Category: Range

On the range

Jackson Mountains Roundup Day 3

The incident began on September 15.  Gather stats through September 17:

  • Type: Emergency
  • Method: Helicopter
  • Horses captured: 98
  • Average daily take: 32.7
  • Capture goal: 600
  • Removal goal: 600
  • Returned: 0
  • Deaths: 1
  • Shipped: 42

One horse was put down on Day 2 due to an abscess, typically not a life-threatening condition, lifting the death rate to 1.0%.

Foals represented 23.5% of the horses gathered.  Of the adults, 26.7% were male and 73.3% were female.

Body condition scores were not provided.

Day 3 ended with 55 unaccounted-for animals.

Other statistics:

  • AML: 217
  • Forage assigned to horses: 2,604 AUMs per year
  • Pre-gather population: 1,018
  • Forage liberated to date: 1,176 AUMs per year
  • Water liberated to date: 980 gallons per day
  • Forage assigned to livestock: 7,394 AUMs per year (estimated)
  • Horses displaced from HMA by livestock: 616 (1.2% of off-range holding)
  • True AML: 833

RELATED: Jackson Mountains Emergency Roundup in Progress.

Lying for the Cause?

The views expressed in this commentary are those of its author and not necessarily those of Western Horse Watchers.

If the government assigns 84% of the forage in HMAs to privately owned livestock, the number of wild horses displaced thereby would be 141,750, enough to empty all of the off-range corrals and long-term pastures almost three times over.

The True AML, the number of horses the HMAs could support if they were managed principally for horses, would be 168,750, to be achieved by ending public-lands ranching in those areas.  A similar assessment for WHTs would likely drive the number higher.

The current population of 86,000 is well within this range.

Show your work:

Current AML = 27,000 (horses and burros but assume all horses)

Available land = 27,000,000 acres

Current stocking rate = 27,000 ÷ 27,000,000 × 1,000 = 1 wild horse per thousand acres

Forage demand = 27,000 × 12 = 324,000 AUMs per year

Total authorized forage in HMAs = 324,000 ÷ (1 – .84) = 2,025,000 AUMs per year

Forage assigned to livestock in HMAs = 2,025,000 × .84 = 1,701,000 AUMs per year

Horses displaced by livestock = 1,701,000 ÷ 12 = 141,750

True AML = 27,000 + 141,750 = 168,750

New stocking rate = 168,750 ÷ 27,000,000 × 1,000 = 6.25 horses per thousand acres

Land ratio at new AML = 1,000 ÷ 6.25 = 160 acres per horse

Park County Commissioners to Approve New Resource Plan?

An article posted yesterday by the Cody Enterprise says it’s up for a vote on September 20 but, as of today, an agenda for the meeting does not appear on their web site.

The plan documents the county’s position on wild horses and burros:

  • Oppose the introduction or reintroduction of wild horses or burros on federal and state lands within the County
  • Support herd management plans that prevent habitat degradation and native wildlife displacement, using all available agency tools
  • Oppose any establishment, enlargement, or expansion of wild horse and burro HMAs and Herd Areas and be involved in discussions regarding any proposed enlargement or expansion of such boundaries or areas
  • Encourage public education programs that inform the public at large about domestic livestock, wild/feral horse and burros, wildlife management needs, and balancing the impacts and the needs to maintain healthy ecosystems

The chairman, taking a utilitarian approach, said the quality and health of local herds was much better under the purview of local ranchers and cowboys.  “We had good stock, we don’t have that anymore.”

Horses deemed useful were adopted, the rest went to slaughter.

An advocate interviewed for the story sided with the ranchers, stressing the importance of—you guessed it—fertility control and proper management of the adoption program.

As for the allotments, just make sure the permitted amount of cows are on the land and they are off when they are supposed to be.

RELATED: Wild vs Feral Debate at Park County Commissioners Meeting.

UPDATE: Agenda for September 20 meeting now available.

Four Mile Roundup Over

Another 27 horses were captured today, according to the gather page, bringing the total to 215.  One death was reported, with 214 shipped.

The capture goal was 189 and the removal goal was 173.  Plans for returning horses to the HMA were not included.

Foals represented 22.8% of the horses captured.  Of the adults, 47% were males and 53% were females.

Body condition scores were not provided.

The pre-gather population was thought to be 210.  Genetic viability will certainly be a problem if only 16 horses are released.

RELATED: Four Mile Roundup Starts Next Week.

Barren Valley Roundup Day 7

The incident began on September 8.  Gather stats through September 14:

  • Type: Emergency
  • Method: Helicopter
  • Horses captured: 491, up from 316 on Day 5
  • Average daily take: 70.1
  • Capture goal: 1,900
  • Removal goal: 1,900
  • Returned: 0
  • Deaths: 6, no change from Day 5
  • Shipped: 379, up from 270 on Day 5

The death rate decreased from 1.9% to 1.2%.

Foals represented 21.2% of the horses gathered.  Of the adults, 47.3% were male and 52.7% were female.

Body condition scores on Days 6 and 7 ranged from three to four.

Three HMAs are involved in the roundup.

Day 7 ended with 106 unaccounted-for animals.

Other statistics:

  • AML: 892 (total for three HMAs)
  • Forage assigned to horses: 10,704 AUMs per year
  • Pre-gather population: 2,500
  • Forage liberated to date: 5,892 AUMs per year
  • Water liberated to date: 4,910 gallons per day
  • Forage assigned to livestock: 27,011 AUMs per year (estimated)
  • Horses displaced from Complex by livestock: 2,258 (4.5% of off-range holding)
  • True AML: 3,150

RELATED: Barren Valley Roundup Day 5.

Barren Valley Roundup Day 5

The incident began on September 8.  Gather stats through September 12:

  • Type: Emergency
  • Method: Helicopter
  • Horses captured: 316, up from 98 on Day 1
  • Average daily take: 63.2
  • Capture goal: 1,900
  • Removal goal: 1,900
  • Returned: 0
  • Deaths: 6, up from 2 on Day 1
  • Shipped: 270, none on Day 1

Reports for Days 3, 4 and 5 were not published until today.

Three horses were put down on Day 2 due to pre-existing conditions.  Another was euthanized on Day 5 for similar reasons, bringing the death rate to 1.9%.

Foals represented 20.9% of the horses gathered.  Of the adults, 44.8% were male and 55.2% were female.

Body condition scores ranged from two to four.

Yesterday the trap was moved from Sand Springs to Sheepshead.  Three HMAs are involved in the roundup.

Day 5 ended with 40 unaccounted-for animals.

Other statistics:

  • AML: 892 (total for three HMAs)
  • Forage assigned to horses: 10,704 AUMs per year
  • Pre-gather population: 2,500
  • Forage liberated to date: 3,792 AUMs per year
  • Water liberated to date: 3,160 gallons per day
  • Forage assigned to livestock: 27,011 AUMs per year (estimated)
  • Horses displaced from Complex by livestock: 2,258 (4.5% of off-range holding)
  • True AML: 3,150

RELATED: Barren Valley Roundup Begins.

Stone Cabin Roundup Day 12

The incident began on September 1.  Gather stats through September 12:

  • Type: Emergency
  • Method: Bait
  • Horses captured: 207, up from 197 on Day 9
  • Average daily take: 17.3
  • Capture goal: 450
  • Removal goal: 450
  • Returned: 0
  • Deaths: 7, no change from Day 9
  • Shipped: 193, up from 115 on Day 9

No horses were caught on Days 10 and 12.

The death rate is 3.4%.

Foals represented 13.0% of the horses gathered.  Of the adults, 45.0% were male and 55.0% were female.

Body condition scores were not reported.

Day 12 ended with seven unaccounted-for animals.

Other statistics:

  • AML: 364
  • Forage assigned to horses: 4,368 AUMs per year
  • Pre-gather population: 1,037
  • Forage liberated to date: 2,484 AUMs per year
  • Water liberated to date: 2,070 gallons per day
  • Forage assigned to livestock: Unknown
  • Horses displaced from HMA by livestock: Unknown
  • True AML: Unknown

RELATED: Stone Cabin Roundup Day 9.