The incident began on July 23.  Gather stats through August 2:

• Target: Horses and burros
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly
• Horses captured: 1,211, up from 945 on Day 7
• Burros captured: 38, up from 2 on Day 7
• Average daily take: 110.1 horses, 3.5 burros
• Capture goal: 1,978 horses, 339 burros
• Removal goal: 1,868 horses, 339 burros
• Horses returned: None, no change from Day 7
• Burros returned: None, no change from Day 7
• Horse deaths: 18, up from 14 on Day 7
• Burro deaths: None, no change from Day 7
• Horses shipped: 1,016, up from 694 on Day 7
• Burros shipped: 38, up from 2 on Day 7

Data quality is poor.  The figures above are based on the daily reports.  They may differ from the totals at the gather page.

A colt was found dead in the pens on Day 8, cause unknown.  A stallion was put down after breaking his neck on panel while loading.

On Day 11, two foals were put down for injuries and wounds.

The horse death rate is 1.5%.

The horse total includes 472 stallions, 539 mares and 200 foals.

Youngsters represented 16.5% of the horses captured.  Of the adults, 46.7% were male and 53.3% were female.

The herd can’t be growing at a rate of 20% per year with a birth rate of 17% per year.

A better estimate would be 12% per year, assuming a death rate of 5% per year.

Body condition scores since Day 7 ranged from 4 to 5.

The trap is in the North Twin Peaks Home Range (whatever that means).

The HMA is subject to permitted grazing.

Day 11 ended with 177 unaccounted-for horses and no unaccounted-for burros.

Mares treated with fertility control will be returned to the area at a later date.

Other statistics:

• AML: 758 horses and 116 burros, equivalent to 816 horses
• Forage assigned to horses and burros: 9,792 AUMs per year
• Pre-gather population: 3,316 horses and 401 burros, equivalent to 3,516 horses
• Forage liberated to date: 14,760 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 12,300 gallons per day
• Forage assigned to livestock: 27,178 AUMs per year (estimated)
• Animals displaced from HMA by permitted grazing: 2,264 horses
• True AML: 3,022 horses and 116 burros, equivalent to 3,080 horses
• Stocking rate at new AML: 4.1 horses per thousand acres
• Horses displaced from HMA by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

RELATED: Twin Peaks Roundup, Day 7.

Observers were placed more than a mile from the trap location on Day 1, which was blocked with trailers, and captured animals were taken to a corral that’s off limits to public observation, according to the news release.

The complaint cites infringement of rights protected by the First Amendment.

A previous complaint involved HMAPs and the lack of current information in the planning process.

RELATED: Blue Wing Legal Action Centers Around HMAPs.

The incident began on July 17.  Gather stats through August 2:

• Target: Horses
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly
• Captured: 647, up from 552 on Day 15
• Average daily take: 38.1
• Capture goal: 1,900
• Removal goal: 1,800
• Returned: None, no change from Day 15
• Deaths: 14, up from 13 on Day 15
• Shipped: 554, up from 473 on Day 15

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

A filly was euthanized on Day 17 due to weak tendons.

The death rate is 2.2%.

The capture total includes 232 stallions, 304 mares and 111 foals.

Youngsters represented 17.2% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 43.3% were male and 56.7% were female.

The herd can’t be growing at a rate of 20% per year with a birth rate of 17% per year.

A better estimate would be 12% per year, assuming a death rate of 5% per year.

The observed percentages of stallions and mares could not be produced by a simple random process centered at 50% males / 50% females (p-bar = .5, n = 536 adults).

Abnormal sex ratios are often found in herds subject to the Montana Solution but not double-digit birth rates.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap was not disclosed.

The Complex and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.

Day 17 ended with 79 unaccounted-for animals.

Mares treated with fertility control may be returned to the area at a later date.

Other statistics:

• Horses allowed by plan (AML): 821
• Forage assigned to horses: 9,852 AUMs per year
• Pre-gather population: 3,475
• Forage liberated to date: 7,764 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 6,470 gallons per day
• Forage assigned to livestock: 49,188 AUMs per year (estimated)
• Horses displaced from Complex by permitted grazing: 4,099
• True AML: 4,911
• Stocking rate at new AML: 3.0 horses per thousand acres
• Horses displaced from Complex by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

RELATED: Triple B Roundup, Day 15.

Still no reply from the herd manager.

The mare may have been kicked out of her band because she wasn’t bearing any fruit.

Not her fault.

How long before that happens in her new band?

This is what the advocates bring to the table:

• Barren mares
• Confused stallions
• Shrinking herds
• Increasing death rates
• Abnormal sex ratios
• Injuries and infections
• Disruption of natural order

Contrary to the statement in the article, the best-case scenario for Alma is when the advocates are out of the picture.

RELATED: The Untold Story of Alma, Abandoned Currituck Mare?

Operations concluded today, according to a statement at the gather page, with 867 horses captured, 761 shipped, 41 returned and six dead.

The numbers don’t balance.

There were 867 – 761 – 41 – 6 = 59 unaccounted-for animals.

The capture goal was 1,050 and the removal goal was 750.

The 41 horses returned were stallions, probably freed to skew the herd’s sex ratio, reducing its growth rate.

Around 200 mares were to be treated with fertility control and returned to the HMA.

Foals represented approximately 19% of the horses captured.  Of the adults, 45% were male and 55% were female.

The advocates complained that the chase would be too stressful on foals and pregnant mares while concealing their belief that there shouldn’t be any foals or pregnant mares.

An on-site survey found ample forage in the HMA but did not mention that most of it had been reserved for the public-lands ranchers.

Others disputed the rationale for the roundup.

The forage assigned to livestock would support an additional 570 wild horses, for a True AML of 805.

The pre-gather population was thought to be 1,385.

RELATED: Piceance Roundup Starts This Week, Not an Emergency.

The incident started yesterday, according to the gather page, with 174 horses gathered, none shipped and one death.

The deceased jenny was not included in the capture total.

The Blue Wing – Seven Troughs Allotment, which contains the five HMAs affected by the roundup, offers 20,316 active AUMs on 1,192,778 public acres.

The government will collect $27,427 per year in grazing fees from the permittees while it spends $3,089,725 per year to care for the 1,693 wild horses the allotment—that’s right, allotment—would support.

Would you say that permitted grazing is a wise use of the public lands?

RELATED: Blue Wing Roundup Announced.

UPDATE: Only burros were captured on Day 1, 62 jacks, 88 jennies and 24 foals.

An undated report summarizing the facts and circumstances surrounding the loss of 145 wild horses has been added to the Colorado HMA page.

It does not explain why the virus affected the West Douglas horses so severely, when it was found among other horses at the facility.

RELATED: Back to Business as Usual at Cañon City.

The last intelligible report was for gather activity on Friday July 29.

The next one is for Saturday July 31.

The 36 burros shipped to an undisclosed location don’t appear in the daily reports.

No updates have been posted as of this morning.

RELATED: Twin Peaks Roundup, Day 7.

The incident began on July 17.  Gather stats through July 31:

• Target: Horses
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly
• Captured: 552, up from 515 on Day 13
• Average daily take: 36.8
• Capture goal: 1,900
• Removal goal: 1,800
• Returned: None, no change from Day 13
• Deaths: 13, no change from Day 13
• Shipped: 473, no change from Day 13

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

Helicopters did not fly on Day 14.  The trap may have been moved to a new location.

The death rate is 2.4%.

The capture total includes 205 stallions, 256 mares and 91 foals.

Youngsters represented 16.5% of the animals gathered.  Of the adults, 44.5% were male and 55.5% were female.

The herd can’t be growing at a rate of 20% per year with a birth rate of 17% per year.

A better estimate would be 12% per year, assuming a death rate of 5% per year.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap was not disclosed.

The Complex and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.

Day 15 ended with 66 unaccounted-for animals.

Mares treated with fertility control may be returned to the area at a later date.

Other statistics:

• Horses allowed by plan (AML): 821
• Forage assigned to horses: 9,852 AUMs per year
• Pre-gather population: 3,475
• Forage liberated to date: 6,624 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 5,520 gallons per day
• Forage assigned to livestock: 49,188 AUMs per year (estimated)
• Horses displaced from Complex by permitted grazing: 4,099
• True AML: 4,911
• Stocking rate at new AML: 3.0 horses per thousand acres
• Horses displaced from Complex by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

RELATED: Triple B Roundup, Day 13.

The incident began on July 15.  Gather stats through July 31:

• Target: Horses
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly
• Captured: 835, up from 776 on Day 15
• Average daily take: 49.1
• Capture goal: 1,050
• Removal goal: 750
• Returned: None, no change from Day 15
• Deaths: 5, up from 3 on Day 15
• Shipped: 668, no change from Day 15

The figures above are based on the daily reports.  The number of horses shipped doesn’t match the total at the gather page.

Two horses were put down on Day 17, presumably, but no details were given.

The death rate is now 0.6%.

The capture total includes 304 stallions, 370 mares and 161 foals.

The eighteen horses taken off the range in Part 1 have been omitted.

Youngsters represented 19.3% of the animals captured.  Of the adults, 45.1% were male and 54.9% were female.

The herd can’t be growing at a rate of 20% per year with a birth rate of 19% per year.

A better estimate would be 14% per year, assuming a death rate of 5% per year.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap was not disclosed.

The HMA and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.

Day 17 ended with 162 unaccounted-for animals.

The capture goal is 80% complete.

Mares treated with fertility control may be returned to the area at a later date.

Other statistics:

• Horses allowed by plan (AML): 235
• Forage assigned to horses: 2,820 AUMs per year
• Pre-gather population: 1,385
• Forage liberated to date: 10,020 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 8,350 gallons per day
• Forage assigned to livestock: 6,840 AUMs per year (estimated)
• Horses displaced from HMA by permitted grazing: 570
• True AML: 805
• Stocking rate at new AML: 4.2 horses per thousand acres
• Horses displaced from HMA by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

RELATED: Piceance Roundup, Part 2 Day 15.

On the Virginia Range with Donald Cool.

A presentation by Chandra Rosenthal will occur at the Colorado Café Scientifique in Denver on August 2, according to this announcement.

A report by the group earlier this year claimed that the agency doesn’t consider the effects of permitted grazing on rangeland health, as noted in a story dated March 18 by KLAS News of Las Vegas.

RELATED: PEER Study in the News.

The management plan assigns an estimated 75% of their food to a public-lands rancher and they’ve now wandered into neighboring allotments due to “overpopulation and lack of forage within the HMA,” according to the discussion following Table 2 in the Draft EA for resource enforcement actions therein.

Who could have predicted that?

RELATED: New Bordo Atravesado Resource Enforcement Plan Out for Review.

A project has been created in ePlanning and a Draft EA has been posted.

The scoping period, if it occurred, was not announced at the BLM news site nor was the comment period for the EA.

The Proposed Action (Alternative A) features removals to the low end of the AML and population suppression over a ten-year project life.

Alternative B would add sex ratio skewing.  Refer to page three in the EA (page five in the pdf).

The HMA covers 19,606 total acres east of Socorro, NM, including 16,493 public acres.

The 60 horses allowed by plan require 720 AUMs per year.

The stocking rate allowed by plan is 3.6 wild horses per thousand public acres, compared to a target rate of one wild horse per thousand acres acres across all HMAs.

The HMA lies within the Bordo Atravesado Allotment.  The Allotment Master Report puts it in the Improve category with 2,714 active AUMs on 20,857 public acres.

Forage availability equates to 130.1 AUMs per year per thousand public acres, enough to support 10.8 wild horses per thousand acres, on top of the horses allowed by plan.

The number of horses displaced from the HMA by permitted grazing would be 10.8 × 16,493 ÷ 1,000 = 178.

The True AML would be 60 + 178 = 238, four times higher than the current AML.

The current population is thought to be around 230.

The forage assigned to livestock inside the HMA would be 130.1 × 16,493 ÷ 1,000 = 2,146 AUMs per year, assuming the resource is evenly distributed across the parcel, three times more than the forage assigned to horses.

The bureaucrats, like the advocates, think the horses are the problem.

The BLM will collect 2,146 × 1.35 = $2,897 per year in grazing fees from ranching operations inside the HMA while it spends 178 × 5 × 365 = $324,850 per year to care for the horses displaced thereby.

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

Confining the permittee to his base property was not considered in the analysis.

The HMA has no HMAP, presumably, given that the term was not found in the EA.

If the document existed, it would ratify and reinforce the lopsided resource allocations and mismanagement of the HMA you see here.

The Authorization Use Report indicates that cattle are on the land twelve months per year, which includes a wilderness study area.

Comments will be accepted through August 27.

The incident began on July 23.  Gather stats through July 29:

• Target: Horses and burros
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly
• Horses captured: 945, up from 787 on Day 5
• Burros captured: 2, no change from Day 5
• Average daily take: 135.0 horses, 0.3 burros
• Capture goal: 1,978 horses, 339 burros
• Removal goal: 1,868 horses, 339 burros
• Horses returned: None, no change from Day 5
• Burros returned: None, no change from Day 5
• Horse deaths: 14, up from 9 on Day 5
• Burro deaths: None, no change from Day 5
• Horses shipped: 694, up from 578 on Day 5
• Burros shipped: 2, no change from Day 5

The figures above are based on the daily reports.  The number of horses shipped doesn’t match the total at the gather page.

Three horses were put down on Day 7 due to pre-existing conditions.  Two foals died in temporary pens, cause unknown.

The horse death rate is now 1.5%, up from 1.1% on Day 5.

The horse total includes 373 stallions, 422 mares and 150 foals.

Youngsters represented 15.9% of the horses captured.  Of the adults, 46.9% were male and 53.1% were female.

The herd can’t be growing at a rate of 20% per year with a birth rate of 16% per year.

A better estimate would be 11% per year, assuming a death rate of 5% per year.

Body condition scores on Days 6 and 7 ranged from 4 to 5.

The trap was moved to a new location on Day 6.

The HMA is subject to permitted grazing.

Day 7 ended with 237 unaccounted-for horses and no unaccounted-for burros.

Mares treated with fertility control will be returned to the area at a later date.

Other statistics:

• AML: 758 horses and 116 burros, equivalent to 816 horses
• Forage assigned to horses and burros: 9,792 AUMs per year
• Pre-gather population: 3,316 horses and 401 burros, equivalent to 3,516 horses
• Forage liberated to date: 11,340 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 9,450 gallons per day
• Forage assigned to livestock: 27,178 AUMs per year (estimated)
• Animals displaced from HMA by permitted grazing: 2,264 horses
• True AML: 3,022 horses and 116 burros, equivalent to 3,080 horses
• Stocking rate at new AML: 4.1 horses per thousand acres
• Horses displaced from HMA by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

RELATED: Twin Peaks Roundup, Day 5.

The Blue Wing – Seven Troughs Allotment, which contains the five HMAs affected by the roundup, offers 20,316 active AUMs on 1,192,778 public acres, according to the Allotment Master Report.

Forage availability works out to 17.0 AUMs per year per thousand public acres, enough to support 1.4 wild horses per thousand acres.  Click on image to open in new tab.

Table 1 in the 2016 Final EA for resource enforcement actions in the Complex provides public acres and AMLs for the HMAs.  Those values are marked as Given in this table:

Three HMAs are managed for horses and burros so the first step is to convert the AMLs to horses only.

The resource requirements for burros are half of those for horses, so the equivalent AML for Lava Beds would be 148 + 16 ÷ 2 = 156.

The forage requirement for those horses would be 156 × 12 = 1,872 AUMs per year.

The next step is to estimate the forage assigned to livestock inside the HMAs, assuming the resource is evenly distributed across the allotment.

Forage availability in the Blue Wing allotment is 17 AUMs per year per thousand acres so the portion in Lava Beds should be 232,995 ÷ 1,000 × 17 = 3,961 AUMs per year.

That resource would support 3,961 ÷ 12 = 330, the number of horses displaced from the HMA by permitted grazing.

The bureaucrats refer to them as “excess animals,” more horses than allowed by plan, to be removed from their lawful home and shipped to feedlots in favor of the permittees.

The advocates want them removed with the Montana Solution, not helicopters.

The True AML for Lava Beds is therefore 156 + 330 = 486, the number of animals the HMA could support if it was managed principally for wild horses as specified in the original statute.

The True AML for the five HMAs is 1,400.

The BLM will collect 9,631 × 1.35 = $13,002 per year in grazing fees from ranchers operating inside the HMAs while it spends 802 × 5 × 365 = $1.46 million per year to care for the horses displaced thereby.

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

RELATED: Blue Wing Roundup Announced.

The incident began on July 17.  Gather stats through July 29:

• Target: Horses
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly
• Captured: 515, up from 439 on Day 11
• Average daily take: 39.6
• Capture goal: 1,900
• Removal goal: 1,800
• Returned: None, no change from Day 11
• Deaths: 13, up from 10 on Day 11
• Shipped: 473, up from 355 on Day 11

Helicopters did not fly on Day 13.

A stallion and mare were put down on Day 12 due to marginal BCS.  A mare was put down on Day 13 due to club feet.  They survived the chase and would be alive today if there was no roundup.  The death rate is 2.5%.

The capture total includes 194 stallions, 234 mares and 87 foals.

Youngsters represented 16.9% of the animals captured.  Of the adults, 45.3% were male and 54.7% were female.

The herd can’t be growing at a rate of 20% per year with a birth rate of 17% per year.

A better estimate would be 12% per year assuming a 5% death rate.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

The Complex and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.

Day 13 ended with 29 unaccounted-for animals.

Mares treated with fertility control may be returned to the area at a later date.

Other statistics:

• Horses allowed by plan (AML): 821
• Forage assigned to horses: 9,852 AUMs per year
• Pre-gather population: 3,475
• Forage liberated to date: 6,180 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 5,150 gallons per day
• Forage assigned to livestock: 49,188 AUMs per year (estimated)
• Horses displaced from Complex by permitted grazing: 4,099
• True AML: 4,911
• Stocking rate at new AML: 3.0 horses per thousand acres
• Horses displaced from Complex by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

RELATED: Triple B Roundup, Day 11.

The incident began on July 15.  Gather stats through July 29:

• Target: Horses
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly
• Captured: 776, up from 725 on Day 13
• Average daily take: 51.7
• Capture goal: 1,050
• Removal goal: 750
• Returned: None, no change from Day 13
• Deaths: 3, no change from Day 13
• Shipped: 668, up from 633 on Day 13

The death rate is 0.4%.

The total, based on the daily reports, includes 279 stallions, 347 mares and 150 foals.

The eighteen horses taken off the range in Part 1 have been omitted.

Youngsters represented 19.3% of the animals captured.  Of the adults, 44.6% were male and 55.4% were female.

The herd can’t be growing at a rate of 20% per year with a birth rate of 19% per year.

Fourteen percent would be a better estimate assuming a death rate of 5% per year.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

The HMA and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.

Day 15 ended with 105 unaccounted-for animals.

The capture goal is 74% complete.

Mares treated with fertility control may be returned to the area at a later date.

Other statistics:

• Horses allowed by plan (AML): 235
• Forage assigned to horses: 2,820 AUMs per year
• Pre-gather population: 1,385
• Forage liberated to date: 9,312 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 7,760 gallons per day
• Forage assigned to livestock: 6,840 AUMs per year (estimated)
• Horses displaced from HMA by permitted grazing: 570
• True AML: 805
• Stocking rate at new AML: 4.2 horses per thousand acres
• Horses displaced from HMA by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

RELATED: Piceance Roundup, Part 2 Day 13.

A federal judge ruled yesterday that 18 horses captured earlier this year need not be returned to Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests because they do not qualify for protection under the WHB Act and are therefore considered to be unauthorized livestock, according to a report posted today by Courthouse News Service.

RELATED: ISPMB Complaint Involves ASNF ‘Jumping Mouse’ Horses.

Operations will begin August 7, as scheduled, with three HMAs and one HA affected.

The capture goal is 450 and the removal goal is 410.  Mares treated with fertility control would be returned to the range but this is not mentioned in the news release.

Helicopters will push the horses into the traps and the incident will be open to public observation, conditions permitting.

The Complex covers 215,350 total acres in southwestern Utah and the 170 horses allowed by plan require 2,040 AUMs per year.

The aimed-at stocking rate is 0.8 wild horses per thousand acres, slightly less than the target rate across all HMAs of one wild horse per thousand acres.

The current population is thought to be 831.

The Western Watersheds map shows the arrangement.  The HA, on the north side of Four Mile,  was not included.  Click on image to open in new tab.

The Complex intersects 16 allotments with an estimated 7,229 AUMs per year assigned to privately owned livestock inside the HMAs.  Refer to Section 3.3.2 in the Final EA.

Captured animals will be taken to the Axtell off-range corrals, where they will be held at a cost of $5 per head per day.

The BLM will collect $9,759 per year in grazing fees from the permittees while it spends $1.1 million per year to care for the 602 wild horses the resource would support.

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

Gather stats and daily reports will be posted to this page.

RELATED: Bible Springs Complex Added to Roundup Schedule.