Category: Range

On the range

BLM Dictates Terms of Surrender to Fish Springs Advocates

The number of wild horses in the Fish Springs area must be reduced from 78 to 58 by 2020, according to a report posted 09/21/18 in The Record-Courier.

“If you need our help with panels or bait trapping to get that reduction done, we will schedule that help.”

The requirement, part of a plan for managing the horses, was laid down by Mike Courtney, acting director of the BLM in Nevada.

He also stressed the importance of ‘healthy rangelands.’

“That means no more than moderate utilization 40-60 percent forage species between wild horses and livestock.”

Yep, the number of horses in the Pine Nut HA (south of the Pine Nut HMA) must be reduced by 25% and livestock will get 50% more forage than the horses—on lands set aside for the horses.

Pine_Nut_Mountains_Map-2

Will the advocates help the BLM set the traps, as was done a few weeks ago at Little Bookcliffs?  How much PZP will be required to impose a negative birth rate on these horses?  How many poor ranchers will be hurt by the mandatory AUM curtailment?

There is no curtailment.

Courtney said the planned roundup of horses in the HMA should happen sometime between November and January.

This is what happens when an unelected bureaucracy caters to a special interest against the wishes of the American people.  The special interest, of course, is the oil and gas industry, as indicated by all the drilling rigs, frac tanks and generator sets in the Fish Springs area.

The last things you’ll see are stock tanks, cattle gates and T-post fencing.

RELATED: Status of Fish Springs Horses to be Discussed Tonight.

BLM Concludes Eagle Gather

BLM announced today that the helicopter roundup ended on 09/21/18, with 303 horses removed from the Eagle HMA in eastern Nevada.  Three were euthanized and none were returned to the range.  Refer to this news release, posted earlier today.

Captured animals were taken to the Palomino Valley Wild Horse and Burro Center north of Reno, NV, to be prepared for adoption or transfer to long-term segregated holding in off-range pastures.

Gather stats and daily reports can be found at this page.

No livestock were harmed in the process.

RELATED: Emergency Gather Starts This Week at Eagle HMA.

Woman Battles BLM to Defend Pryor Mountains Horses

Her track record is mostly defeat but she never gives up.  Refer to this story in the Gillette News Record dated 09/22/18.  A fine example of wild horse advocacy.

“Tillett opposes both the gathering of mustangs and the administering of PZP fertility control.”

Unfortunately, the writer did not explain the relationship of the woman to those who helped save these horses in the early days of the wild horse preservation movement.

The name Tillett is not to be taken lightly in the Pryor Mountains, as noted in the 14-minute video at this post.

Stock Tank Update

One of the stock tanks on the Virginia Range is now on float control, with a temporary water supply.  The horses empty them in a few days when filled manually.  They are on private property, elevation 6500 ft.  Hopefully the horses won’t pull the hoses apart.

These are the tanks that appear in the trailcam photos posted from time to time on these pages.  Yes, it is illegal to feed wild horses in Nevada but not to water them.

The idea is to keep the horses up in the hills and away from problems in suburbia, a practice known as ‘diversionary watering.’