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.

The incident started on July 1.  Results through July 15:

• 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: 2,247, up from 1,924 on Day 13
• Shipped: 2,046, up from 1,661 on Day 13
• Released: None
• Deaths: 13, up from 10 on Day 13
• Average daily take: 149.8
• Unaccounted-for animals: 188

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

A mare died of a broken neck on Day 14 while being transported in a trailer.  Another mare died of a brain aneurysm but no details were given.  A foal was put down for a spinal deformity.

The death rate is 0.6%.

The capture total includes 876 stallions, 953 mares and 418 foals.

Youngsters represented 18.6% 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.

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

• Forage: 26,964 AUMs per year
• Water: 22,470 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 13.

The incident started on July 8.  Results through July 14:

• 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: 255, up from 94 on Day 5
  • Burros: 360, no change from Day 5
• Shipped
  • Horses: 97, up from zero on Day 5
  • Burros: 353, up from 303 on Day 5
• Released
  • Horses: 1, up from zero on Day 5
  • Burros: None
• Deaths
  • Horses: 5, up from zero on Day 5
  • Burros: 8, no change from Day 5
• Average daily take
  • Horses: 36.4
  • Burros: 51.4
• Unaccounted-for animals
  • Horses: 152
  • 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 released (or escaped) on Day 7.

Two stallions were dispatched on Day 6, one due to injuries sustained in capture and the other due to a pre-existing condition.  Two stallions and a mare were put down on Day 7 for pre-existing conditions, lifting the death rate to 2%.  All would be alive today if there was no roundup.

The capture total includes 103 stallions, 99 mares and 53 foals.

Youngsters represented 20.8% of the animals gathered.

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

Body condition scores were not given.

Burros

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: 5,208 AUMs per year
• Water: 4,340 gallons per day

The June 3 schedule indicates that 40 mares will be treated with a fertility control pesticide but this is not mentioned 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 5.

In eastern Kentucky, probably, with Fishin’ with Tate.

The incident started on July 1.  Results through July 13:

• 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: 1,924, up from 1,640 on Day 11
• Shipped: 1,661, up from 1,461 on Day 11
• Released: None
• Deaths: 10, no change from Day 11
• Average daily take: 148.0
• Unaccounted-for animals: 253

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

The death rate is 0.5%.

The capture total includes 760 stallions, 812 mares and 352 foals.

Youngsters represented 18.3% 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, 48.3% were male and 51.7% were female.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site is not known.

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

• Forage: 23,088 AUMs per year
• Water: 19,240 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 11.

The incident started on July 8.  Results through July 12:

• 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: 94, up from zero on Day 3
  • Burros: 360, up from 308 on Day 3
• Shipped
  • Horses: None
  • Burros: 303, up from 108 on Day 3
• Released
  • Horses: None
  • Burros: None
• Deaths
  • Horses: None
  • Burros: 8, up from 6 on Day 3
• Average daily take
  • Horses: 18.8
  • Burros: 72.0
• Unaccounted-for animals
  • Horses: 94
  • Burros: 49
• 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

Capture began on Day 5.

The capture total includes 39 stallions, 36 mares and 19 foals.

Youngsters represented 20.2% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 52% were male and 48% were female.

Burros

A jenny died of colic on Day 5.  Location unknown.

Another jenny was found dead in a truck when it arrived at Indian Lakes.

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 was not given.  Five HMAs are involved.

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

• Forage: 3,288 AUMs per year
• Water: 2,740 gallons per day

The June 3 schedule indicates that 40 mares will be treated with a fertility control pesticide but this is not mentioned 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 3.

The complaint alleges that permitted grazing in three BLM allotments has threatened endangered species in riparian areas along the Big Sandy River.

The news release said the agency’s failure to control illegal grazing turns streams and streamside habitats into trampled cesspools.

The allotments overlap the Big Sandy HMA, an area set aside for wild burros.

Those animals were not named in the suit and the announcement suggested they had only a minor role in the damage.

The National Data Viewer shows the arrangement.

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

The auction occurs on July 25 and the return swim happens the next day according to a story by Chesapeake Bay Magazine.

The herd consists of roughly 150 adult wild ponies and 60 to 70 foals living on the Virginia side of Assateague Island, not to be confused with the Maryland side, where death has overtaken life thanks to the Montana Solution.

Download the poster at fire company home page.

Look at the bios for the Colorado Wild Horse Working Group.

• TJ Holmes, head darter in charge at Spring Creek Basin
• Judy Cady of Friends of the Mustangs, purveyor of pesticides at Little Book Cliffs
• Kathy DeGonia, one of the GonaCon gals at Piceance East Douglas
• Stella Trueblood, PZP fanatic at Sand Wash Basin
• Tessa Archibald, trained PZP darter
• Sandra Hagen Solin, representative of CAAWH, a leader in mass sterilization

The group also includes bureaucrats, ranchers and ranching sympathizers.

The horses don’t have a chance.

Do you think anybody on the team would put forward a motion to buy a base property and repurpose its allotment for wild horses?

RELATED: Foal-Free Friday, Go Big or Go Home Edition.

The incident started on July 1.  Results through July 11:

• 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: 1,640, up from 1,317 on Day 9
• Shipped: 1,461, up from 1,138 on Day 9
• Released: None
• Deaths: 10, no change from Day 9
• Average daily take: 149.1
• Unaccounted-for animals: 169

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

The death rate is 0.6%.

The capture total includes 636 stallions, 703 mares and 301 foals.

Youngsters represented 18.4% 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, 47.5% were male and 52.5% were female.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site is not known.

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

• Forage: 19,680 AUMs per year
• Water: 16,400 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 9.

The incident started on July 8.  Results through July 10:

• 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: None
  • Burros: 308, up from 144 on Day 1
• Shipped
  • Horses: None
  • Burros: 108, up from zero on Day 1
• Released
  • Horses: None
  • Burros: None
• Deaths
  • Horses: None
  • Burros: 6, up from zero on Day 1
• Average daily take
  • Horses: Zero
  • Burros: 102.7
• Unaccounted-for animals
  • Horses: Zero
  • Burros: 194
• 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

No horses have been caught.

Burros

A jenny was found dead in a trailer on Day 2 and four animals were dispatched for pre-existing conditions.

A jack was put down on Day 3 for severe arthritis, boosting the death rate to 1.9%.

The capture total includes 159 jacks, 132 jennies and 17 foals.

Youngsters represented 5.5% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 54.6% were male and 45.4% were female.

General

The location of the trap site was not given.  Five HMAs are involved.

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

• Forage: 1,848 AUMs per year
• Water: 1,540 gallons per day

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

There are no such plans for the burros.

The roundup supports three tenets of rangeland management.

RELATED: Blue Wing Roundup in Progress.

The document asserts that the 2015 EA for pest control and resource enforcement fully covers the Proposed Action, which will take 90% of the horses off the HMA and return a small subset, including mares treated with PZP, leaving the remnant at low end of AML.

The current population is thought to be 889.

The roundup is on the June 3 schedule with a start date of August 15.

Comments will be accepted through July 19.

The draft DNA was copied to the project folder in ePlanning.

The organization applied the pesticide to two of its four herds, believing that permanent sterility would not occur until seven years of repeated use.

Mares in the Catnip herd (from Sheldon NWR) became infertile after five years.

Application to the Virginia Range herd was stopped at four years.

Four years later, nine out of approximately 36 Virginia Range mares began to cycle again and have foals.

Of those, seven did not survive.

Six died within the first day of birth while a colt died at six months.

He appeared to be a “failure to thrive” foal; thin, retaining a heavy thick coat in the heat of the summer, and suffered from malaise.

On one occasion, a filly was accidentally darted and was observed for several years.

She never became pregnant, while her untreated cohorts were able to get pregnant.

All conditions were the same regarding hay, water and space.  The only difference was her inoculation with PZP.

These and other such cases, such as the disaster on the Maryland side of Assateague Island, where the herd is still shrinking eight years after the darting program was shut off, give you a method for judging the sincerity and veracity of the wild horse advocates.

Most will fail the test.

Studies of the four herds ended in 2016 with the ISPMB collapse.

Adapted from the discussion at the bottom of page 41 in this report.

RELATED: Assessing the Risk of Sterility in PZP Darting Programs.