Horse News

BLM Dances with Fall-Winter Wild Horse & Burro Roundup Schedule

By on • ( 13 Comments )

Release Date: 12/07/12
Contacts: Tom Gorey, 202-912-7420

Several Herds Get a Stay of Capture Others Will Lose Their Freedom

The Bureau of Land Management today announced updates to its tentative fall-winter schedule for gathering wild horses and burros from overpopulated herds on drought-stricken Western public rangelands. Changes from the previous gather schedule reflect a re-prioritizing of gathers based on drought and, in some cases, animal conditions that have been affected by diminishing forage and water across the West. The gathers and removals are needed to bring herd sizes into balance with other rangeland resources and uses, as required by Federal law.

The BLM is also nearing full capacity at its short-term holding corrals and long-term holding pastures, thus constraining the agency’s ability to remove as many of the animals necessary to reach appropriate management levels in Herd Management Areas. Because of these holding limits, the BLM continues to encourage the public to consider adopting a wild horse or burro. See adoption schedule information athttp://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/whbprogram/adoption_program/schedule.html or e-mail the BLM at wildhorse@blm.gov or call 866-4MUSTANGS (866-468-7826).

Updates to the tentative gather schedule, posted athttp://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/whbprogram/herd_management/tentative_gather_schedule.html, include:

  • The bait-trapping gather of the Jarita Mesa Wild Horse Territory in New Mexico (under Forest Service management) is cancelled because the animals are not in immediate declining condition.
  • The number of horses to be removed during the bait-trapping gather of Murderers Creek Herd Management Area/Wild Horse Territory in Oregon (under both BLM and Forest Service management) has been raised from 105 to 160.  The increase is a result of legal issues relating to an endangered fish species.
  • The gather of Maverick-Medicine Herd Management Areas in Nevada is cancelled because the animals are not in immediate declining condition.
  • The gather of Cedar Mountain Herd Management Area in Utah is cancelled because the animals are not in immediate declining condition.
  • The number of horses removed during the gather of the Wassuk Herd Management Area in Nevada was increased from 250 to 450 because of very poor animal condition resulting from lack of forage.
  • The number of horses removed during the gather of the Challis Herd Management Area was increased from 137 to 174 because of court order.
  • A bait-trapping gather of the Chloride Herd Management Area in Utah was added to remove 50 head because animals had moved outside the HMA and onto private land.
  • The horse removal number of the Little Owyhee Herd Management Area was increased from 544 to 800 because of severely limited water sources.
  • The gather of Snowstorm Mountains Herd Management Area in Nevada is cancelled because the animals are not in immediate declining condition.
  • The gather of Owyhee Herd Management Area in Nevada will seek to remove 50, rather than 11, horses because of severely limited water sources.
  • The gather at Rock Creek Herd Management Area in Wyoming reduced its removal numbers from 580 to 400 to focus on areas of diminishing available forage and water sources. PZP-22 fertility-control treatment of mares increased from 115 to 150.
  • The removal number for the gather at the Jicarilla Wild Horse Territory in New Mexico was reduced from 91 to 43 because of limited holding space.
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Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter, Wild Burros, Wild Horses/Mustangs

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13 replies »

  1. Questions: What are the details of the Court Order, which prompts removal of horses from the Challis Herd Management Area? The Chloride Herd Management Area.. What harm do the horses cause from wondering onto private lands?? As usual, you do a fantasic job, R. T.

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  4. How do we know the condition of the horses they say are in poor condition? Why take their word for it? It’s not like it is the first time the BLM has lied to people for their own gain.

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  6. When they say “cancelled”, does that mean completely cancelled and no captures/trapping will occur without a new EA procedure OR does it mean temporarily cancelled but the EAs have already been signed and FONSI and record of decision are still in good standing and they can reschedule anytime they want?

    Per FedBizOps … Drummond was awarded a $511,000 contract for long term holding on Monday.

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      • The Drummonds are only one family of many owners of the BLM contracts to hold our Wild Horses and Burros in a long or short term facility. Big $$$

        Drummond Land and Cattle has been paid $16,654.412 since mid 2003 through mid 2012 and F.Ford Drummond has been paid $2,325,782 since 2008.

        Take a look at the fedspending website > contracts > “Wildhorse/Burro Control Services”.

        http://www.fedspending.org/

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  7. This is where the Advocates can step in. This radio show gives a great deal of information on how to file a Petition for a Stay and we need as many as possible. This is something new to most of us, but we are learning fast:

    Interior Board of Land Appeals
    Appeal for a Stay

    http://www.blogtalkradio.com/marti-oakley/2012/12/05/jerri-tillot-vs-the-bureau-of-land-management
    Jerri Tillot vs The Bureau of Land Management
    by Marti Oakley

    Jerri Tillot returns to the show to update her case against the BLM regarding the unlawful and unnecessary roundups and eventual captivity or slaughter of our wild horses. Having filed numerous lawsuits in an effort to halt the illegal obliteration of these wild herds, Jerry has been relentless in her efforts to stop the killing off of these wild herds.

    This week, Jerri will speak about the “evasion of evidence” utilized by the courts to protect the BLM. This refusal to look at any real evidence, studies, or independent information coming from outside the BLM is the tool used to claim the litigant has “no standing”.

    Please join us as we review what is by its very existence, malfeasance of the courts and public offices.

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  9. I have always suspected the judges in any court case against the BLM were crooked that is one of the reasons that almost all of the court cases ended up with the BLM winning most of them. One or two judges seemed to be on the side of the horses at first but none had ever stopped a roundup. All of the judges got a phone call from someone in the BLM that told them how they wanted the case to go and that was it. But it does look like the BLM is all of a sudden being very picky about how many horses to round up. They know themselves that most of the wild horses can’t be tamed down enough to ever be safe enough to ride. What is a person supposed to do with a gelded 15 year old ex-stallion? It would be like going to Africa and catching a wild zebra and trying to train it. And now with the cost of feeding these horses going up and up they find themselves backed into a corner that they created.

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  10. When I read the BLM is nearing capacity of their holding pens and their holding pastures I can very concerned that their next step will be to certainly send these beautiful animals to Canada or Mexico. We must stop this rogue agency. They are a dedriment to every animals existance. After the horses and burros what will they be after next for their cohorts wishes. THis is a war that we , the advocates, have to win for the horses and burros. We need to see, I believe, that more news is on the radio and the television regarding this rogue agency and its rampant horrible activities, and the companies that help in its harming these animals. Maybe with mass demostrations against the BLM and its cohort companies, we will gain the momentum that we need to win, not to mention more monies to fight these bas__-s. (I think you know the word I would love to use.)

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    • I hear you. The fact of the matter is the horses in holding pens are stallions that have been castrated, mares separated from foals, and said foals some have already died. Even the colts have been altered. Even if these horses were turned back into the wild, their survival would be of no consequence to the government. Andwhy not send them back? Once these creatures ave lived their lives, they will be gone forever. When allowed to languish in the holding pens or if for sure sent to slaughter, the BLM goal is being achieved. The systematic eradication and extinction of the Wild Horses and Burros. What really chaps my butt is that Drummonde Cattle Company is getting paid over $2 million (last year) to do this. At our (taxpayer) expense. DAMN. That’s wrong. He’s a millionaire and he has the audacity to thumb his nose at the horse Advocates. http://www.fedspending.org contracts>wildhorse/burro contract services. People….get mad, get very mad at what is being accomplished with YOUR money on YOUR land. Taxdollars, public land.

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