New Machine Darts Wild Horses Automatically

Wildlife Protection Management, a team of “scientists, engineers, ranch managers, and outdoor enthusiasts,” has developed a system that vaccinates and microchips wild horses on the range, without human involvement.

“There is tremendous interest from policy makers, rangeland managers, tribal entities, and horse advocates,” according to an announcement posted today by EIN Presswire.

The only thing missing is a hopper that refills the trough with hay.

More Water Woes

Finally got a new controller for the UV sterilizer, warranty claim took three months to process.  Old one had been in service for about a year and a half.

A few weeks later a leak appeared on one of the tank tees.  Turned out to be a crack in a threaded connection, probably caused by the pipe plug.  The fitting is threaded on the inside (female) and outside (male).

Replaced with a ball valve.  The system supplies water to the Virginia Range mustangs.

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BLM Relocation Moves Ahead Despite Vacancies

A report posted today by The Hill says that 220 positions are shifting from Washington, DC to the new headquarters in Grand Junction, CO, with additional jobs moving to offices in other states, leaving just 61 employees in the Washington office.

Unfortunately, only 68 employees have agreed to move, leaving many unfilled positions in the new locations, including several top posts.

The agency hopes to complete the move to Colorado in July, according to the story.

RELATED: Why All the Backlash Regarding BLM’s Headquarters Move?

BLM Removes Unauthorized Water Troughs in Utah

The agency said today that the tanks were drawing wild horses and burros away from better forage in the Muddy Creek and Sinbad HMAs and habituating them to unnatural water sources.

An aerial survey on May 30 confirmed that natural water sources were available and that the public should not be concerned just because a pond near a road dries up.

Interested persons should always reach out to a nearby BLM office before taking any actions to support the health of wild horse and burros, according to the news release.

What Constitutes Harassment?

How many examples can you find in this story about the Fish Springs wild horses, who inhabit an area east of Gardnerville, NV?

  • Flying an airplane or drone too closely
  • Buzzing them in a paraglider
  • Stalking them with clipboards and darting rifles

Nope, that last one doesn’t count.  Firing contraceptive darts into their hindquarters, with all the attendant risks, is much less invasive than low-flying aircraft.

RELATED: EPA Ordered to Reconsider PZP Registration.

Comments Invited on Draft EA for Nevada WHR Roundups

BLM announced today the beginning of a 30-day comment period on an environmental assessment for wild horse and burro management in the Nevada WHR.

The WHR, one of four areas in the western U.S. (out of 177) managed primarily for wild horses, covers 1.3 million acres and has an AML of 500, for an aimed-at stocking rate of 0.4 wild horses per thousand acres.  Normally a rate that low could be sign of trouble—if it was an HMA—but livestock grazing is not allowed on the WHR.

Amendments to the land use plan restricted wild horse management to approximately 484,000 acres in the northern part of the WHR.

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Actions to control herd size could also include sex ratio skewing, contraception and sterilization.  Options are discussed in Section 2.0.

Substantive comments can be submitted at this page.

The last roundup occurred in August 2018, with a 3.9% death rate.

BLM Highlights Wild Horse Population Control Efforts

Today the agency cited recent efforts to combat wild horse overpopulation, including the adoption incentive program, fertility control research and report to Congress.

The news release said that an estimated 95,000 wild horses and burros inhabit lands that can only support 27,000.

Why can’t the land support more than 27,000?  Refer to the following image but don’t say anything, because nobody’s allowed to talk about it.

RELATED: Hypothesis Revisited.

Land Can Only Support 27000-1