Immunocontraceptive vaccines such as PZP are currently being used in over 75 areas managed for wild horses and burros by the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, according to the Final EA for management actions at the Marietta WBR.  Go to page 26 in the pdf.

The Park Service shut off the darting program at Assateague Island in 2016.

The latest roundup and fertility control schedule shows 14 HMAs with fertility control programs.

Where else is it in use and who are the organizers?

RELATED: Proposals Sought to Catch, Treat, Release Wild Horses and Burros.

The incident started yesterday, as planned, with 108 horses captured, none shipped and no deaths.

The gather page indicates a capture goal of 700, consistent with the latest schedule, but does not specify a removal goal.

The schedule puts that number at 400, suggesting that many cherished mares will receive fertility control vaccines and IUDs, followed by return to the HMA.

RELATED: Cedar Mountain Pest Removal Starts This Week.

The incident started on September 12.  Yesterday the report was showing results for September 15 then jumped to September 17.  What happened on September 16?

Number of horse shipped: Unknown

Number of deaths: Unknown

Number of horses released: Unknown

Percentage of foals: Unknown

Percentages of males and females: Unknown

Number of unaccounted-for animals: Unknown

RELATED: Devil’s Garden Roundup, Day 3, Keeping You in the Dark Edition.

Early registration has been extended to September 26 according to the flyer.

This year conferees will “war game” a new management tool that shows population trends for various strategies such as roundups, fertility control and no action.

The presentation titled “Can cougars eat their way to AML?” will be of great interest.

Western Horse Watchers believes the answer is No, not when lands designated for wild horse are full of fat calves.

RELATED: FREES Conference Announced.

The project description says the 15-day comment period started on September 2 but the list in ePlanning shows an end date of September 19.

Writing a new AMP to permanently transfer AUMs to livestock that are currently off limits to everybody, including wildlife and wild horses, probably isn’t valid without an RMP amendment but that’s what the BLM appears to be doing at Alvord.

The email sent to the BLM on September 8 asking if suspended AUMs can be moved to active status without changes to the RMPs still hasn’t been answered.

RELATED: How Many Wild Horses Could the Alvord Allotment Support?

The incident began on September 10.  Gather stats through September 16:

• Target: Horses
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly
• Captured: 351, up from 258 on Day 5
• Average daily take: 50.1
• Capture goal: 1,076
• Removal goal: 1,036
• Returned: None
• Deaths: 8, up from 7 on Day 5
• Shipped: 251, no change from Day 5

The figures above are based on the daily reports, not the totals posted by the BLM.

Helicopters did not fly on Day 6 as the trap was moved to another area.

One stallion was euthanized on Day 7 due to severe tooth loss.

The death rate decreased slightly to 2.3%.

The capture total includes 140 stallions, 156 mares and 55 foals.

Youngsters represented 15.7% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 47.3% were male and 52.7% 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 were not provided.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

The HMAs and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.

Day 7 ended with 92 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): 952
• Forage assigned to horses: 11,424 AUMs per year
• Pre-gather population: 1,593
• Forage liberated to date: 4,212 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 3,510 gallons per day
• Forage assigned to livestock: Unknown
• Horses displaced from Complex by permitted grazing: Unknown
• True AML: Unknown
• Stocking rate at new AML: Unknown
• Horses displaced from Complex by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

RELATED: Calico Roundup, Day 5.

Yesterday’s news release said the final environmental assessment, finding of no significant impact and decision record were posted to the project folder for review, but Western Horse Watchers was unable to find the DR.

A keyword search of the BLM news site for Marietta yielded a notification dated April 15 for the scoping period but no announcement for the comment period on the preliminary EA, which was posted with other supporting documents on July 22.

A letter was apprently sent to interested parties but the public was kept out of the loop.

The Proposed Action features removal of excess burros, removal of all wild horses, sex ratio skewing and population control measures such as PZP and GonaCon, over a ten-year period, according to Section 2.2.2 of the EA, but Western Horse Watchers does not know if it will be implemented in whole, in part or not at all.

The current population is thought to be around 500 burros and 50 horses, as discussed on page 13 in the pdf.

The WBR has an AML of 104 wild burros and zero wild horses.

It is not subject to permitted grazing.

RELATED: Marietta Wild Burro Roundup in the Works?

The incident concluded yesterday, according to a statement at the gather page, with 753 horses captured, 732 shipped and 22 dead.

The number of horses processed exceeded the number of horses captured by one.

The death rate was 2.9%.

The capture total included 281 stallions, 326 mares and 146 foals.

Youngsters represented 19.4% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 46.3% were male and 53.7% were female.

The capture goal was 500 but was increased after three days to 750.

Up to 25 mares treated with fertility control may be returned to the HMA at a later date.

RELATED: South Steens Roundup Set for Next Month.

The advocates care far more about their standing with the bureaucrats and ranchers than they do about the horses.

They’re trying to convince them that the Montana Solution is a viable alternative to helicopter roundups.

They want to be leaders in the wild horse removal business and the Virginia Range has become their proving ground.

Breeding has to be stopped and the advocates are on the case, led by four individuals that have administered over 1,000 doses of the pesticide each.

Predators take out the foals that slip through.

By the end of 2023, five years into the program, the herd will be toast.

RELATED: Foal-Free Friday, Barren Mares and Paragliders Edition.

The reward for information has grown from $5,000 to $10,000, according to a BLM news release, thanks to a pledge from the Campaign Against America’s Wild Horses.

Don’t be fooled by the gesture.  Next to the federal government, nobody, including shooters, is getting rid of more wild horses than they are.

RELATED: Information Sought in Killing of Jakes Valley Horses.

The incident began on September 10.  Gather stats through September 14:

• Target: Horses
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly
• Captured: 628, up from 525 on Day 3
• Average daily take: 125.6
• Capture goal: 500, increased to 750 on Day 3
• Removal goal: 450, increase not reported
• Returned: None
• Deaths: 16, up from 7 on Day 3
• Shipped: 579, up from 476 on Day 3

The figures above are based on the daily reports, not the totals posted by the BLM.

Nine horses were put down on Day 4 due to pre-existing conditions.

The death rate has increased from 1.3% to 2.5%.

The capture total includes 234 stallions, 274 mares and 120 foals.

Youngsters represented 19.1% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 46.1% were male and 53.9% 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 provided.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

The HMA and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.

Day 5 ended with 33 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): 304
• Forage assigned to horses: 3,648 AUMs per year
• Pre-gather population: 1,370
• Forage liberated to date: 7,536 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 6,280 gallons per day
• Forage assigned to livestock: 10,299 AUMs per year (estimated)
• Horses displaced from HMA by permitted grazing: 858
• True AML: 1,162
• Stocking rate at new AML: 8.6 horses per thousand acres
• Horses displaced from HMA by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

RELATED: South Steens Roundup, Day 3.

The incident began on September 10.  Gather stats through September 14:

• Target: Horses
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly
• Captured: 258, up from 235 on Day 3
• Average daily take: 51.6
• Capture goal: 1,076
• Removal goal: 1,036
• Returned: None
• Deaths: 7, up from 5 on Day 3
• Shipped: 251, up from 133 on Day 3

The figures above are based on the daily reports, not the totals posted by the BLM.

No animals were taken on Day 5 and no explanantion was given.  Operations may have moved to another HMA.

The number of horses shipped on Day 3 was changed from 90 to 81.

Two stallions were euthanized on Day 4 for non-life-threatening conditions.

The death rate is 2.7%.

The capture total includes 99 stallions, 117 mares and 42 foals.

Youngsters represented 16.3% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 45.8% were male and 54.2% 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 were not provided.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

The HMAs and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.

Day 5 ended with no 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): 952
• Forage assigned to horses: 11,424 AUMs per year
• Pre-gather population: 1,593
• Forage liberated to date: 3,096 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 2,580 gallons per day
• Forage assigned to livestock: Unknown
• Horses displaced from Complex by permitted grazing: Unknown
• True AML: Unknown
• Stocking rate at new AML: Unknown
• Horses displaced from Complex by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

RELATED: Calico Roundup, Day 3.

Here’s what the Forest Service posted today.

How many horses were shipped on Day 3?  So far?

How many were put down?

Total number of deaths to date?

Any released?

How many males, females and foals have been captured since September 12?

What happened on Day 2?

RELATED: Devil’s Garden Roundup Begins.

A BLM spokesman told The Grand Island Independent in a story about wild horse adoption at Husker Harvest Days that the herds are growing at a rate of 20% per year.

The article also indicated that climate change has reduced the carrying capacity of the land.

Anybody who reads these pages knows that birth rates of 25%, needed for growth rates of 20%, are rarely seen in roundup data.

For example, the blitzkrieg at South Steens, which took wild horses off the range at an average rate of 175 per day, yielded 19% foals in 525 horses captured.

The operation was so productive that the BLM decided to extend it by 50%.

Followers of this blog also know that permitted grazing has sharply reduced the carrying capacity of public lands, not man-made climate change, which is a hoax.

True AMLs often exceed current AMLs by a factor of four of five because the horses receive just fifteen to twenty percent of the authorized forage, neglecting wildlife.

Refer to this opinion piece dated September 11 by Rod Miller, columnist for Cowboy State Daily, a reader response dated September 13 by Ross MacPhee of the American Museum of Natural History and this angry retort dated September 13 by Miller.

Why would Miller care about “horses that are munching our public grass?”

His bio says he was raised on the ID Ranch north of Rawlins, WY and has spent half his adult life working on and managing ranches in the West.

The capture goal was achieved in three days but the operation has been extended to take 250 more horses off the range.

Helicopters will be back in the air tomorrow, according to the gather page.

RELATED: South Steens Roundup, Day 3.

The incident began on September 10.  Gather stats through September 12:

• Target: Horses
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly
• Captured: 525, up from 225 on Day 1
• Average daily take: 175.0
• Capture goal: 500
• Removal goal: 450
• Returned: None
• Deaths: 7, up from zero on Day 1
• Shipped: 476 up from 175 on Day 1

The capture goal has been reached.

The figures above are based on the daily reports, not the totals posted by the BLM.

Five horses were put down on Day 2 due to pre-existing conditions, followed by two more on Day 3.

The death rate is 1.3%.

The capture total includes 194 stallions, 231 mares and 100 foals.

Youngsters represented 19.0% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 45.6% were male and 54.4% 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 provided.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

The HMA and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.

Day 3 ended with 42 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): 304
• Forage assigned to horses: 3,648 AUMs per year
• Pre-gather population: 1,370
• Forage liberated to date: 6,300 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 5,250 gallons per day
• Forage assigned to livestock: 10,299 AUMs per year (estimated)
• Horses displaced from HMA by permitted grazing: 858
• True AML: 1,162
• Stocking rate at new AML: 8.6 horses per thousand acres
• Horses displaced from HMA by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

RELATED: South Steens Roundup Begins.

The incident began on September 10.  Gather stats through September 12:

• Target: Horses
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly
• Captured: 235, up from 85 on Day 1
• Average daily take: 78.3
• Capture goal: 1,076
• Removal goal: 1,036
• Returned: None
• Deaths: 5, up from 2 on Day 1
• Shipped: 133, up from 43 on Day 1

The figures above are based on the daily reports, not the totals posted by the BLM.

The figures for Day 1 were updated to include 43 horses shipped.

Three females were euthanized on Day 2 for non-life-threatening conditions.

The death rate is 2.1%.

The capture total includes 90 stallions, 105 mares and 40 foals.

Youngsters represented 17.0% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 46.2% were male and 53.8% 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 provided.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

The HMAs and surrounding lands are subject to permitted grazing.

Day 3 ended with 97 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): 952
• Forage assigned to horses: 11,424 AUMs per year
• Pre-gather population: 1,593
• Forage liberated to date: 2,820 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 2,350 gallons per day
• Forage assigned to livestock: Unknown
• Horses displaced from Complex by permitted grazing: Unknown
• True AML: Unknown
• Stocking rate at new AML: Unknown
• Horses displaced from Complex by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

RELATED: Calico Roundup in Progress.

The incident will begin on September 17, according to a BLM news release.

Helicopters will force the horses into the traps and operations will be open to public observation, starting on Day 3.

Gather activity on Days 1 and 2 will occur in the Dugway Proving Ground, a military facility not accessible by the public.

The September 7 schedule indicates capture and removal goals of 700 and 400.

The HMA covers 211,592 acres in western Utah, including 204,674 public acres.

The 390 horses allowed by plan require 4,680 AUMs per year.

The stocking rate allowed by plan is 1.9 wild horses per thousand public acres, higher than the target rate across all HMAs of one wild horse per thousand acres.

The pre-gather population is thought to be 920.

The HMA intersects four grazing allotments.  Livestock receive over three times more forage than the horses, as explained previously.

The BLM spends 113 times more to care for wild horses displaced from public lands by permitted grazing than it collects in fees from ranching activity inside the HMAs, as discussed yesterday.

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

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

RELATED: Cedar Mountain Added to 2022 Roundup Schedule.

The incident started today, according to the sidebar at the resource management page, with 24 horses captured and no deaths.  The number of animals shipped was not given.

RELATED: Fifth Annual Devil’s Garden Roundup Starts Next Month.