The incident started on November 29.  Results through December 9:

• 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: 105, up from 99 on Day 9
• Shipped: 83, up from 56 on Day 9
• Released: None
• Deaths: 2, no change from Day 9
• Average daily take: 9.5
• 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 Day 8 results were changed from 3 stallions, 6 mares and 1 foal to 4/5/1.

The death rate is 1.9%.

The capture total includes 40 stallions, 45 mares and 20 foals.

Youngsters represented 19.0% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of 14% per year.

Of the adults, 47.1% were male and 52.9% 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.

RELATED: Murderer’s Creek Roundup, Day 9.

The scoping letter has been copied to the project folder and comments will be accepted through January 10.

RELATED: Lahontan Roundup in the Works?

UPDATE: Today’s news release puts the current population at 518 and the project area at 304,705 acres, well beyond the HMA boundary.

The incident started on November 29.  Results through December 7:

• 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: 99, up from 89 on Day 7
• Shipped: 56, no change from Day 7
• Released: None
• Deaths: 2, no change from Day 7
• Average daily take: 11.0
• Unaccounted-for animals: 41
• 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.

No horses were caught on Day 9.

The death rate is 2.0%.

The capture total includes 34 stallions, 45 mares and 20 foals.

Youngsters represented 20.2% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of 15% per year.

Of the adults, 43.0% were male and 57.0% 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.

RELATED: Murderer’s Creek Roundup, Day 7.

The Allotment Master Report indicates BORDA LAND AND SHEEP, with 481 active AUMs, and BENTLY FAMILY LIMITED PARTNERSHIP with 1,471.

However, a 2022 project in ePlanning transferred Bently’s preference from one base property to another.

The CX said the grazing preference moved from SE1/4, NW1/4, S13, T13N, R20E, a parcel of approximately 40 acres, to SW1/4, SW1/4, S27, T13N, R22E, another parcel of approximately 40 acres, with no change in grazing authorization.  (To understand these callouts, watch this video.)

Normally this would not be a problem if both parcels had the same owner.

Douglas County does not recognize the destination as a standalone parcel.

It’s part of APN 1322-00-002-067, a 944-acre tract in the CAAWH land trust.

The transfer occurred before Bently sold the land to CAAWH.

If the intent was to shift the preference from Bently to CAAWH, and a 2023 article by The Record-Courier suggests it was, it’s not reflected in the BLM documentation.

The Authorization Use Report shows the AUMs are still assigned to livestock.

At the north end of the Virginia Range with Art.

A new project was opened in ePlanning on December 6 but no documents were posted.

The scoping period would run from December 11 to January 10.

The project was placed under Rangeland Management, not Wild Horses and Burros.

The HMA covers 9,578 total acres near Silver Springs, NV, including 6,937 public acres, and has an AML of ten.

The National Data Viewer shows most of the acreage in the Lahontan Allotment but the portion beyond is on BOR land.

The 2024 population dataset puts the herd size at 353.

Aerial operations concluded on November 30 according to the gather page but the status of bait trapping was not provided.

No updates have been posted since.

The capture total was 341 with three deaths.

The number of horses shipped was not specified.

The number of unaccounted-for animals is not known.

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

The roundup liberated 4,092 AUMs per year, assuming all horses were removed, giving new hope to the Devil’s Garden permittees.

RELATED: Seventh Annual Devil’s Garden Roundup Announced.

The incident started on November 29.  Results through December 5:

• 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: 89, up from 68 on Day 5
• Shipped: 56, no change from Day 5
• Released: None
• Deaths: 2, no change from Day 5
• Average daily take: 12.7
• Unaccounted-for animals: 31
• 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 2.2%.

The capture total includes 31 stallions, 39 mares and 19 foals.

Youngsters represented 21.3% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 44.3% were male and 55.7% were female.

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.

RELATED: Murderer’s Creek Roundup, Day 5.

A keyword search of the document yielded seven results for “In Favor” and sixty results for “In Opposition.”

The comments were received between November 27 and December 5.

The meeting starts today at 9:00 AM local time.

RELATED: NDA Posts Board of Agrigulture Meeting Attachments.

The position is filled through job postings at USA Jobs according to Dorothea Boothe, Wild Horse and Burro Program Outreach Specialist.

The job title is Division Chief, not Director.

A 2021 handout suggests the On-Range and Off-Range Branch Chiefs report to the Division Chief, currently manned by Scott Fleur.

WHBAB meetings usually include updates from the two branches.

The Wild Horse and Burro Division, HQ-260, accomplishes its mission through the two branches, HQ-261 and HQ-262.

The handout provides an example of an adverse finding during field audits of darting teams (unlawful use of pesticides, failure to wear proper PPE).

The November 15 edition of Foal-Free Friday tells you where to report such incidents.

RELATED: Nominee for Director of Wild Horse and Burro Program?

The incident concluded on December 4 with 2,196 horses captured, 2,131 shipped, 39 released and 27 dead, according to figures in the sidebar.

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

The daily reports indicate 2,130 shipped, making the numbers balance.

The number of horses removed was 2,157.

The capture and removal goals were 2,255 and 2,155, respectively.

The death rate was 1.2%.

The average daily take was 66.5.

The capture total included 804 stallions, 881 mares, and 511 foals.

Youngsters represented 23.3% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of 18% per year.

Of the adults, 47.7% were male and 52.3% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio.

Two of the mares were not wild and were reunited with their owner.

Twenty-three mares were treated with GonaCon Equine.  The number of doses and interval between them were not specified.

The Complex supports livestock equivalent to 3,730 wild horses, so it can never go below 4.2X AML.  Some researchers claim that areas above AML are harmful to sage grouse.

Today’s news release said there was not enough water and/or forage to support the number of horses in the area.

The operation liberated 25,884 AUMs per year, giving new hope to the Triple B permittees.

RELATED: Triple B Roundup Announced.

The incident started on November 29.  Results through December 3:

• 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: 68, up from 18 on Day 1
• Shipped: 56, up from zero on Day 1
• Released: None
• Deaths: 2, up from zero on Day 1
• Average daily take: 13.6
• Unaccounted-for animals: 10
• 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.

A stallion was dispatched on Day 2 for poor body condition, followed by a mare for a sudden leg fracture, bringing the death rate to 2.9%.

The capture total includes 25 stallions, 26 mares and 17 foals.

Youngsters represented 25% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 49% were male and 51% were female.

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.

RELATED: Murderer’s Creek Emergency Roundup in Progress.

The application may need some refinement, as discussed previously, but the concept remains: To place wild horses on public lands previously designated for livestock by acquiring base properties associated therewith and flipping the preference to horses.

RELATED: Role of Elko County in Killing Mustang Monument.

This 2016 report by KLAS News will get you up to speed.

RELATED: Nominee for Director of Wild Horse and Burro Program?

The incident started on November 2.  Results through December 2:

• Scope: Triple B Complex
• Target: Wild horses
• AML: 889
• Pre-gather population: 3,335
• True AML: 4,551
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
• Better way: Sterilize mares with PZP (according to advocates)
• Capture goal: 2,255
• Removal goal: 2,155
• Captured: 2,163, up from 2,102 on Day 29
• Shipped: 2,019, up from 1,938 on Day 29
• Released: 20, no change from Day 29
• Deaths: 26, up from 24 on Day 29
• Average daily take: 69.8
• Unaccounted-for animals: 98
• 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 sidebar says 2,022 shipped.  If that figure was used, there would be 95 unaccounted-for horses.

Two mares were dispatched for poor body condition on Day 30, lifting the death rate to 1.2%.

The capture total includes 790 stallions, 868 mares and 505 foals.

Youngsters represented 23.3% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of 18% per year.  The Rule of 72 says the herd size will double in four years.

Of the adults, 47.6% were male and 52.4% 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.

Three HMAs are affected.

Twelve mares have been treated with GonaCon Equine.  The plan calls for up to 50 to receive the pesticide and be returned to the range with up to 50 stallions.

The roundup supports three tenets of rangeland management.

Resources liberated to date:

• Forage: 25,716 AUMs per year
• Water: 21,430 gallons per day

The Complex supports livestock equivalent to 3,730 wild horses, so it will always be at 4.2X AML or higher.

RELATED: Triple B Roundup, Day 29.

The incident started on November 29, four days later than scheduled, with 18 horses captured, none shipped, none released and no deaths.

Results weren’t posted until today.

The trap(s) could have been set up earlier in the month but were not put into service until last week.

RELATED: BLM Closes Public Lands for Murderer’s Creek Roundup.

Attorneys for the Forest Service and Central Oregon Wild Horse Coalition appeared today before a three-member panel regarding a plan to remove at least half of the wild horses in the Big Summit WHT.

The plaintiffs claim that the range can support a much higher population than the government admits.

A story by Courthouse News Service said the court did not indicate when it would rule.

The Forest Service recently started work on a new facility that would hold wild horses removed from the area.

RELATED: Court Sides with Forest Service in Big Summit Legal Challenge.

The order covers about 18,800 acres in Grant County, OR and could extend through February 28 according to today’s news release.

No map was provided.

The incident was set to begin on November 25 but no animals have been captured.

The announcement may be an example of the new rule the agency imposed on itself in August.

RELATED: Murderer’s Creek Emergency Roundup Announced.

The Animal Industry Report offers little if any new information about the Washoe Lake fencing project.

• NDA has entered into a contract with a vendor for reconstruction of BLM fences and construction of new fences pending the completion of the NEPA study, in the Virginia Range Area
• Approximately 6 miles of existing fencing have been rebuilt in the Washoe Valley area
• All funding is sourced from the NDA Feral Horse Management Project
• John Axtell has taken over as project manager

The botched rescue of 24 Virginia Range horses in August is recounted on page 2.

The report was posted to the BOA meetings page.

RELATED: NDA Schedules Fourth Quarter Board of Agriculture Meeting.

In the southwest corner of the Virginia Range with itsmissyvonne.