Any Wild Ponies on Horse Island?

Not anymore. Not on Little Horse Island either.

They were captured in November and taken to nearby farms to live out the rest of their lives according to a story by The Island Packet.

There are no plans to preserve the bloodlines.

Foal-Free Friday, Speed of Light Edition

A speed limit is an administrative constraint, not a physical constraint.

Cars can easily exceed 40 mph.

The speed of light is a physical limit. No faster method of signaling has been discovered.

Proponents of animal agriculture, which include the wild horse advocates, want you to believe that AMLs represent physical limits.

The herds must stay within AMLs if they are to survive.

It’s pure nonsense but it drives the roundups and fertility control programs.

One of the best ways to tell if an advocate has gone over to the dark side is if she offers her help or declares or her intent to achieve and maintain AMLs.

Another clue is that she wears a “Stay Wild” tee shirt.

BLM Seeks WHB Specialist

The full-time position is based in Carson City, NV.

Relocation expenses will not be reimbursed but there is an incentive equal to 10% of the annual salary.

The job posting will close on January 24 or after 30 applications have been received, whichever comes first.

BLM Extends Pryor Mountain Land Withdrawal

The new order extends the original for 20 years and goes into effect on March 8.

Fish Creek Roundup, Day 3

The incident started on January 6. Results through January 8:

Scope: Fish Creek HMA
Target: Wild horses
AML: 180
Pre-gather population: 245
True AML: 440
Type: Planned
Method: Helicopter
Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
Better way: Sterilize mares with PZP (according to advocates)
Capture goal: 196
Removal goal: 144
Captured: 123, up from 55 on Day 1
Shipped: 39, up from zero on Day 1
Released: None
Deaths: None
Average daily take: 41.0
Unaccounted-for animals: 84
Snippet from statute: It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death
Snippet from manual: To protect wild horses and burros from unauthorized capture, branding, harassment or death

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

The capture total includes 59 stallions, 61 mares and 3 foals.

Youngsters represented 2.4% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 49.2% were male and 50.8% were female.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

Up to 26 mares will be treated with PZP and returned to the range with up to 26 stallions.

The roundup supports three tenets of rangeland management.

Murderer’s Creek Roundup, Day 39

The incident started on November 29. Results through January 6:

Scope: Murderer’s Creek HMA, WHT
Target: Wild horses
AML: 140
Pre-gather population: 650
True AML: TBD
Type: Emergency
Method: Bait
Capture goal: 350 – 400
Removal goal: 350 – 400
Captured: 210, up from 193 on Day 35
Shipped: 186, no change from Day 35
Released: None
Deaths: 4, no change from Day 35
Average daily take: 6.0
Unaccounted-for animals: 20
Snippet from statute: It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death
Snippet from manual: To protect wild horses and burros from unauthorized capture, branding, harassment or death

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

The death rate is 1.9%.

The capture total includes 73 stallions, 90 mares and 47 foals. The gather page says 72/91/47.

Youngsters represented 22.4% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of 17% per year. The Rule of 72 says the herd size will double in 4.2 years.

Of the adults, 44.8% were male and 55.2% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio in the population at large.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

The name of the contractor was not provided.

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

No decisions have made regarding the long-term disposition of horses, which means they could be treated or altered in off range holding, including the stallions.

The status of livestock grazing in the burned area is not known.

Forest Service Applying GonaCon to Devil’s Garden Stallions?

From public comments on Day 1 of the WHBAB meeting.

Failure to use the product as specified on the label is a violation of federal law.

It’s not bordering on criminal, it is criminal.

Fish Creek Roundup in Progress

The incident started today as planned with 55 horses captured and no deaths.

The number of animals shipped and released were not given.

RELATED: Fish Creek Roundup Announced.

Three Wild Horses Found Dead Near Minersville

The incident occurred in Beaver County, Tammy Pearson’s stomping ground (Beaver County commissioner, public-lands rancher and member of the WHBAB).

The BLM news release said they were found northwest of the Minersville Reservoir on the Mineral Range Mountains.

That puts them in the Minersville #2 Allotment or the south end of the Mineral Range Allotment.

The agency has offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible.

The nearest HMA is Frisco, about 25 miles to the northwest (not visible in map).

Mustang Monday

At the southwest corner of the Virginia Range with Jeff Martinez.

Court Sides with Forest Service in Big Summit Appeal

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has affirmed the district court’s ruling granting summary judgment for the U.S. Forest Service in its decision to approve the Ochoco Herd Management Plan.

The court rejected all of the plaintiffs’ claims according to the January 3 ruling, allowing the plan to go forward.

The agency is currently renovating a facility near Prineville that will house wild horses removed from the WHT.

Although the case cited the availability of winter forage as the limiting factor in setting the AML, there was no discussion of the forage assigned to livestock in the Reservoir Allotment, which overlaps most of the WHT.

WHBAB Meeting Materials Now Available

Reports for the January 7 meeting have been copied to the Advisory Board home page.

UPDATE: The event will be livestreamed starting at 8 AM local time.

Murderer’s Creek Roundup, Day 35

The incident started on November 29. Results through January 2:

Scope: Murderer’s Creek HMA, WHT
Target: Wild horses
AML: 140
Pre-gather population: 650
True AML: TBD
Type: Emergency
Method: Bait
Capture goal: 350 – 400
Removal goal: 350 – 400
Captured: 193, up from 190 on Day 31
Shipped: 186, up from 168 on Day 31
Released: None
Deaths: 4, no change from Day 31
Average daily take: 5.5
Unaccounted-for animals: 3
Snippet from statute: It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death
Snippet from manual: To protect wild horses and burros from unauthorized capture, branding, harassment or death

No reports were given for Days 33 and 34.

The death rate is 2.1%.

The capture total includes 66 stallions, 84 mares and 43 foals.

Youngsters represented 22.3% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of 17% per year. The Rule of 72 says the herd size will double in 4.2 years.

Of the adults, 44.0% were male and 56.0% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio in the population at large.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

The name of the contractor was not provided.

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

No decisions have made regarding the long-term disposition of horses, which means they could be treated or altered in off range holding, including the stallions.

The status of livestock grazing in the burned area is not known.

Moffat County Base Property Available for $14.4 Million

Sevens Ranch offers 17,666 deeded acres intermixed with 49,557 acres of BLM and State lands for a total of 67,223, according to the listing.

The map indicates it has preference on the Disappointment and Cedar Springs Draw allotments.

The Allotment Master Report puts both in the Improve category but shows no active AUMs on either, contrary to the agent’s description.

The allotment dataset posted last April shows 1,610 active AUMs on 22,304 public acres for Disappointment and 2,758 active AUMs on 20,161 public acres for Cedar Springs Draw, equivalent to 364 wild horses on 42,465 public acres, or 8.6 wild horses per thousand public acres. (Our faithful public servants tell us that public lands in the western U.S. can only support one wild horse per thousand public acres.)

Buyers should ask the Little Snake Field Office about the AUM discrepancy.

The ranch might be a candidate for Colorado’s new wild horse preserve.

Sevens Ranch Scorecard 01-01-25

The land ratio is 2.8 public acres for every deeded acre, so it’s close.

Wild horses can be placed on public lands not identified for their use by acquiring private property associated with grazing allotments and flipping the preference to horses as Wild Horse Refuge did at Rio Ro Mo Ranch.

Fish Creek Gather Page Created

The action begins on or about January 6.

Go to this page for the daily reports.

RELATED: Fish Creek Roundup Announced.

Murderer’s Creek Roundup, Day 31

The incident started on November 29. Results through December 29:

Scope: Murderer’s Creek HMA, WHT
Target: Wild horses
AML: 140
Pre-gather population: 650
True AML: TBD
Type: Emergency
Method: Bait
Capture goal: 350 – 400
Removal goal: 350 – 400
Captured: 190, up from 183 on Day 25
Shipped: 168, no change from Day 25
Released: None
Deaths: 4, no change from Day 25
Average daily take: 6.1
Unaccounted-for animals: 18
Snippet from statute: It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death
Snippet from manual: To protect wild horses and burros from unauthorized capture, branding, harassment or death

No reports were given for Days 26 through 30.

The death rate is 2.1%.

The capture total includes 66 stallions, 82 mares and 42 foals.

Youngsters represented 22.1% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of 17% per year. The Rule of 72 says the herd size will double in 4.2 years.

Of the adults, 44.6% were male and 55.4% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

The name of the contractor was not provided.

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

No decisions have made regarding the long-term disposition of horses, which means they could be treated or altered in off range holding, including the stallions.

The status of livestock grazing in the burned area is not known.

Walden Base Property Available for $13.5 Million

Double R Ranch covers 3,676 deeded acres with grazing privileges on 9,570 acres of BLM land and 640 acres of state land according to the listing.

The deeded acreage includes 2,350 acres of irrigated hay meadows and 908 acres of irrigated and sub-irrigated pastures.

The map suggests it has preference on the Playa, Verner East, Peterson Ridge West, Tointon and Fish Hatchery allotments.

RAS ties them to authorization #0500505, which also includes Headquarters, Verner West and Beaver Creek.

The Allotment Master Report indicates they offer a combined 852 active AUMs on 9,401 public acres, equivalent to 71 wild horses or 7.6 wild horses per thousand public acres.

Hay production may allow the numbers to go higher.

The ranch might be a candidate for Colorado’s wild horse preserve.

Criteria for Colorado’s New Wild Horse Preserve

Base properties would be the ideal candidates.

Must include public lands
Must displace livestock therefrom
Each deeded acre should control at least three public acres
Doesn’t overlap areas identified for wild horses

The need for a state preserve was identified by the Colorado Wild Horse Working Group earlier this year. Refer to their Year One Report for more information.