Fifteenmile Aftermath

The incident was basically a 100% roundup with selective return, leaving around 100 hand-picked wild horses to repopulate the area.

Q. Did the helicopter sterilize any mares?

A. No, fertility control programs do that.

Q. Was the breeding population destroyed?

A. No, fertility control programs do that.

Q. Did the roundup stop genetic mixing?

A. No, fertility control programs do that.

Q. Did the incident attract women?

A. No, fertility control programs do that.

Q. Did the contractor impose an irreversible genetic bottleneck?

A. No, fertility control programs do that.

Q. Why do the advocates favor extinction over recovery?

A. They want the ranchers to win.

PREVIOUS: Fifteenmile Roundup Ends.

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Fifteenmile Roundup Ends

The incident concluded on September 18 with 356 horses captured, 235 shipped, 109 released and 12 dead.

There were no unaccounted-for animals.

The death rate was 3.4%.  All deaths were intentional.

The capture total included 131 stallions, 157 mares and 68 foals.

Of the animals released, 56% were stallions, 41% were mares and 3% were foals, an attempt to skew the sex ratio in favor of males and prolong the genetic bottleneck created by the roundup.

The average daily take was 89.

The roundup liberated 2,964 AUMs per year for other mandated uses of public lands.

RELATED: Fifteenmile Roundup Announced.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Sand Wash Roundup Announced

The incident will begin on September 19 according to a BLM news release.

The capture goal is 300 and the removal goal is 245.

The target is horses.

A helicopter will push them into the traps.

The contractor is Cattoor and the contract amount is $222,590.

Public lands within two miles of active trapping locations and temporary holding facilities are closed to public entry except for observers escorted by BLM staff.

Animals identified for removal will be taken to the Wheatland off-range corrals.

Of the 55 horses returned to the HMA, 22 will be mares treated with a fertility control pesticide, probably PZP.

The roundup supports three tenets of rangeland management.

PREVIOUS: Sand Wash Roundup Delayed?

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BLM Closing Public Lands for Jackson Mountains Roundup

A new project has been opened in ePlanning and three documents have been uploaded.

The Decision Record says that public lands within five miles of active trapping locations and temporary holding facilities will be closed to all public entry for the duration of the incident.

Only contractor personnel and observers escorted by BLM staff will be admitted.

The event is on the schedule with a start date of September 20.

RELATED: BLM Releases Jackson Mountains Final Planning Documents.

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Foal-Free Friday, PGS Edition

Genetic diversity comes from genetic mixing and genetic mixing comes from breeding.

Anything that interferes with breeding puts long-term viability at risk.

Methods, which fall under the general heading of population growth suppression, include fertility control, sex ratio skewing and surgical sterilization.

Are you surprised that the advocates prefer methods that are more harmful to wild horses than motorized removal?

Helicopters don’t sterilize mares.  They don’t destroy breeding populations and they don’t stop genetic mixing.

They do create genetic bottlenecks but recovery is possible.

Not so for the advocates.

PREVIOUS: Foal-Free-Friday, Down for the Count Edition.

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Fifteenmile Roundup, Day 3

The incident started on September 15.  Results through September 17:

  • Scope: Fifteenmile HMA
  • Target: Horses
  • AML: 230
  • Pre-gather population: 386
  • Type: Planned
  • Contractor: Sampson
  • Contract amount: $198,732
  • Unit cost: $695
  • Method: Helicopter
  • Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
  • Better way: Sterilize the mares with PZP (according to advocates)
  • Capture goal: 286
  • Removal goal: 286
  • Captured: 356, up from 238 on Day 1
  • Shipped: 164, up from zero on Day 1
  • Released: 109, up from zero on Day 1
  • Deaths: 7, up from zero on Day 1
  • Average daily take: 118.7
  • Unaccounted-for animals: 76
  • 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.

Seven horses were euthanized on Day 3 for pre-existing conditions.

The death rate is 2.0%.

The capture total includes 131 stallions, 157 mares and 68 foals.

Youngsters represented 19.1% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 45.5% were male and 54.5% were female.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

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

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

  • Forage: 2,964 AUMs per year
  • Water: 2,470 gallons per day

PREVIOUS: Fifteenmile Roundup Begins.

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Challis Roundup Ends

The incident concluded on September 16 with 226 horses gathered and removed according to the BLM news release.

The original plan was to capture 281 and remove 146.

The news release does not say if any of the mares would be treated with fertility control and returned to the HMA at a later date.

The daily reports indicate two unaccounted-for animals:

226 captured – 223 shipped – 1 dead = 2 not accounted for

The capture total included 75 stallions, 101 mares, 7 geldings and 43 foals.

The death rate was 0.4%.

The average daily take was 28.3.

The operation liberated 2,712 AUMs per year for other mandated uses of public lands.

RELATED: Challis Roundup Announced.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

PLC Presents 2026 Rangeland Stewardship Awards

They were distributed yesterday at the annual meeting of the Public Lands Council.

The winner in the Stewardship Permittee category grazes the Yellowjacket Canyon Allotment in the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument according to the BLM news release.

The allotment master report puts it in the Maintain category with 103 active AUMs on 2,563 public acres.

The equivalent stocking rate is 3.3 wild horses per thousand public acres, a bit higher than the target rate across all HMAs of one wild horse per thousand acres.

The meeting included a breakout session on virtual fencing, a topic of growing interest among ranchers.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Challis Roundup, Day 7

The incident started on September 9.  Results through September 15:

  • Scope: Challis HMA
  • Target: Horses
  • AML: 253
  • Pre-gather population: 330
  • Type: Planned
  • Contractor: Cattoor
  • Contract amount: $171,690
  • Unit cost: $611
  • Method: Helicopter
  • Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
  • Better way: Stop genetic mixing with PZP (according to advocates)
  • Capture goal: 281
  • Removal goal: 146
  • Captured: 206, up from 172 on Day 5
  • Shipped: 203, up from 129 on Day 5
  • Released: None
  • Deaths: 1, no change from Day 5
  • Average daily take: 29.4
  • Unaccounted-for animals: 2
  • 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 0.5%.

The capture total includes 70 stallions, 7 geldings, 92 mares and 37 foals.

Youngsters represented 18.0% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 45.6% were male and 54.4 % were female.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

Up to 54 mares will be treated with fertility control and returned to the range.

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

  • Forage: 2,472 AUMs per year
  • Water: 2,060 gallons per day

PREVIOUS: Challis Roundup, Day 5.

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Fifteenmile Roundup Announced

The incident began today according to a BLM news release.

The capture and removal goals are 286 each.

The target is horses.

The pre-gather population is 386.

The method of capture was not stated but is probably helicopter.

The contractor is Sampson and the contract amount is $198,732.

The HMA will be closed to all public access except for observers escorted by BLM staff.

Animals identified for removal will be taken to the Rock Springs off-range corrals.

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

The HMA is subject to permitted grazing.  That’s why there are no natural predators.

PREVIOUS: Fifteenmile Roundup Getting Closer.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Barren Valley Roundup, Day 11

The incident started on September 4.  Results through September 14:

  • Scope: Sheepshead/Heath Creek HMA
  • Target: Horses
  • AML: 302
  • Pre-gather population: 1,200
  • Type: Emergency
  • Contractor: Cattoor
  • Contract amount: $269,383
  • Unit cost: $540
  • Method: Helicopter
  • Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
  • Better way: Destroy the breeding population with PZP (according to advocates)
  • Capture goal: 499
  • Removal goal: 499
  • Captured: 251, no change from Day 9
  • Shipped: 240, up from 206 on Day 9
  • Released: None
  • Deaths: 2, no change from Day 9
  • Average daily take: 22.8
  • Unaccounted-for animals: 9
  • 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 animals were taken on Days 10 and 11 due to helicopter maintenance.

THE INCIDENT HAS BEEN SUSPENDED.

The death rate is 0.8%.

The capture total includes 90 stallions, 106 mares and 55 foals.

Youngsters represented 21.9% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 45.9% were male and 54.1% were female.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

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

The HMA is subject to permitted grazing.

PREVIOUS: Barren Valley Roundup, Day 9.

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Wild Horse Word Problems

If you’re a hunter or rancher, which option would you support?

(1) Helicopter roundups + Compensatory reproduction = Recovery of genetic health

(2) Helicopter roundups + Fertility control = Little if any recovery

(3) Continual application of fertility control = No recovery = Extermination

Are you surprised that the advocates prefer #3, the worst choice of all?

Allotment conversions to wild horse preserves haven’t been accepted by the advocates.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Forever Barren

The advocates want to impose genetic bottlenecks on wild horse herds from which there is no escape.

Science-based population management is a codeword for perpetual application of PZP, which means they won’t remain on the range.

Interesting how they contradict themselves.

They are pesticide salesmen, not conservationists.

Their goal is extermination, not preservation.

They have nothing in common with Velma.

Harder to find than a Salt River foal.

RELATED: Science Not Always Benevolent.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.