Work Day Set for Tomorrow at Piceance HMA

Piceance Mustangs, an advocacy group for the wild horses at the Piceance-East Douglas HMA in northwestern Colorado, has scheduled a work day for 10/27/18, according to a story posted today in the Rio Blanco Herald Times.

Volunteers work with the BLM to promote healthy horses and rangelands.

Who defines ‘healthy horses and rangelands?’ The BLM, of course. That means—wait for it—a fertility control program starting next year.

Sure would be nice if the wild horse world could move toward ‘What can we do for the horses?’ instead of ‘What can we do to the horses?’ Keeping them on the range would be a good place to start.

The HMA has an aimed-at population density of 1.25 animals per thousand acres.

NPS Says Death Valley Burros Have to Go

They’re not a part of the natural ecosystem. They destroy western rangelands and squeeze out wildlife, just like the horses.

A private organization has been hired to remove them, every one, even though they are dispersed at a rate of approximately one animal per thousand acres (in line with the average density of wild horses on BLM lands).

“Burros, natives of North African deserts, were once among the West’s most precious resources: sure-footed in rugged terrain and capable of carrying heavy loads long distances in extreme temperatures. But with wild populations that doubled every five years, they were damaging habitat sought after for cattle grazing, mining, development and off-road vehicles.”

Refer to this story, posted today by the Los Angeles Times. Bait traps have been set up to capture the burros. If that doesn’t work, helicopters will used to finish the job.

It’s not about saving money. There are no plans to close departments, sell buildings and lay people off when the roundup is complete. Who benefits?

A New Voice for Our Horses

From the video owner: “America’s wild horses and burros are fast disappearing from the American landscape. They need our voices and protection….” Regarding the caption at 2:47, darting mares with PZP is not protection, it is capitulation to the public-lands ranchers and their anti-horse agenda. H/T Donna Gentile.

Can’t Succeed Without the Help of Government

No, this is not a video about public-lands ranching. H/T American Digest, Allie Stuckey.

Iron Horse, Wild Horse

Ride the train. You might see some Virginia Range mustangs.

“We have wild horses and these big, monstrous open spaces. It’s a pretty spectacular view. That’s why we have these big windows — so people can see the scenery.”

Refer to this story about the V&T Railroad, posted today by Carson Now.

Burros Coming to Davis, CA

Halter-trained burros will be offered for adoption on October 28, during the final day of the Donkey Welfare Symposium at the University of California at Davis, according to a BLM news release posted today. The announcement did not indicate how many of animals would be available.

See the video at this post for an overview of the adoption process.

BLM Removes Wild Horses, Aids Ranchers Affected by Martin Fire

In what can only be described as a shocking development, BLM has moved against the horses in favor of public-lands ranchers, offering assistance to permit holders impacted by the largest wildfire of 2018 in Nevada. Many of the horses that roamed the area were not available for comment.

“BLM is addressing fencing status and needs, helping coordinate Farm Services Administration funding sources, and holding individual meetings with permittees about future grazing needs and feasibility within the fire perimeter.”

The fire affected seven grazing allotments and eight permittees n the Winnemucca District. The number of affected grazing allotments and permittees in the Elko District was not provided.

The fire started near Paradise Valley, NV in early July and spread eastward across the Little Owyhee and Owyhee HMAs. An emergency gather was ordered for September.

If you were thinking that maybe the BLM might be biased a little in favor of the livestock industry, this announcement should remove all doubt. Their priorities should now be obvious to even the casual observer.

No Comment by Forest Service on Heber Wild Horse Shooting

Personnel with the Law Enforcement Division won’t discuss any details or answer any questions until the investigation is complete, according to a report posted this morning by the White Mountain Independent.

Both horses have been buried. Necropsies were not performed and the bullets were not recovered. Apparently, evidence is of no use in these ‘investigations.’

Things to Do in November

Vote liberals out of office, both sides of the aisle. Don’t let freedom, ruggedness and self-reliance be replaced with weakness, vulnerability and dependence on government.

Lies of Omission at Devil’s Garden WHT

The Herald and News of Klamath Falls, OR allows itself to become a conduit for government propaganda. Not one word about livestock and grazing allotments that cover the entire territory—lands set aside for the horses!

Legal Action Taken to Stop the Sale of Devil’s Garden Horses

Two advocacy groups have joined forces to block the unrestricted sale of wild horses removed from Devil’s Garden WHT, some of which might end up in slaughter. Refer to this story, posted today in YubaNet, an online news service in Nevada City, CA.

RELATED: Fate of Devil’s Garden Horses?

UPDATE: See also this story in The Sacramento Bee dated 10/22/18.

There Were Survivors on the Other Side at Little Bighorn

Their descendants roamed an area known today as Theodore Roosevelt National Park, until the NPS rounded them up and sold them off, with some ending up at the Kuntz ranch. They are the Nokotas.

“Fun fact, depending on what historians you talk to, some believe Comanche was actually the only true survivor of the tragic Little Bighorn battle.”

Refer to this article about a war horse named Comanche that appeared on 10/04/18 in Cowgirl Magazine. He died in 1890, receiving full military honors.

RELATED: Nokota Horses to Be Dispersed.

Mustang Monday

On Steens Mountain Wilderness (includes South Steens HMA). H/T RV Travels.

Judge Rules in Favor of Alto Wild Horses

A judge has ruled that the New Mexico Livestock Board has no jurisdiction over the wild horses in Lincoln County and can no longer gather and sell them. The horses live in an area north of Ruidoso, NM. Refer to the story that appeared yesterday Ruidoso News.

The case was brought by the Wild Horse Observers Association, an ‘advocacy’ group that favors fertility control over roundups.

Watering Station for Virginia Range Mustangs Complete

Both stock tanks are now on float control. The underground water supply line and yard hydrant have been installed. Short video posted to WHW YouTube channel.

The idea is to keep the horses up in the hills and away from populated areas, a practice known as ‘diversionary watering.’

Helicopter Ops Ended at Little Bookcliffs WHR

The gather is complete according to a report posted yesterday by The Daily Sentinel in Grand Junction, CO, although the BLM has not issued a news release confirming that.

“The agency undertook the operation because of concerns about heavy grazing pressure by the horses, a problem exacerbated by drought.”

The wild horse population at the beginning of the roundup was 190, barely large enough to maintain genetic viability of the herd.

Media Silence on Spruce-Pequop Incident Continues

Still no national news coverage of wild horse massacre at Spruce-Pequop HMA in late August. If conservatives were involved, you would have heard about it weeks ago.

UPDATE: See these remarks from The Cloud Foundation that appeared today in The Desert Independent.

Fate of Devil’s Garden Horses?

In a guest column appearing today in the Redding-based Record Searchlight, the writer worries about the fate of captured horses but doesn’t say anything about the reasons for their removal.

Yep, it’s okay to pull them off the range and give more of their land and forage to livestock, just don’t ship them to slaughter.

The greatest threat to wild horses and burros is public-lands ranching, not oil and gas exploration, not mineral extraction, not timber harvesting.

The government serfs, along with their allies at the BLM and USFS, are laughing at you, dear, because you focus on symptoms not on causes.

Fall on the Virginia Range

Family band came in for a drink on 10/19/18, shortly after the stock tanks had been dumped, bleached and refilled. Great to see the youngster!

Temperatures at night are reaching the low 30s / high 20s for a few hours, which is not a big problem, but the system will have to be shut off and drained in a few more weeks.

Off the Reservation in Utah

Wild horses in eastern Utah, somewhere between the towns of Ouray and Bonanza, possibly on BIA land (go to page 3 in this map). There are no HMAs in that part of the state, only the Bonanza HA (red border), which is no longer managed for WHB due to ‘inadequate food and water.’ Yet there they are!

If you want to deceive the public about wild horse overpopulation, count horses like these, outside of HMAs, and compare the result to the allowable number of horses inside HMAs.

H/T Susan Allison.