Mustang Monday

In Death Valley with GEORGE G.

The Path Forward: They Hated It Before They Loved It

The Campaign Against America’s Wild Horses, a leader in mass sterilization and fierce opponent of principal use, has flip-flopped on the issue.

Consider this archived Q&A from 2019 in which they described the plan as dangerous.

Today, they like it.

At last week’s WHBAB meeting, the executive director told the Board that she embraces it, an overture to the ranchers and ranching sympathizers sitting thereon.

The goal was—and still is—ranching superiority in the lawful homes of wild horses, sometimes referred to as achieving and maintaining AMLs.

Status of Virginia Range Sterilization Program?

The Campaign Against America’s Wild Horses, a leader in nonmotorized removal, supporter of the Path Forward and fierce opponent of principal use, has not posted reports for October, November and December to its Virginia Range darting page.

These frauds want more transparency during roundups, such as cameras on helicopters, but don’t want you looking over their shoulder as they destroy entire herds.

Fish Creek Roundup Over

The incident concluded today with 194 horses captured, 144 shipped, 50 released and no deaths, for a net removal of 144.

There were no unaccounted-for animals.

The capture and removal goals were 196 and 144, respectively.

The average daily take for the six-day event was 32.2.

The capture total included 91 stallions, 100 mares and three foals.

Youngsters represented 1.5% of the animals gathered, too small to sustain herd growth.

Of the adults, 47.6% were male and 52.4% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio in the population at large.

Mares returned to the HMA were treated with PZP.

The roundup liberated 1,728 AUMs per year, giving new hope to the Fish Creek permittees.

RELATED: Fish Creek Roundup Announced.

UPDATE: The BLM news release does not acknowledge the dearth of foals.

Suspect Identified in Shooting of Lake Mead Burro

A tip regarding the regarding the hunting and killing of the animal led investigators to video of two persons driving on public lands, gesturing toward wildlife, cattle and burros, according to a report by KLAS News.

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a man from California.

The other person was not named.

Lake Mead runs between the Gold Butte, Muddy Mountains and Black Mountain HMAs, all managed for wild burros.

Fish Creek Roundup, Day 5

The incident started on January 6. Results through January 10:

Scope: Fish Creek HMA
Target: Wild horses
AML: 180
Pre-gather population: 245
True AML: 440
Type: Planned
Method: Helicopter
Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
Better way: Sterilize mares with PZP (according to advocates)
Capture goal: 196
Removal goal: 144
Captured: 194, up from 123 on Day 3
Shipped: 112, up from 39 on Day 3
Released: 50, up from zero on Day 3
Deaths: None
Average daily take: 38.8
Unaccounted-for animals: 32
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 capture total includes 91 stallions, 100 mares and 3 foals.

Youngsters represented 1.5% of the animals gathered, much lower than expected and too small to support herd growth.

Of the adults, 47.6% were male and 52.4% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio in the population at large.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

On Day 5, 23 mares treated with PZP were returned to the range with 27 stallions.

The roundup supports three tenets of rangeland management.

Resources liberated to date:

Forage: 1,728 AUMs per year
Water: 1,440 gallons per day

RELATED: Fish Creek Roundup, Day 3.

Any Wild Ponies on Horse Island?

Not anymore. Not on Little Horse Island either.

They were captured in November and taken to nearby farms to live out the rest of their lives according to a story by The Island Packet.

There are no plans to preserve the bloodlines.

Foal-Free Friday, Speed of Light Edition

A speed limit is an administrative constraint, not a physical constraint.

Cars can easily exceed 40 mph.

The speed of light is a physical limit. No faster method of signaling has been discovered.

Proponents of animal agriculture, which include the wild horse advocates, want you to believe that AMLs represent physical limits.

The herds must stay within AMLs if they are to survive.

It’s pure nonsense but it drives the roundups and fertility control programs.

One of the best ways to tell if an advocate has gone over to the dark side is if she offers her help or declares or her intent to achieve and maintain AMLs.

Another clue is that she wears a “Stay Wild” tee shirt.

BLM Seeks WHB Specialist

The full-time position is based in Carson City, NV.

Relocation expenses will not be reimbursed but there is an incentive equal to 10% of the annual salary.

The job posting will close on January 24 or after 30 applications have been received, whichever comes first.

BLM Extends Pryor Mountain Land Withdrawal

The new order extends the original for 20 years and goes into effect on March 8.

Fish Creek Roundup, Day 3

The incident started on January 6. Results through January 8:

Scope: Fish Creek HMA
Target: Wild horses
AML: 180
Pre-gather population: 245
True AML: 440
Type: Planned
Method: Helicopter
Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
Better way: Sterilize mares with PZP (according to advocates)
Capture goal: 196
Removal goal: 144
Captured: 123, up from 55 on Day 1
Shipped: 39, up from zero on Day 1
Released: None
Deaths: None
Average daily take: 41.0
Unaccounted-for animals: 84
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 capture total includes 59 stallions, 61 mares and 3 foals.

Youngsters represented 2.4% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 49.2% were male and 50.8% were female.

Body condition scores were not given.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

Up to 26 mares will be treated with PZP and returned to the range with up to 26 stallions.

The roundup supports three tenets of rangeland management.

AMLs Not Artificially Low?

If the bureaucrats assign forage to livestock in areas identified for wild horses, the AMLs are artificially low.

They represent the number of horses allowed by plan, not the number of horses the land can support.

For example, the Little Colorado HMA supports livestock equivalent to 3,750 wild horses and has an AML of 100. It could go as high as 3,850.

The AML is artificially low, carefully chosen to protect ranching interests, not wild horses.

Proponents of animal agriculture want you to think that AMLs represent a physical limit, such as the speed of light, not an administrative limit.

This line of thinking drives the roundups and darting programs.

AMLs Artificially Low 01-09-25

The link in the Google search result above pointed to a story about the January 3 decision that allowed the Forest Service to move ahead with management actions in the Big Summit WHT.

AML-1

Murderer’s Creek Roundup, Day 39

The incident started on November 29. Results through January 6:

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: 210, up from 193 on Day 35
Shipped: 186, no change from Day 35
Released: None
Deaths: 4, no change from Day 35
Average daily take: 6.0
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 death rate is 1.9%.

The capture total includes 73 stallions, 90 mares and 47 foals. The gather page says 72/91/47.

Youngsters represented 22.4% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of 17% per year. The Rule of 72 says the herd size will double in 4.2 years.

Of the adults, 44.8% were male and 55.2% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio in the population at large.

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.

BLM Censors PZP Critic at WHBAB Meeting?

Watch Suzanne Roy, high priestess of pesticides at the Campaign Against America’s Wild Horses, as the speaker is cut off.

Roy was allowed to ramble on after she exceeded her time limit.

From public comments on Day 1, 01-07-25.

Forest Service Applying GonaCon to Devil’s Garden Stallions?

From public comments on Day 1 of the WHBAB meeting.

Failure to use the product as specified on the label is a violation of federal law.

It’s not bordering on criminal, it is criminal.

WHBAB Livestream to Include Public Comments

The feed should start around 8 AM PT today.

The comment session runs from 1 PM to 2 PM according to the agenda.

The advocates, defeated a long time ago, will probably demand greater use of pesticides and acceptance of mass sterilization in lieu of motorized removal.

Fish Creek Roundup in Progress

The incident started today as planned with 55 horses captured and no deaths.

The number of animals shipped and released were not given.

RELATED: Fish Creek Roundup Announced.

Three Wild Horses Found Dead Near Minersville

The incident occurred in Beaver County, Tammy Pearson’s stomping ground (Beaver County commissioner, public-lands rancher and member of the WHBAB).

The BLM news release said they were found northwest of the Minersville Reservoir on the Mineral Range Mountains.

That puts them in the Minersville #2 Allotment or the south end of the Mineral Range Allotment.

The agency has offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible.

The nearest HMA is Frisco, about 25 miles to the northwest (not visible in map).

Mustang Monday

At the southwest corner of the Virginia Range with Jeff Martinez.

Batman Saves Robin from Wild Horse Advocates

He could have sent the boy to a Betty Ford clinic or similar institution, where he would be deprogrammed, cured of his obsession with pesticides and educated in intellectual honesty, but this is faster and more effective.

Advocates Sterilizing Mares 01-04-25