess horses from an area that is roughly 25 times larger than the HMA.

Figure 1 shows the arrangement.

The current population is thought to be 518.

The AML is 7 – 10 so 511 animals are on the chopping block.

There are no plans to treat any of the mares with fertility control pesticides and return them to the range.

A roundup does not appear on the latest schedule.

Table 1 says the HMA is 100% within the Lahontan Allotment but Figure 2 suggests otherwise.

San Bernardino County Launches New Plan for Wild Burros

Officials have contracted with DonkeyLand to relocate orphaned, sick or injured animals and castrate 100 jacks over the next year according to a report by the Los Angeles Times.

The article did not indicate if the Campaign Against America’s Wild Horses, a leader in nonmotorized removal, had offered to pummel the jennies with pesticide-laced darts at no cost to the government.

Sgamma Nomination Withdrawn

Snippet from opening remarks in today’s hearing.

No explanation was given.

UPDATE: A story by AP News suggests she bowed out (or was told to bow out) because of her remarks about the J6 protests.

CAAWH Celebrates VR Mass Sterilization Program

They were so proud of it at the January WHBAB meeting but have since scrubbed it from their website.

They are phonies, allies of the bureaucrats and ranchers, leaders of the blind.

Legislation to Protect TRNP Wild Horses Introduced in Senate

The bill would maintain a genetically diverse herd of at least 150 animals according to a report by KX News.

The story did not indicate if it was prompted by SCR 4006.

The measure was introduced on April 9, read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

The bill text was not immediately available.

Tariffs to Curb Foreign Appetite for American Beef?

Labels might be more effective.

Just say where it was produced—at the expense of America’s wild horses—and let consumers decide.

Forage Required by Wild Horses and Burros on BLM Lands

Are the figures in this Google search result correct?

Reagan’s doctrine of “trust but verify” does not apply to the wild horse advocates.

They cannot be trusted.

The final page of the 2025 population dataset gives post-Rock Springs AMLs of 22,637 wild horses and 2,919 wild burros.

Therefore, the total number of animals allowed by plan is correct.

22,637 + 2,919 = 25,556

One AUM will sustain one cow-calf pair, one wild horse, two burros or five sheep for one month.

So the total forage requirement is

22,637 × 12 + 2,919 × 12 ÷ 2 = 289,158 AUMs per year

Like the Campaign Against America’s Wild Horses, Return to Normal (Before WHB Act) is a strong supporter of nonmotorized removal,

The nonprofit works closely with the FREES Network, a ranching advocacy group sponsored by Utah State University Extension, and signed onto the “Path Forward,” a 2019 plan for ranching superiority in the lawful homes of wild horses and burros.

NOTE: Initially CAAWH opposed the Path Forward but now accepts it.

Hearing for BLM Nominee This Week

The Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources will consider the nomination of Kathleen Sgamma on April 10 according to an undated announcement.

The hearing will be livestreamed on the Committee’s website.

Adoption Event Confirms Location of Montana Corrals

The address is 736 Alvista Loop in Hamilton according to an April 3 announcement.

Trunk Monkey Tuesday, One Less Problem Edition

This video shows that trained monkeys can be ruthless enough to serve as PZP darters and just as effective at getting rid of undesirable elements on western rangelands.