Barren Valley Roundup Day 27

The incident began on September 8. Gather stats through October 4:

Type: Emergency
Method: Helicopter
Horses captured: 1,133, up from 1,032 on Day 19
Average daily take: 42.0
Capture goal: 1,900
Removal goal: 1,900
Returned: 0
Deaths: 16, up from 14 on Day 19
Shipped: 1,067, up from 965 on Day 19

Reports for Days 23 to 27 were posted today. No horses were taken on Days 21, 23, 24, 26 and 27. No explanations were given.

The cumulative total at the gather page is 1,124, with 1,097 shipped.

Two horses were euthanized on Day 20 due to pre-existing conditions. The death rate is unchanged at 1.4%.

Foals represented 21.4% of the horses gathered. Of the adults, 45.2% were male and 54.8% were female.

Body condition scores ranged from 3 to 4.

The location of gather activity is not known. Three HMAs are involved in the roundup.

Day 27 ended with 50 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: 13,596 AUMs per year
Water liberated to date: 11,330 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 19.

Surprise Complex Roundup Day 7

The incident began on September 28. Gather stats through October 4:

Type: Planned
Method: Helicopter
Horses captured: 555, up from 441 on Day 5
Average daily take: 79.3
Capture goal: 1,220
Removal goal: 1,050
Returned: 16, up from 15 on Day 5
Deaths: 9, up from 7 on Day 5
Shipped: 396, up from 281 on Day 5

Two stallions were put down for pre-existing conditions on Day 6, leaving the death rate at 1.6%. Another stallion was released.

The number of stallions, mares and foals caught each day have not been reported.

Body condition scores are not known.

Gather operations concluded at Wall Canyon on Day 6. Day 7 saw helicopters flying beyond the HMA boundaries. Six HMAs are involved in the roundup.

Pigeon fever may have affected some of the horses. Tests have been ordered.

Another release is set for Day 8.

Day 7 ended with 134 unaccounted-for animals.

Other statistics:

AML: 496
Forage assigned to horses: 5,952 AUMs per year
Pre-gather population: 1,300
Forage liberated to date: 6,468 AUMs per year
Water liberated to date: 5,390 gallons per day
Forage assigned to livestock: Unknown
Horses displaced from Complex by livestock: Unknown
True AML: Unknown

Can’t Blame Ranchers for Rock Springs Roundup?

So says the operations manager of the Rock Springs Grazing Association in a report posted this morning by WyoFile, a public-interest news service in Wyoming.

The incident will comply with a 2013 court order resulting from a case brought by RSGA, according a BLM news release.

The roundup may be a prelude to the RMP amendments that will close three of the HMAs and downsize a fourth if approved.

The writer acknowledged that one of the goals was to reduce trespass onto 899,308 acres of private land in the Wyoming checkerboard, much of it owned by RSGA.

He did not say if Wyoming was a fence-out state.

What’s Up With Barren Valley?

No activity has been reported since September 29, when gather ops commenced at Coyote Lake.

Owyhee Roundup Announced

The incident will begin on or about October 11, according to the new release.

It was on the schedule dated August 2 but was dropped from the current schedule, dated August 30.

Helicopters will push the horses into the traps and the operation will be open to public observation. Five HMAs are involved.

The capture goal is 947 and the removal goal is 615. Mares returned to the Complex will be treated with PZP.

The Complex covers about one million acres and has an AML of 999, as shown in Table 1 of the Final EA for resource enforcement actions therein. The stocking rate allowed by plan is one wild horse per thousand acres, in line with the target rate across all HMAs.

The pre-gather population was estimated to be 1,188.

The Complex intersects six grazing allotments, listed in Table 5 of the EA. Figure 13 shows the arrangement. The image above is from the Western Watersheds map.

Captured animals will be taken to the Sutherland off-range corrals in Utah.

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

The EA was posted with other project documents in ePlanning.

Western Horse Watchers does not see the wisdom of mobilizing a contractor in an area that is only 20% above AML and almost certainly below the True AML.

Devil’s Garden Roundup Day 18

The incident began on September 16. Reports covering activity through October 3 have been posted to the Modoc news page:

Type: Planned
Method: Helicopter
Horses captured: 298, up from 229 on Day 14
Average daily take: 16.6
Capture goal: 600
Removal goal: 600
Returned: 1, no change from Day 14
Deaths: Unknown
Shipped: Unknown

Foals represented 13.1% of the horses captured. Of the adults, 49.8% were males and 50.2% were female.

Body condition scores were not provided.

The death rate and number of unaccounted-for animals cannot be determined.

Other statistics:

AML: 402
Forage assigned to horses: 4,824 AUMs per year
Pre-gather population: 1,926
Forage liberated to date: 3,564 AUMs per year
Water liberated to date: 2,970 gallons per day
Forage assigned to livestock: 15,711 AUMs per year (estimated)
Horses displaced from WHT by livestock: 1,309 (2.6% of off-range holding)
True AML: 1,711

RELATED: Devil’s Garden Roundup Day 14.

Problems Continue at RAS

The Allotment Information Report shows 1,555,088 AUMs per year assigned to RSGA, instigator of the consent decree, but the Allotment Master report shows 97,193.

Problems With Allotment Master Report 10-04-21

The Rock Springs allotment covers about two million acres of public and private lands in the Wyoming checkerboard and is administered by the Rock Springs Field Office.

RELATED: More Problems at RAS.

Mustang Monday

At the Currituck Outer Banks with Andrew Knepper.

Surprise Complex Roundup Day 5

The incident began on September 28. Gather stats through October 2:

Type: Planned
Method: Helicopter
Horses captured: 441, up from 307 on Day 3
Average daily take: 88.2
Capture goal: 1,220
Removal goal: 1,050
Returned: 15
Deaths: 7, up from 6 on Day 3
Shipped: 281, up from 155 on Day 3

An orphan colt died on Day 4. The death rate is now 1.6%.

The breakdowns between stallions, mares and foals were not provided.

Body condition scores are not known.

Operations will move to High Rock and Wall Canyon tomorrow. Six HMAs are involved in the roundup.

Day 5 ended with 138 unaccounted-for animals.

Other statistics:

AML: 496
Forage assigned to horses: 5,952 AUMs per year
Pre-gather population: 1,300
Forage liberated to date: 5,112 AUMs per year
Water liberated to date: 4,260 gallons per day
Forage assigned to livestock: Unknown
Horses displaced from Complex by livestock: Unknown
True AML: Unknown

TCF Hosts Webinar on Wild Horses and Media

The 75-minute panel discussion features Vickery Eckhoff and Cynthia Smoot.

If you’re going to the Rock Springs roundup next week, bring Tables 1 and 8 from the Final EA and maybe a copy of this post.

Beatys Butte Roundup Day 26

The incident began on September 6. Gather stats through October 1:

Type: Planned
Method: Bait
Horses captured: 22
Average daily take: 0.8
Capture goal: 100
Removal goal: 50
Returned: 0
Deaths: 1
Shipped: 21

Activity has been sporadic and reports, when they appear, cover several days.

A stallion died of injuries related to the roundup during the third period (September 27 to October 1). The death rate is 4.5%.

The breakdowns between stallions, mares and foals were not provided.

Body condition scores are not known.

Day 26 ended with no unaccounted-for animals.

Other statistics:

AML: 250
Forage assigned to horses: 3,000 AUMs per year
Pre-gather population: 261
Forage liberated to date: 264 AUMs per year
Water liberated to date: 220 gallons per day
Forage assigned to livestock: 19,000 AUMs per year (estimated)
Horses displaced from HMA by livestock: 1,583 (3.2% of off-range holding)
True AML: 1,833

RELATED: Beatys Butte Roundup Underway.

Jackson Mountains Roundup and Killing Spree Over

The incident ended today with 527 horses captured, 495 shipped, 31 dead and one returned, according to figures at the gather page.

The removal goal was 600. All animals were accounted for.

Foals represented 22.0% of the horses captured. Of the adults, 40.4% were stallions and 59.6% were mares, an assignably large gap between males and females.

The death rate was 5.9%.

A foal was put down on Day 4 because it was orphaned. Today, the gather page says it was euthanized because of malnutrition. Eighteen other such cases were reported.

The news release, issued today, says the BLM gathered and removed 527 wild horses.

Surprise Complex Roundup Day 3

The incident began on September 28. Gather stats through September 30:

Type: Planned
Method: Helicopter
Horses captured: 307
Average daily take: 102.3
Capture goal: 1,220
Removal goal: 1,050
Returned: 15
Deaths: 6
Shipped: 155

Two horses died during the first three days and four were put down due to pre-existing conditions, yielding a death rate of 2.0%.

The daily breakdowns between stallions, mares and foals were not provided.

Body condition scores are not known.

Fifteen stallions were released on Day 3.

Six HMAs are involved in the roundup.

Day 3 ended with 131 unaccounted-for animals.

Other statistics:

AML: 496
Forage assigned to horses: 5,952 AUMs per year
Pre-gather population: 1,300
Forage liberated to date: 3,504 AUMs per year
Water liberated to date: 2,920 gallons per day
Forage assigned to livestock: Unknown
Horses displaced from Complex by livestock: Unknown
True AML: Unknown

Devil’s Garden Roundup Day 14

The incident began on September 16. Reports covering activity through September 29 have been posted to the Modoc news page:

Type: Planned
Method: Helicopter
Horses captured: 229, up from 173 on Day 12
Average daily take: 16.4
Capture goal: 600
Removal goal: 600
Returned: 1
Deaths: Unknown
Shipped: Unknown

Foals represented 12.7% of the horses captured. Of the adults, 50.5% were males and 49.5% were female.

The number of deaths and number of animals shipped have not been reported.

Body condition scores were not provided.

The number of unaccounted-for animals cannot be determined.

Other statistics:

AML: 402
Forage assigned to horses: 4,824 AUMs per year
Pre-gather population: 1,926
Forage liberated to date: 2,736 AUMs per year
Water liberated to date:2,280 gallons per day
Forage assigned to livestock: 15,711 AUMs per year (estimated)
Horses displaced from WHT by livestock: 1,309 (2.6% of off-range holding)
True AML: 1,711

RELATED: Devil’s Garden Roundup Day 12.

Draft EA for Spring Mountains Complex Out for Review

Yesterday marked the beginning of a 30-day comment period on a new environmental assessment for wild horse and burro management in the Spring Mountains Complex, west of Las Vegas, NV.

The Complex includes lands managed by the USFS and BLM, and consists of three Joint Management Areas, according to a BLM news release. Map 1 in Appendix A of the EA shows the arrangement.

The Proposed Action would implement a Herd Management Area Plan that affirms the AMLs for the Red Rock and Spring Mountains / Wheeler Pass JMAs and increases the AML for the Johnnie JMA. The current AMLs are shown in Table 1 of the EA, with the proposed AMLs in Table 3.

The Proposed Action features removal of excess animals, fertility control vaccines, surgical sterilization and sex ratio skewing.

The Complex consists of 784,326 acres of public lands, with 164,856 acres (21%) managed by the Forest Service and 619,470 acres (79%) controlled by the BLM.

The three JMAs, Red Rock, Johnnie and Spring Mountains / Wheeler Pass, cover 187,639 acres, 216,874 acres and 379,813 acres, respectively.

Spring Mountains Complex 09-30-21

The combined AMLs under the Proposed Action are 127 horses and 192 burros, with a total forage demand of 2,676 AUMs per year. Table 3 yields 2,670 AUMs per year.

The proposed AMLs are equivalent to 223 wild horses, for an aimed-at stocking rate of 0.3 wild horses per thousand acres. The average rate across all HMAs is one wild horse per thousand acres.

The Complex includes one grazing allotment, Wheeler Wash, according to the Western Watersheds map, with no active AUMs.

Comments will be accepted until October 29.

The EA was posted with other project documents at the Forest Service NEPA site.

Jackson Mountains Roundup Day 14, Killing Fields Edition

The incident began on September 15. Gather stats through September 28:

Type: Emergency
Method: Helicopter
Horses captured: 488, up from 392 on Day 12
Average daily take: 34.9
Capture goal: 600
Removal goal: 600
Returned: 1, no change from Day 12
Deaths: 26, up from 18 on Day 12
Shipped: 390, up from 320 on Day 12

Four horses were put down on Day 13, followed by four more on Day 14, because they were malnourished. The death rate is now 5.3%, up from 4.6% on Day 12.

All eight deaths were justified by IM 2021-007, Euthanasia of Wild Horses and Burros Related to Acts of Mercy, Health or Safety.

If they were on private property, they’d likely be confiscated by the sheriff and placed with a local rescue. Not these, they are federally protected.

Foals represented 22.1% of the horses gathered. Of the adults, 40.3% were stallions and 59.7% were mares, an assignably large gap between males and females.

Body condition scores were not provided.

Day 14 ended with 71 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: 5,844 AUMs per year
Water liberated to date: 4,870 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

Rock Springs Off-Range Corrals Closed to Public

Tours and adoptions have been temporarily suspended in support of upcoming gather operations in the Rock Springs HMAs, according to a report in today’s edition of the Rocket Miner, a news service of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.