The contracted part of the operation ended on October 8, according to the daily reports, with 911 excess horses removed from their home range.  Eleven deaths were reported (1.2%) and 17 animals were returned to the HMAs.

Body condition scores were not given.

The removal of horses outside the HMAs began on October 17, using BLM’s equipment and personnel.

The forage allocated to domestic livestock in the Antelope Complex, which includes the HMAs affected by this roundup, would support over 10,000 wild horses.

The ‘Path Forward‘ is clearly wrong.  The problem is public-lands ranching.

RELATED: Roundup Starts Next Week in Lower Half of Antelope Complex.

UPDATE: The reports said 946 horses gathered, not 918, minus seven from phase two, minus 17 returned, for a total of 922 removed in phase one.

The panel discussion tomorrow at the Nevada Museum of Art will focus on the ‘Path Forward,’ a plan to remove 75% of the wild horses on western rangelands and slow or stop the growth of the remaining herds, according to a story posted yesterday by KOLO News of Reno.

The goal of the forum is to ‘inform’ the public about the ‘benefits’ of the proposal.

The meeting organizer said she wants those in attendance “to come away with enough information to contact our congressional leadership and let them know what they think of the measure moving through Washington.”

RELATED: Horse Rich Dirt Poor.

Some Virginia Range mustangs gather briefly at the water tanks on 10-02-19.

The roundup ended 10-02-19, with 154 wild horses removed from the HMA.  One death was reported and no horses were returned to their home range.

A filly was put down on 09-30-19 due to injuries sustained during the roundup.

Body condition scores were 4’s.

Captured animals were taken to an off-range facility in Axtell, UT.

RELATED: Range Creek Gather This Month.

On the Pine Nut Mountains Herd Area with Lauri Duke.

Some Virginia Range mustangs make a pit stop on 10-02-19.

The gather ended on September 30, with 690 excess burros removed from their home range.  One death was reported (0.1%) and no animals were returned to the HMA.

A 20+ year old jack was put down due to a qualifying defect.  Survivors were taken to the off-range corrals in Axtell, UT.

RELATED: Bullfrog Gather in Progress.

The operation concluded on October 12, with 100 excess horses and 176 excess burros removed from their home range.  Four deaths occurred (1.4%), according to the daily reports, and no animals were released back to the HMAs.

One nine year old mare died of a broken neck and three other horses, older, were put down due to qualifying defects.

Helicopter roundups, prohibited by the original WHB Act, allow these operations to be carried out with brutal efficiency.  The wranglers hired for the work refer to the on-range casualties as ‘capture shock.’

RELATED: Buffalo Hills / Granite Range Roundups Begin Next Week.

Scuffle at Sand Wash Basin HMA, by Susan Hutchinson.  Bachelors?

UPDATE: How many people will look at this and say “OMG they’re going to kill each other!”  Nonsense.  The wild horse hate groups know most people don’t understand horses and use imagery like this to gin up support for their removal from public lands in the western U.S.  The opening scene in Horse Rich & Dirt Poor is one example.

Trailcam photos of some Virginia Range mustangs coming in for a drink of 09-21-19.

Privately owned livestock on a 475,000 acre parcel set aside for wild horses receive eight times as much forage as the horses.  The AML represents 11% of the capacity of the land.

(a) Should the next roundup be carried out with helicopters or bait traps?

(b) How many of the mares should be darted with contraceptives?

(c) What percentage of the herd should be shipped off to private sanctuaries?

If you tried to answer those questions, you’re part of the problem.  If you said “This is nuts!” you’re part of the solution.

RELATED: What Do the AUM Numbers Tell You About an HMA?

This film will be screened next week at the Nevada Museum of Art, according to a story posted yesterday by Carson Now.  A panel discussion involving land managers, wildlife scientists and wild horse advocates will follow.

Wild horses and burros have lost around 40% of the land that was set aside for them by the WHB Act of 1971.  The Act has been amended several times by ranching interests and no longer affords the protections sought by Velma.  The roundups and off-range holding facilities seen in the video reflect that reality.

The White Mountain Independent of Show Low, AZ is reporting that a nineteen year old man has been taken into custody in connection with the shooting of two ranch horses near the Heber WHT.

Additional arrests are possible, according to the report.

A relationship to the Heber wild horse shootings has not been established and the investigation of that case is still in progress.

RELATED: Ranch Horses Found Dead Near Heber WHT.

UPDATE: Added video.

Be careful going around curves near sunset, the shadows may conceal wild horses.

Return to Freedom said in a news release yesterday that additional funds have been pledged for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the shooting deaths of the Clark Mountain burros, bringing the reward to $100,500.

The latest pledge was made by the Roy Dunlap Spay & Neuter Foundation for $32,000.

The remains of 42 wild burros had been found on the Herd Area when the story broke in August, but since then four more dead animals have been discovered (not new, missed in the original count).

RELATED: Did the Clark Mountain Reward Yield Any Useful Information?

BLM said today that two new members were appointed to the national Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board, in the areas of wildlife management and humane advocacy, and a third person was reappointed to a position representing livestock management.

Refer to the news release for biographical details.

The group will meet in Washington, DC later this month.

RELATED: Nominations Sought for WHBAB.

The compartments under the tables may keep food away from the horses but there’s not much room for your feet.  Refer to this story by WBOC News of Salisbury, MD.

UPDATE: See also this news release from NPS.

Consider these data from Warm Springs HMA in southeast Oregon:

What can you infer from these figures, omitting the portion for wildlife?

• The AML is 202 (2,424 ÷ 12)
• Privately owned livestock receive 89% of the forage (19,392 ÷  (2,424 + 19,392))
• Wild horses receive 11% of the forage (2,424 ÷  (2,424 + 19,392))
• Livestock receive eight times more forage than horses (19,392 ÷ 2,424)
• The forage allocation for livestock would support 3,232 cow/calf pairs over a six month grazing season (19,392 ÷ 6)
• The forage allocation for livestock would support 1,616 wild horses (19,392 ÷ 12)
• The HMA can support 1,818 wild horses (202 + 1,616)
• The AML represents 11% of the carrying capacity of the HMA (202 ÷ 1,818)

You don’t have a horse problem at Warm Springs HMA, you have a ranching problem.

RELATED: Warm Springs Horses Get Short End of Stick.