Author: Western Horse Watchers

Emergency Gather of Pancake Horses to Begin Next Week

Bait-trapping will begin 07/09/18 with a goal of removing about 250 horses.  There is not enough water for the 2160 horses inhabiting the area, according to a BLM news release dated 07/06/18.  Gather operations are not open to public observation.

The Pancake HMA, which covers 850,000 acres, is southeast of Austin, NV.  Captured horses will be taken to the Indian Lakes off-range corrals in Fallon, NV, where they will be offered for adoption and/or taken to off-range pastures.

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Livestock grazing has not been allowed on these lands since 2000.  The target population density of the HMA (at the upper end of the AML) is 0.6 animals per thousand acres.  The pre-gather density is 2.5 animals per thousand acres.

The Pancake Complex includes the Sand Springs West HMA, Pancake HMA, Jakes Wash HA and Monte Cristo WHT.  HMA boundaries are shown in blue, HA borders are red.

Red Desert Gather Announced

Refer to this BLM news release, dated 07/06/18.  The operation, which starts 08/06/18, will remove over 2600 horses from the five HMAs in the Red Desert Complex (Antelope Hills, Crooks Mountain, Green Mountain, Lost Creek, Stewart Creek).

Helicopters will be used to drive the horses into traps.  The area of interest is southeast of Lander, WY.

Red_Desert_HMA_Complex_Map-1

Some horses will be returned to the range but most will be put up for adoption and/or placed in off-range pastures.  Gather stats will be posted to this page.

The presence of livestock on these lands was not stated in the announcement.  However, the situation at Stewart Creek HMA is documented in the following video, starting at 4:40 (posted 06/20/17 by The Cloud Foundation).

Pine Nut Gather Moving Ahead Despite Public Outcry

BLM plans to remove roughly 70 wild horses from the Pine Nut Mountains HA later this month, according to a report dated 07/06/18 in The Record-Courier.  They are found on lands south of the Pine Nut Mountains HMA, which is east of Carson City, NV.

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There are no AMLs for herd areas and they are not managed for WHB due to inadequate food and/or water.  But the horses are there.  Similar to the Caliente HA Complex.

The horses are followed closely by the Pine Nut Wild Horse Advocates group, with photos and videos posted to their FB page daily.

Personnel with PNMWHA are trained to dart mares with PZP, and although the practice is sometimes discussed on FB, they rarely if ever show how it’s done.  The goal of these ‘humane management practices’ is zero population growth.

So when the BLM comes along and decides to remove the horses, how can you argue against it?

Both parties want FEWER HORSES ON THE RANGE.  It’s only a question of technique.

BLM to Gather Burros from Bullfrog HMA Starting Next Week

Bait traps will be used according to a news release dated 07/06/18.  Goal is remove 300 excess animals.  Captured burros will be taken to an Off-Range WHB Facility in Axtell, UT, where they will be available for adoption.

Bullfrog-HMA-Map-1

The Bullfrog HMA covers 157,180 acres and has a target population density of 0.6 animals per thousand acres (based on upper end of AML).  The density at current population levels is 4.3 animals per thousand acres.  Gather stats can be found on this page.

RELATED: Burros Found Dead Near Beatty, NV.

New Road Hazardous to Virginia Range Mustangs?

It is according to a story posted yesterday by KOLO-TV in Reno, NV.  Only a barbed wire fence separates the horses from a new section of the Southeast Connector, but the Regional Transportation Commission plans to build something more substantial over the next month.

Wild horse advocates worry that vehicle collisions with horses will lead to removal of the animals from the area.

The new road, which opens today, should improve traffic flow between residential areas south of Reno and Sparks and employment centers to the north.

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The Virginia Range, not shown on the map, is on the east side of the new connector.

BLM Gathering Wild Burros at Piute Mountain HA

Bait-trapping began 06/28/18, per BLM news release dated 07/05/18.  Removal was prompted by insufficient water and high temperatures.  Affected area is near Fenner, CA, on the south side of I-40.  Captured burros will be taken to the Ridgecrest WHB Corrals for adoption.

Piute_Mountain_HA_Map-1

There are no AMLs for herd areas, they’re not managed for WHB due to lack of resources.  Yet the burros are there.  Gather stats can be found on this page.

Sterilization Research Proposed for Wild Horses

There are some sick minds in the federal government and the BLM is no exception.

They’re trying to develop methods for cutting ovaries out of mares (while keeping the mortality rate to an ‘acceptable’ level, of course).  In the following video, one of the wild horse Mengeles carries out the procedure for your viewing enjoyment.

According to the statement posted with the video, “…no highly effective, easily delivered and affordable fertility-control methods are currently available to manage wild horse and burro populations.”

In other words, PZP darting of mares is too expensive, too difficult to administer and doesn’t provide a lasting solution (to the wild horse ‘problem’).  We have to come up with something better, such as sterilization or euthanization of ‘excess’ animals.

All of this is a scam.  It’s not about saving money on roundups.  There are no plans to close departments, sell buildings and lay people off if the techniques are successful.  The goal is to clear the deck for more livestock grazing on public lands set aside for wild horses and burros in 1971.

And don’t forget the kooks at Protect the Harvest who put together a rodeo to showcase these mutilated ponies.

Clearly, they are in bed with folks at the Burns office, who posted the video.

RELATED: Stepping Stones.

RELATED: These Guys Are Not WH Advocates.

Advocates Win Approval to Haul Water to Sand Wash Horses

BLM says OK.  See this post on their FB page, originally published 06/29/18, updated 07/03/18.  The area has received some rain in recent weeks but they’re still not out of the woods.

Sand_Wash_Basin_HMA_Map-1

The Sand Wash Basin HMA is in northwest Colorado.  The target population density (at upper end of AML) is 2.3 animals per thousand acres, a bit higher the national average (all HMAs) of one animal per thousand acres.

RELATED: Water Delivery Plans On Hold at Sand Wash Basin HMA.