Would Tower Creek Make a Good Wild Horse Preserve?

It’s too small but the BLM seeks public input on a water improvement project.

The scoping report says the allotment met Idaho standards for Rangeland Health in 2004 but today it’s in the Improve category.

The parcel offers 567 active AUMs on 4,409 public acres according to the allotment master report, equivalent to 10.7 wild horses per thousand public acres.

Your faithful public servants claim that public lands in the western U.S. can only support one wild horse per thousand acres.

Wild horses can be placed on public lands not identified for their use by acquiring or controlling a base property and flipping its preference to horses.

In this case, there are three permits on the allotment, so you might have to buy several base properties to access all of the AUMs.  Not a good idea.

The authorization use report indicates that permit #1104620, held by BILL BERNT, is for horses while the other two are for cattle.

The operator information report at RAS did not show any other authorizations for BILL BERNT, no other permits to graze cattle, sheep or goats.

So what production-oriented purpose—a requirement to get a grazing permit according to the BLM’s new understanding of the meaning of livestock—do his horses serve?

This could be another permit to revoke if the agency decides to pull the grazing permits of American Prairie.

RELATED: The Allotments Tell the Story: They’re Lying, All of Them.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Horse Grazing on the Bryan Allotment

The authorization use report at RAS shows 37 horses on 6.5-month grazing season, divided into two parts.

The allotment master report gives the permittee as MILLER, CHARLES & DIANA.

In its effort to nullify the permits of American Prairie and discourage those who might purchase a base property and convert the associated allotments to a refuge, the BLM claimed in its proposed decision that it cannot issue grazing permits for animals treated as wild or intended to be released into the wild but it can issue permits for animals used in production-oriented operations, or in support thereof, such as horses used to herd cattle.

The operator information report shows no other authorizations for the Millers, no permits to graze cattle, sheep or goats.

So what production-oriented purpose do their horses serve?

Maybe they run cattle on another allotment under a different name.

Do they need 37 horses for that?  Must be a big one.

Or maybe their permit doesn’t comply with the agency’s new understanding of the meaning of livestock.

If that’s true, they should be drafting more than one notice of permit cancellation.

RELATED: American Prairie Unfairly Targeted for Indigenous Livestock Grazing?

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Foal-Free Friday, Social Engineering Edition

Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, believed that contraceptives would be useful in reducing certain undesirable elements in society and avoiding the detrimental effects of overpopulation according to an article by Wikipedia.

So it is today on public lands in the western U.S., with the advocates and their political allies clamoring for wild horse birth control.

What they don’t tell you is that their fertility control vaccines are actually pesticides that sterilize the mares, leading to herd demise.

Like Sanger, who found favor with the eugenicists, the advocates are gaining the respect of those who want the range cleansed of wild horses.

Why are you still giving them money?

PREVIOUS: Foal-Free Friday, Pesticide Delivery Edition.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Currituck Wild Horse Advisory Board Meets Today

The agenda includes minutes from a September 18 special meeting.

The population at that time was 112, with deaths slightly outpacing births.

It’s still not clear if the PZP darting program was stopped soon enough to avoid total herd collapse.

The advocates have nothing to offer America’s wild horses.

RELATED: Currituck Wild Horse Advisory Board to Hold Special Meeting.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

American Prairie Unfairly Targeted for Indigenous Livestock Grazing?

The allotments affected by the decision to cancel the permits authorizing bison and replace them with permits authorizing cattle—an attempt by the BLM to placate the ranchers and discourage those who would weigh the advantages of purchasing a base property and converting the attached allotment(s) to a refuge—are:

  • Telegraph Creek
  • Box Elder
  • Flat Creek
  • Whiterock Coulee
  • French Coulee
  • Garey Coulee

The authorization use report at RAS shows the livestock type as INDIGENOUS.

The permit information report yielded 7,181 records for Montana, with 41 designated as INDIGENOUS.

Only ten can be associated with the nonprofit.  Authorizations marked red in the filtered spreadsheet were granted to others.

That means there are ranchers in the state who may not be engaged in production-oriented operations because their animals do not meet the agency’s ad hoc definition of livestock and are not eligible for grazing permits.

Western Horse Watchers has not seen any news releases announcing a review of grazing authorizations, not just in Montana but across the western U.S., to determine if they comply with applicable laws.

Permits marked INDIGENOUS were found in Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming.

RELATED: BLM Reneges on American Prairie Grazing Permits.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

BLM Announces Spring Mountains Bait Trap Roundup

The incident will begin on or about March 15 according to the news release.

The capture and removal goals are 425 wild horses and 425 wild burros.

The Spring Mountains Complex consists of the Johnnie, Red Rock and Wheeler HMAs.

The Nevada HMA page has vital statistics.

The current population is thought to be 749 horses and 1,048 burros, plus this year’s foal crop.

Operations will not be open to public observation.

Animals removed from the complex will be taken to the off-range corrals at Palomino Valley.

There are no plans to treat any of the mares with fertility control pesticides and return them to the range.

Foaling season, which runs from March 1 through June 30, usually corresponds to a lull in roundups.

A schedule for FY26 has not been posted to the customary location.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

BLM Announces Pancake Bait Trap Roundup

The incident will begin on or about March 15 according to the news release.

The capture and removal goals are 300 each.

The Pancake Complex consists of the Pancake and Sand Springs West HMAs, plus Jakes Wash HA—an area unfit for wild horses.

The Monte Cristo WHT was omitted.

The current population is thought to be 1,436, not including this year’s foal crop.

Operations will not be open to public observation.

Animals removed from the complex will be taken to the off-range corrals at Sutherland.

There are no plans to treat any of the mares with fertility control pesticides and return them to the range.

The complex is subject to permitted grazing.

Foaling season, which runs from March 1 through June 30, usually corresponds to a lull in wild horse roundups.

A schedule for FY26 has not been posted to the customary location.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

BLM Announces Caliente Bait Trap Roundup

The incident will begin on or about March 15 according to the news release.

The capture and removal goals are 350 each.  The gather page says 550.

The Caliente Complex consists of nine former HMAs, all unfit for wild horses.

The current population is thought to be 1,503, not counting this year’s foal crop.

Operations will not be open to public observation.

Animals removed from the complex will be taken to the off-range corrals in Fallon.

There are no plans to treat any of the mares with fertility control pesticides and return them to the range.

The HAs are subject to permitted grazing.

Foaling season, which runs from March 1 through June 30, usually corresponds to a lull in wild horse roundups.

A schedule for FY26 has not been posted to the customary location.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

BLM Announces Antelope and Triple B Bait Trap Roundups

The incidents will begin on or about March 15 according to the news release.

The capture and removal goals for Antelope are 700 each and for Triple B 300 each.

The Antelope Complex consists of the Antelope, Antelope Valley (portion east of U.S. Hwy 93), Goshute and Spruce-Pequop HMAs.

The Triple B Complex consists of the Triple B, Maverick-Medicine and Antelope Valley (portion west of U.S. Hwy 93) HMAs and the Cherry Springs WHT.

The Nevada HMA page has vital statistics.

Operations will not be open to public observation.

Animals removed from Antelope will be taken to the off-range corrals in Fallon.

Animals removed from Triple B will be taken to the off-range corrals in Sutherland.

There are no plans to treat any of the mares with fertility control pesticides and return them to the range.

The HMAs are subject to permitted grazing.

Foaling season runs from March 1 through June 30, which usually corresponds to a lull in wild horse roundups.

A roundup schedule for FY26 has not been posted to the customary location.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Burro Grazing in New Mexico?

The authorization use report for Y Ranch shows 201 AUMs for burros with a 12-month grazing season.

What production-oriented purpose, as the BLM argued in its decision to cancel the American Prairie grazing permits, do they serve?  Meat, milk or fiber?

Y Ranch is the only BLM allotment in the western U.S. where burros are authorized.

RELATED: Would Y Ranch Make a Good Wild Horse Preserve?

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

BLM Nevada Seeks Range Techs

The temporary positions are based in Tonopah and Battle Mountain.

The successful candidates will monitor grazing activities and conduct wild horse surveys according to the job posting.

The application period closes on March 18 or when 30 applications have been received, whichever occurs first.

The description did not indicate if you must be certified in the application of restricted-use pesticides or can work comfortably around high-net-worth individuals who pay almost nothing for the resources they consume and the services rendered on their behalf by the government.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

American Prairie Adds Pintail Flatt to Montana Holdings

The property consists of 1,762 deeded acres and 320 public acres according to a March 5 news release.

The announcement did not give any details about the BLM acreage but the listing says it’s an allotment known as Upper Tressler Coulee.

The allotment master report puts it in the Custodial category with 57 active AUMs, equivalent to 14.8 wild horses per thousand public acres.

Your faithful public servants claim that public lands in the western U.S. can only support one wild horse per thousand acres.

The authorization use report indicates the allotment is permitted for cattle with a 12-month grazing season.

It’s not clear if the nonprofit will petition the agency for a change in livestock type, given its recent about-face in such matters.

RELATED: BLM Reneges on American Prairie Grazing Permits.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

BLM Issues Lake Pleasant Final Planning Documents

The Decision Record authorizes Alternative A, the Proposed Action, with the best management practices, design features, stipulations and mitigations of Appendices D, E and G of the Final EA.

The AML would change from 166-208 to 140-250.

The new plan includes forcible removal and fertility control.

The news release put the population at 2,303 wild burros in and around the HMA.

The DR and EA were copied to the project folder with related documents.

RELATED: Lake Pleasant EA Out for Review.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Currituck Wild Horse Advisory Board to Hold Special Meeting

The Board will review the Wild Horse Management Agreement and discuss other matters of business on March 12 according to the notice.

A link to the agenda was not provided.

Three out of four regular meetings were canceled in 2025, along with the first quarter meeting in 2026.

RELATED: Turmoil at Currituck Wild Horse Advisory Board?

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Would Jackstone and Adobe Hills Be a Good Wild Horse Preserve?

The allotments have a common border but are composed of checkerboard lands.

Together they offer 2,860 active AUMs on 30,107 public acres, equivalent to 7.9 wild horses per thousand public acres.

Your faithful public servants claim that rangeland health will suffer if wild horse stocking rates exceed one animal per thousand acres, yet the allotment master report puts both in the Maintain category.

The permits are up for renewal but the news release did not include a link to the NEPA review.

The Proposed Action would convert 46 horse AUMs in Adobe Hills to cattle but the total authorized forage would not change.  Refer to section 3.4.2 in the Draft EA.

Wild horses can be placed on public lands no identified for their use by acquiring base properties associated with grazing allotments and flipping the preference to horses.

RELATED: The Allotments Tell the Story: They’re Lying, All of Them.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Purdue Researchers Invent New Fertility Control Pesticide?

They are trying to develop it into a controlled-release formulation that induces long-lasting infertility with a single injection according to a March 3 news release.

Humane World for Animals, formerly the Humane Society of the United States, provided financial support for the research.

The BLM has funded a three-year project to test it on horses.

What’s the difference between long-term infertility and sterility?

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.