Western Horse Watchers Association
Exposing the Hypocrisy, Lies and Incompetence of the Wild Horse Advocates
On the range
The operation concluded yesterday, according to the daily reports, with 54 wild horses removed from the HMA and no deaths reported. The goal was 50.
The event was expected to last 60 days but was completed in two days.
UPDATE: BLM news release now posted.
RELATED: Antelope Valley Emergency Roundup Starts This Week.
Refer to this BLM news release on predator management. It’s a nod to the hunters and ranchers, the same people who complain that wild horses have no natural predators.
It’s the area in the following map bordered by Sparks, Patrick, Fernley, Silver Springs, Dayton, Carson City and back up to Sparks.
The Horse Spring Herd Area is on the eastern side. The white patches represent private property. The Pine Nut Mountains HMA is on the other side of Highway 50.
Most of the Virginia Range is in Storey County. The horses are managed by the Nevada Department of Agriculture.
BLM announced today that 1,600 wild horses and 200 wild burros will be removed from the Shawave Mountains HMA beginning on or about August 3, due to overpopulation.
The operation will be carried out with helicopters, according to the news release, and will be open to public observation.
The HMA covers 177,202 acres in northwestern Nevada. The AML is 136 wild horses and zero wild burros. The aimed-at stocking rate is 0.8 wild horses per thousand acres.
The HMA is managed with four others as a part of the Blue Wing Complex, per Section 1.1 in the Final EA for wild horse and burro management actions in the area.
The map in Figure 4 indicates the HMA lies within the massive Blue Wing-Seven Troughs allotment. The forage allocated to livestock inside the HMA is not known at this time. The horses allowed by plan require 1,632 AUMs per year with no forage allocated to burros.
The current population was estimated to be 1,722 horses and 160 burros, not including this year’s foal crop. They may have exceeded the authorized resources in the area.
Horses removed from the HMA will be taken to the off-range corrals in Fallon, NV and the burros will be shipped to the off-range corrals in Axtell, UT.
Mares returned to their home range will be treated with contraceptives.
Gather stats and daily reports will be posted to this page.
Another victim of the darting campaign against the Virginia Range mustangs?
RELATED: War Wounds on Virginia Range.
A project was opened in ePlanning but links to documents and maps don’t work.
At least not for lack of water.
If the Rock Springs RMP Amendments are approved and put into practice, the road will still be there but the horses will be gone.
RELATED: So Long, Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Loop?
BLM said today that approximately 50 wild horses and 25 wild burros will be removed from the Montezuma Peak HMA beginning July 29, due to insufficient water.
The operation will be carried out with bait traps, according to the news release, and will not be open to public observation.
The HMA covers 77,876 acres in southern Nevada. The AML is 4 horses and 10 burros, equivalent to nine horses (4 + 10 ÷ 2). The equivalent stocking rate would be 0.1 wild horses per thousand acres.
The announcement did not say if the HMA was subject to domestic livestock grazing.
The current population is 130 wild horses and 207 wild burros, excluding this year’s foal crop. The equivalent wild horse population would be 130 + 207 ÷ 2 = 234.
A 20% growth rate would put the herd size at 234 × 1.2 = 281, with a forage demand of 281 × 12 = 3,372 AUMs per year. The total authorized forage on the HMA is unknown.
Captured animals will be taken to the off-range corrals in Ridgecrest, CA.
Gather stats and daily reports will be posted to this page.
The closure went into effect July 24, according to a BLM news release issued today.
A map provided with the announcement shows the affected area, which includes a small portion of the Red Rock HMA. Impacts to wild horses are not known.
InciWeb says the fire was started by lightning on July 20 and is now 97% contained.
On the Virginia Range with Jeff Hamlin.
Some folks would dispute that. The Virginia Range has no AML although a recent report put the magic number at 700. The current stocking rate is approximately ten wild horses per thousand acres.
The daily reports show 603 wild horses captured through July 24, with none returned to their home range. The goal was 800.
The operation was to be carried out in two phases, helicopters followed by bait traps, so this could be a pause between the two stages.
RELATED: Swasey Progress Report Day 8.
BLM announced today that approximately 125 wild horses will be removed from the Nevada WHR, beginning on or about July 28, due to insufficient water.
The operation will be carried out with bait traps, according to the news release, and will not be open to public observation.
The WHR was gathered two years ago and is now the subject of proposed management actions over a ten-year period.
It covers about 1.3 million acres of military land in southern Nevada. The AML is 500, for a target stocking rate of 0.4 wild horses per thousand acres.
The WHR is managed principally for wild horses. Livestock grazing is not allowed and public access is prohibited.
The current population was estimated to be 961, including 461 excess horses.
Captured animals will be taken to the off-range corrals in Ridgecrest, CA.
Gather stats and daily reports will be posted to this page.
BLM said today that approximately 50 wild horses will be removed from the Antelope Valley HMA, beginning this weekend, due to insufficient water and forage.
The western portion of the HMA belongs to the Triple B Complex, which was gathered about a year ago.
The operation will be carried out with bait traps, according to the news release, and will not be open to public observation.
The HMA covers 463,540 acres in eastern Nevada and has an AML of 259. The aimed-at stocking rate is 0.6 wild horses per thousand acres.
The fractional stocking rate may correspond to a large percentage of forage diverted to privately owned livestock.
The current population is thought to be 1,144, with 885 excess horses. The herd is 4.4 times over AML but how close is it to the carrying capacity of the HMA?
Captured animals will be taken to the off-range corrals in Bruneau, ID.
Gather stats and daily reports will be posted to this page.
RELATED: Triple B Emergency Wild Horse Roundup Begins This Week.
So says the writer of an opinion piece published this morning by the White Mountain Independent of Show Low, AZ.
You could argue that this film belongs on a travel blog, not on a horse blog, but it does include some footage of the ponies. Family fun on The Vessel Slainte.
Seriously? The Rolling Stones would be for it?
RELATED: House Passes PZP Amendment to FY 2021 Spending Bill.
The daily reports show 567 wild horses captured through July 22, with none returned to their home range. One was put down on July 21 but no details were given. Two deaths have occurred since the operation began.
Body condition scores over the last two days ranged from one to five.
There is an error in the daily reports, probably on July 15. Sixty stallions were gathered that day along with twenty four mares and no foals, but the total is 150. The breakdown has 66 missing horses.
If you add all the stallions, mares and foals from the daily reports you get 501 horses captured through July 22.
RELATED: Swasey Progress Report Day 6.
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