Story by WAVY News.

Auction today, return swim tomorrow.

RELATED: Chincoteague Pony Swim Set for July 24.

The job opening appeared on RanchWork dot com today.

RELATED: Colorado’s Wild Horse Refuge Seeks Ranch Hands.

BLM server back online.  North Lander, Blue Wing and Swasey updates pending.

RELATED: Roundup Blackout.

BLM IT outage continues.  National Data Viewer, ePlanning and RAS are working.

RELATED: BLM Dot Gov Down.

The tree-spiker in charge was in Grand Junction this week for a series of meetings and spoke to a reporter for The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel about wild horses, among other things.

The overpopulation narrative permeated the discussion.

“With no natural predators on their ranges, wild horse population numbers would double every four years absent action by the BLM.”

That problem is man-made.  Predators are minimized, mostly at the state level, in favor of privately owned livestock.

An eighteen percent growth rate is needed for a herd to double in four years, according to the Rule of 72, which requires a birth rate of 23 to 24 percent per year, figures not seen in roundup data.

“There are horses out there with their ribs sticking out, there are horses who are dying on the range right now because they don’t have enough water, and it is our obligation to get them off the range so they don’t suffer.”

Most of the horses are in good condition, evident when body condition scores are reported during roundups.

The land can carry many more animals than the government admits.

The horses are removed from their lawful homes because the bureaucrats have given most of their food to nonnative species.

The Ranching Juggernaut works very hard to preserve the status quo and keep these truths from the American people.

RELATED: Why Are There So Many Wild Horses in Off-Range Holding?

No update for North Lander tonight.

The incident started on July 8.  Results through July 22:

• Scope: Blue Wing Complex
• Target: Horses and burros
• AML: 555 horses and 90 burros
• Pre-gather population: 1,912 horses and 476 burros
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
• Better way: Snuff out new life with PZP (according to advocates)
• Goals
  • Horses: Gather 1,373 and remove 1,333
  • Burros: Gather 356 and remove 356
• Captured
  • Horses: 917, up from 727 on Day 13
  • Burros: 360, no change from Day 13
• Shipped
  • Horses: 764, up from 652 on Day 13
  • Burros: 353, no change from Day 13
• Released
  • Horses: 2, no change from Day 13
  • Burros: None
• Deaths
  • Horses: 23, up from 17 on Day 13
  • Burros: 8, no change from Day 13
• Average daily take
  • Horses: 61.1
  • Burros: 24.0
• Unaccounted-for animals
  • Horses: 128
  • Burros: -1
• 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

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

Horses

A mare died on Day 14 due to a kick in the head.  Another mare was found dead on a truck when it arrived at off-range holding.  A third mare was dispatched for poor body condition.

On Day 15, a stallion was put down for lack of teeth, a mare was dispatched for excessive curvature of the spine and another stallion was euthanized for blindness in one eye, boosting the death rate to 2.5%.

The capture total includes 364 stallions, 377 mares and 176 foals.

Youngsters represented 19.2% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of 14% per year.  Land managers typically use 20% per year to predict herd sizes and management actions.

Of the adults, 49.1% were male and 50.9% were female.

Body condition scores were not given.

Burros

The capture goal has been reached.

More burros were processed than caught, throwing the numbers out of balance.

Captured – Shipped – Released – Dead = 360 – 353 – 0 – 8 = -1

The death rate is 2.2%.

The capture total includes 186 jacks, 152 jennies and 22 foals.

Youngsters represented 6.1% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 55% were male and 45% were female.

General

The location of the trap site is not known.  Five HMAs are involved.

The Complex is subject to permitted grazing.  Resources liberated to date:

• Forage: 13,140 AUMs per year
• Water: 10,950 gallons per day

The June 3 schedule indicates that 40 mares will be treated with a fertility control pesticide but this is not acknowledged at the gather page.

There are no such plans for the burros.

The roundup supports three tenets of rangeland management.

RELATED: Blue Wing Roundup, Day 13.

The incident started on July 20.  Results through July 22:

• Scope: Swasey HMA
• Target: Horses
• AML: 100
• Pre-gather population: 287
• True AML: 749
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
• Better way: Pummel mares with pesticide-laced darts (according to advocates)
• Goals: Gather 166, remove 154
• Captured: 85, up from 36 on Day 1
• Shipped: 71, up from zero on Day 1
• Released: None
• Deaths: None
• Average daily take: 28.3
• Unaccounted-for animals: 14

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

The capture total includes 24 stallions, 44 mares and 17 foals.

Youngsters represented 20% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 35.3% were male and 64.7% were female.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site is not known.

The HMA is subject to permitted grazing.  Resources liberated to date:

• Forage: 1,020 AUMs per year
• Water: 850 gallons per day

The June 3 schedule indicates that 10 mares will be treated with GonaCon Equine and be returned to the range but this is not discussed at the gather page.

The roundup supports three tenets of rangeland management.

RELATED: Swasey Roundup in Progress, No News Release.

On the Maryland side of Assateague Island with Peter Cetinski.

At least one mare hasn’t been ruined by the Montana Solution.

Sadly, the breeding population is now too small to keep up with deaths.

The incident started yesterday as planned, with 36 horses captured, none shipped, none released and no deaths.

The capture and removal goals are 166 and 154 according to the June 3 schedule.

Animals identified for removal will be taken to the Axtell Off-Range Corrals.

Up to ten mares will be treated with GonaCon Equine and be returned to the range.

The HMA is subject to permitted grazing.

The incident started on July 1.  Results through July 21:

• Scope: North Lander Complex
• Target: Horses
• AML: 536
• Pre-gather population: 3,035
• True AML: 4,616
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
• Better way: Sterilize mares with PZP (according to advocates)
• Goals: Gather 2,766, remove 2,716
• Captured: 2,576, up from 2,462 on Day 19
• Shipped: 2,461, up from 2,424 on Day 19
• Released: None
• Deaths: 16, up from 14 on Day 19
• Average daily take: 122.7
• Unaccounted-for animals: 99

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

A foal was dispatched for a broken leg on Day 21.  A stallion was put down for a reproductive organ injury.  NOTE: All stallions identified for removal will have reproductive organ injuries.

The death rate is 0.6%.

The capture total includes 1,005 stallions, 1,101 mares and 470 foals.

Youngsters represented 18.2% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of 13% per year.  Land managers often use a growth rate of 20% per year to predict herd sizes and management actions.

Of the adults, 47.7% were male and 52.3% were female.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site is not known.  Four HMAs are involved.

The Complex is subject to permitted grazing.  Resources liberated to date:

• Forage: 30,912 AUMs per year
• Water: 25,760 gallons per day

The June 3 schedule indicates that 20 mares will be treated with fertility control pesticides and returned to the range but this is not discussed at the gather page.

The roundup supports three tenets of rangeland management.

RELATED: North Lander Roundup, Day 19.

The incident started on July 8.  Results through July 20:

• Scope: Blue Wing Complex
• Target: Horses and burros
• AML: 555 horses and 90 burros
• Pre-gather population: 1,912 horses and 476 burros
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
• Better way: Snuff out new life with PZP (according to advocates)
• Goals
  • Horses: Gather 1,373 and remove 1,333
  • Burros: Gather 356 and remove 356
• Captured
  • Horses: 727, up from 638 on Day 11
  • Burros: 360, no change from Day 11
• Shipped
  • Horses: 652, up from 531 on Day 11
  • Burros: 353, no change from Day 11
• Released
  • Horses: 2, no change from Day 11
  • Burros: None
• Deaths
  • Horses: 17, up from 13 on Day 11
  • Burros: 8, no change from Day 11
• Average daily take
  • Horses: 55.9
  • Burros: 27.7
• Unaccounted-for animals
  • Horses: 56
  • Burros: -1
• 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

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

Horses

A stallion was put down on Day 12 for lameness along with a foal for deformed legs.  A filly died of a broken neck.

On Day 13 a stallion died of a broken neck, lifting the death rate to 2.3%.

The capture total includes 285 stallions, 299 mares and 143 foals.

Youngsters represented 19.7% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of 15% per year.  Land managers typically use 20% per year to predict herd sizes and management actions.

Of the adults, 48.8% were male and 51.2% were female.

Body condition scores were not given.

Burros

The capture goal has been reached.

More burros were processed than caught, throwing the numbers out of balance.

Captured – Shipped – Released – Dead = 360 – 353 – 0 – 8 = -1

The death rate is 2.2%.

The capture total includes 186 jacks, 152 jennies and 22 foals.

Youngsters represented 6.1% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 55% were male and 45% were female.

General

The location of the trap site is not known.  Five HMAs are involved.

The Complex is subject to permitted grazing.  Resources liberated to date:

• Forage: 10,860 AUMs per year
• Water: 9,050 gallons per day

The June 3 schedule indicates that 40 mares will be treated with a fertility control pesticide but this is not acknowledged at the gather page.

There are no such plans for the burros.

The roundup supports three tenets of rangeland management.

RELATED: Blue Wing Roundup, Day 11.

The incident started on July 1.  Results through July 19:

• Scope: North Lander Complex
• Target: Horses
• AML: 536
• Pre-gather population: 3,035
• True AML: 4,616
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
• Better way: Sterilize mares with PZP (according to advocates)
• Goals: Gather 2,766, remove 2,716
• Captured: 2,462, up from 2,454 on Day 17
• Shipped: 2,424, up from 2,310 on Day 17
• Released: None
• Deaths: 14, no change from Day 17
• Average daily take: 129.6
• Unaccounted-for animals: 24

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

The gather page says 2,425 horses shipped.

The trap was moved to a new location on Day 18, no horses caught.

The death rate is 0.6%.

The capture total includes 965 stallions, 1,050 mares and 447 foals.

Youngsters represented 18.2% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of 13% per year.  Land managers often use a growth rate of 20% per year to predict herd sizes and management actions.

Of the adults, 47.9% were male and 52.1% were female.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site is not known.  Four HMAs are involved.

The Complex is subject to permitted grazing.  Resources liberated to date:

• Forage: 29,544 AUMs per year
• Water: 24,620 gallons per day

The June 3 schedule indicates that 20 mares will be treated with fertility control pesticides and returned to the range but this is not discussed at the gather page.

The roundup supports three tenets of rangeland management.

RELATED: North Lander Roundup, Day 17.

The incident started on July 8.  Results through July 18:

• Scope: Blue Wing Complex
• Target: Horses and burros
• AML: 555 horses and 90 burros
• Pre-gather population: 1,912 horses and 476 burros
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
• Better way: Snuff out new life with PZP (according to advocates)
• Goals
  • Horses: Gather 1,373 and remove 1,333
  • Burros: Gather 356 and remove 356
• Captured
  • Horses: 638, up from 357 on Day 9
  • Burros: 360, no change from Day 9
• Shipped
  • Horses: 531, up from 293 on Day 9
  • Burros: 353, no change from Day 9
• Released
  • Horses: 2, up from 1 on Day 9
  • Burros: None
• Deaths
  • Horses: 13, up from 8 on Day 9
  • Burros: 8, no change from Day 9
• Average daily take
  • Horses: 58.0
  • Burros: 32.7
• Unaccounted-for animals
  • Horses: 92
  • Burros: -1
• 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

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

Horses

The number of horses shipped on Day 8 was changed from 126 to 127.

A stallion was released (or escaped) on Day 11.

Five horses were dispatched on Day 11 for various reasons, including lameness, poor body condition and leg injuries, bringing the death rate to 2.0%.

The capture total includes 248 stallions, 263 mares and 127 foals.

Youngsters represented 19.9% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of 15% per year.  Land managers typically use 20% per year to predict herd sizes and management actions.

Of the adults, 48.5% were male and 51.5% were female.

Body condition scores were not given.

Burros

The capture goal has been reached.

More burros were processed than caught, throwing the numbers out of balance.

Captured – Shipped – Released – Dead = 360 – 353 – 0 – 8 = -1

The death rate is 2.2%.

The capture total includes 186 jacks, 152 jennies and 22 foals.

Youngsters represented 6.1% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 55% were male and 45% were female.

General

The location of the trap site is not known.  Five HMAs are involved.

The Complex is subject to permitted grazing.  Resources liberated to date:

• Forage: 9,792 AUMs per year
• Water: 8,160 gallons per day

The June 3 schedule indicates that 40 mares will be treated with a fertility control pesticide but this is not acknowledged at the gather page.

There are no such plans for the burros.

The roundup supports three tenets of rangeland management.

RELATED: Blue Wing Roundup, Day 9.

The allotments can support approximately 900 wild horses.

The price is $8.75 million.

If the BLM pays $2.50 per head per day for horses in off-range pastures, the annual revenue would be $821,250.

The simple rate of return would be 9.4% per year.

The agency would retain title and the ranch would be subject to periodic inspections.

If the herd had to retreat to the deeded acreage because of wildfire or drought, the stocking rate would be 324 wild horses per thousand acres, which means you’ll be feeding them until they can get back on public lands.

RELATED: Desatoya Base Property Available for $8.75 Million.

HMAs don’t have base properties but the overlapping allotments do.

Smith Creek Ranch covers 2,778 deeded acres near Austin, NV according to the listing on Land & Farm.

The map at the agent’s listing shows grazing preference on the Carson, Edwards Creek and Porter Canyon allotments.

Edwards Creek and Porter Canyon overlap the Desatoya HMA according to the National Data Viewer.

The agent’s remark about strictly maintained horse management suggests that buyers of these properties consider the herds to be liabilities not assets.

The Allotment Master Report puts all three in the Improve category.

Together they offer 10,733 AUMs per year on 183,970 public acres, or 58.3 AUMs per year per thousand public acres, enough to support 4.9 wild horses per thousand public acres.

Believers of the overpopulation narrative think public lands in the western U.S. can only support one wild horse per thousand acres (27,000 animals on 27 million acres).

The livestock type is cattle and all three allotments have 12-month grazing seasons according to the Authorization Use Report.

Thus, if a buyer wanted to convert the preference to horses, there’d be no change to the AUMs and grazing seasons, only the livestock type.

The authorized forage would support up to 894 wild horses.

RELATED: When Are Sanctuaries Helpful to Wild Horses?

The incident started on July 1.  Results through July 17:

• Scope: North Lander Complex
• Target: Horses
• AML: 536
• Pre-gather population: 3,035
• True AML: 4,616
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
• Better way: Sterilize mares with PZP (according to advocates)
• Goals: Gather 2,766, remove 2,716
• Captured: 2,454, up from 2,247 on Day 15
• Shipped: 2,310, up from 2,046 on Day 15
• Released: None
• Deaths: 14, up from 13 on Day 15
• Average daily take: 144.4
• Unaccounted-for animals: 130

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

A mare, age unknown, was found dead in temporary holding on Day 16.  Necropsy revealed head/neck trauma.

The death rate is 0.6%.

The capture total includes 961 stallions, 1,047 mares and 446 foals.

Youngsters represented 18.2% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of 13% per year.  Land managers often use a growth rate of 20% per year to predict herd sizes and management actions.

Of the adults, 47.9% were male and 52.1% were female.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.  Four HMAs are involved.

The Complex is subject to permitted grazing.  Resources liberated to date:

• Forage: 29,448 AUMs per year
• Water: 24,540 gallons per day

The June 3 schedule indicates that 20 mares will be treated with fertility control pesticides and returned to the range but this is not discussed at the gather page.

The roundup supports three tenets of rangeland management.

RELATED: North Lander Roundup, Day 15.

The incident started on July 8.  Results through July 16:

• Scope: Blue Wing Complex
• Target: Horses and burros
• AML: 555 horses and 90 burros
• Pre-gather population: 1,912 horses and 476 burros
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
• Better way: Snuff out new life with PZP (according to advocates)
• Goals
  • Horses: Gather 1,373 and remove 1,333
  • Burros: Gather 356 and remove 356
• Captured
  • Horses: 357, up from 255 on Day 7
  • Burros: 360, no change from Day 7
• Shipped
  • Horses: 293, up from 97 on Day 7
  • Burros: 353, no change from Day 7
• Released
  • Horses: 1, no change from Day 7
  • Burros: None
• Deaths
  • Horses: 8, up from 5 on Day 7
  • Burros: 8, no change from Day 7
• Average daily take
  • Horses: 39.7
  • Burros: 40.9
• Unaccounted-for animals
  • Horses: 55
  • Burros: -1
• 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

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

Horses

A stallion was dispatched on Day 8 because of a club foot, a mare was put down for a leg deformity and another stallion was killed because of a fractured shoulder, boosting the death rate to 2.2%.

The capture total includes 138 stallions, 144 mares and 75 foals.

Youngsters represented 21% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 48.9% were male and 51.1% were female.

Body condition scores were not given.

Burros

The capture goal has been reached.

More burros were processed than caught, throwing the numbers out of balance.

Captured – Shipped – Released – Dead = 360 – 353 – 0 – 8 = -1

The death rate is 2.2%.

The capture total includes 186 jacks, 152 jennies and 22 foals.

Youngsters represented 6.1% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 55% were male and 45% were female.

General

The location of the trap site is not known.  Five HMAs are involved.

The Complex is subject to permitted grazing.  Resources liberated to date:

• Forage: 6,432 AUMs per year
• Water: 5,360 gallons per day

The June 3 schedule indicates that 40 mares will be treated with a fertility control pesticide but this is not acknowledged at the gather page.

There are no such plans for the burros.

The roundup supports three tenets of rangeland management.

RELATED: Blue Wing Roundup, Day 7.

A helicopter will push the horses into the trap and the incident will be open to public observation according to today’s news release.

The HMA covers 134,459 total acres, including 127,608 public acres, in southeastern Oregon.

The current population is thought to be 781 adults and 165 foals.

The 304 horses allowed by plan receive 3,648 AUMs per year, compared to 10,299 AUMs per year for livestock.

The True AML is 1,162.

The stocking rate allowed by plan is 2.4 wild horses per thousand public acres.

The stocking rate at the True AML would be 9.1 wild horses per thousand acres, which brings more embarrassment to the bureaucrats and ranchers, who claim that public lands in the western U.S. can only support one wild horse per thousand acres (27,000 animals on 27 million acres).

Horses identified for removal will be taken to the off-range corrals in Hines.

The roundup supports three tenets of rangeland management.

RELATED: South Steens Gather Page Doubles as News Release?

The subtitle says “Today the Bureau of Land Management announced tentative plans to gather wild horses within and immediately adjacent to the Souths Steens Herd Management Area in southeast Oregon.  A Determination of NEPA Adequacy is currently in progress and will determine gather implementation.”

The incident will be open to public observation unless the DNA, which was not announced, is successfully challenged.

The AML is 159 – 304.

The current population is 781 adults and 165 foals.

The June 3 schedule indicates that mares returned to the HMA will be treated with GonaCon but the DNA calls for PZP.

RELATED: South Steens DNA Out for Public Review.

UPDATE: News release published day after gather page.