While we can be thankful that Rich and Jana Wilson of the Deerwood Ranch seem to be kind, to genuinely like the horses on their private property, and to make an effort to give many tours to visitors – and don’t have $1,200 a night tipis on their property, like the “ranching family” in Wells, NV (AKA Madeleine Pickens), don’t forget that these “eco-sanctuaries” mean the BLM has placed wild horses on PRIVATE PROPERTY instead of leaving the wild horses on their federally protected public lands. – Debbie
SOURCE: CASPER STAR-TRIBUNE
Rancher offers sanctuary to wild horses
(Leah Millis/Casper Star-Tribune)
Rich Wilson gives a wild horse a scratch while one of his dogs watches from the drivers seat of his UTV on July 10 at the Deerwood Ranch outside of Laramie. The ranch is the first wild horse ecosanctuary on private land and it was started by the BLM last October. Currently there are 228 horses living on the ranch of 4,700 acres. Aside from caring for the horses, the Wilsons also offer tours to people from the public five days a week.
By KYLE ROERINK Casper Star-Tribune
Rich Wilson loves to personify animal behavior.
He pointed to a band of wild horses chewing on grass at the Deerwood Ranch, his family-owned plot of bucolic pastures, streams and mountains that runs for 4,700 acres in Centennial.
“They’re having coffee,” he said. “They’re probably saying to each other, ‘We had the best grass lunch near the mountain yesterday. Let’s go again today.’”
Wilson drove around his ranch on a four-wheeler Wednesday with an immovable smile. He parked his off-road vehicle 30 yards away from where the horses were grazing. Within seconds they were paying him a visit.
He spotted Curly, a horse whose dreadlocked mane weaved around his neck.
Then he spotted Slingshot, a gelding whose brown hair draws the shape of the toy on his white face.
After that there were Mutt and Jeff.
“They haven’t been apart since they came here, and they probably won’t separate until they die,” he said.
The BLM warned Wilson and his wife, Jana, to not get too close to the animals. But human nature is a formidable opponent.
“We sit out there for hours and just watch them,” she said.
There were grunts, snorts and neighs echoing in the early morning. The horses seemed just as excited as Wilson to bid each other a good day.
Wilson stuck out his hand and put his index finger in a horse’s mouth.
“Let me see your smile,” he said to the feral animal. In “Mr. Ed” fashion, the brawny gelding showed off his choppers.
The Bureau of Land Management designated the Deerwood Ranch the nation’s first ecosanctuary for wild horses in October 2012. The BLM brought 228 horses from 16 holding pastures across the state in the agency’s continued effort to mend its wild-horse program. The agency is searching for private landowners to take on the task of caring for the animals at a time when space on federal land is tight and population control is imperative.
There are only male horses at Deerwood Ranch. A recent study of the nation’s wild horse population by the National Academy of Sciences highlighted the need to invest in widespread fertility control and called for letting nature cull the growing populations that are now housed in BLM holding pastures around the country.
Members of Congress have expressed concern for the population and recently wrote Interior Secretary Sally Jewell a letter asking her to help fix the nation’s wild-horse program.
The Wilson family may be the first to house a population of the wild geldings, but they know they won’t be the last.
The BLM is working with a ranching family in Wells, Nevada, to house its second wild-horse ecosanctuary in the nation and has a program, “Save America’s Mustangs,” to help control the problem.
The BLM asked the Wilsons to do two things as stewards of the horses: grow grass for the equines and offer tours to the public. The hospitality industry is nothing new for the family. They rent out a cabin on their land and own a gift shop, The Country Junction, near their ranch.
Travelers stop by every week to see the horses. People show up in the morning and at dinnertime to see the horses. There are scheduled tours on weekends. But Jana never turns people away. Twenty-five people showed up on July 5 to take a hayride. A family from Massachusetts traveling to Yellowstone National Park stopped at the ranch last week and a couple from Switzerland visited the ranch to see the horses.
“When we go to the pastures to see the horses, the travelers always ask, ‘Can we stay out a little longer?’” Rich said.
The land is a utopia for horses and humans alike. The untamed nature of the animals and the terrain provides a serene throwback to the days when homesteaders and American Indians had control of the land.
There are rocks for the animals to wear down their hooves, mountains to roam in and — at least this year — plenty of water.
The Wilsons aren’t required to do anything else to care for the animals.
The horses don’t want them to do anything else either, Jana said
“During a winter snowstorm we went out and fed them hay,” Jana said. “Only half of them ate it. The others were happy foraging for themselves.”
The agency pays the Wilsons a grazing fee per horse for using the land. More horses could come in the future, but the volatile and unpredictable rainfall in the West makes it tough to foresee if the land can withstand more wild horses.
“Every rancher wishes he had a crystal ball,” Rich said. “Two years ago we were flooding, last year we had no water and this year we are in between. You never can tell.”
Rich said there’s a misconception about what he does because he receives federal money.
“I can’t buy a yacht. I can’t buy alcohol,” he said. “The government makes sure I spend it on what it wants me to spend it on.”
The Wilsons were in the cattle business before getting the horses. They took out the cattle control panels, put in new fence and removed the cattle guards from their land.
They love the new job.
“Every day we learn something new,” Wilson said.
One horse came over to Wilson’s four-wheeler late in the morning. It licked the windshield. Another one went into the vehicle’s bed to sniff one of the family dogs.
The dog jerked and barked. The horse ran away.
“You feel at ease out here,” Wilson said. “But they are wild. You got to keep your guard up.”
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Categories: Horse News, Wild Burros, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
At this point, the horses seem to be SAFER at private Deerwood Ranch than on BLM-managed-(to-extinction?) public land.
But it is tragic that they are not allowed to remain free and independent and self-sufficient and in family bands of their own making.
As we know, the tourists aren’t really seeing “wild horses” acting naturally at this sanctuary, any more than visitors see “wild wolves” at a zoo.
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I think this is a great solution since the BLM seems to think that they can’t stay on their own land. I would gladly take a herd of wild horses if I had the land to do so. At least they are not dieing in holding pens or worse going to slaughter.
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,,,,or standing in blazing heat. If they must be held against their will, then this the best solution by far. It isn’t right and it never will be, but to be honest, I would rather see them free anywhere than in holding pens. Nothing is going to change for them, they aren’t going to suddenly see Energy Corps move away, rather you will see more of these groups taking more than their fair share. I have always advocated that we should move them to give them some freedom. Many will argue that they need to be placed back on their land, and we all know that is never going to happen. 50,000 horses in holding, 50 States, 1000 in each State.
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I don’t understand why they are only geldings. If they are geldings then why not mix in a few mares so they can at least have some semblance of a family band.
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Exactly, where are the mares…..still stuck in those horrific pens? There is no reason why the mares cannot be mixed in with these gelding herds.
Here again is the confusion over wild versus domestic horses. People don’t go out trying to stick their fingers in wild deer or wild bunny mouths trying to make smiley faces.
So glad they are not in those hell hole pens, but wild is wild and every moment of confusion just chips away at their inherent right to be wild and free.
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So they get money from the government and for that they are required to grow grass and offer tours. This is from their website…
“The tour price is $40/adult (18 and over), $20/person (age 7-17), Kids (6 and under are FREE). Please be prepared with your own water, etc”
It’s no wonder the visitors ask to stay longer than the allotted 2 1/2 hours given each tour.
As for me…if I want to see geldings grazing I can drive about 10 minutes and see all I want. If the horses are so used to man that they will approach the experiment is a dismal failure as will be the case with Mustang Monument.
I know it’s easy to think this is better than being in PVC or Fallon and that’s true. The failure comes from the lack of understanding by the BLM that the equid species will self regulate their population so leave them on their home ranges.
If you can’t care for them properly then let them go!
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If I had the land, I would take as many as I can…but…they are wild horses and they need to be put back in the wild…plain and simple…they are stressed and distressed at PVC…I agree with Steve….”IF YOU CAN’T CARE FOR THEM PROPERLY LET THEM GO!!!!!!” but then Jeb Beck wouldn’t have a job…..too bad!!!!!!! Nancy Leake
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I CANNOT STAND TO SEE THEM STANDING AND SUFFERING AT PALOMINO.!!!!….
Why can’t they find other sources like these folks to allow more freedom for them.. I know it’s not perfect but better than nothing………I know there are plenty of ranchers out there if asked might consider this, it would be better them the h@ll hole they are in.
BLM get off your a@s and do something just like this……………….
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ranchers are part of the problem here in Nevada as they want their cattle on open range and the wild horses are infringing on thier cattle….I think the ranchers are the ones who should put thier cattle on thier property and feed them and leave the horses to roam and be free and not be in prison at PVC…but that will never happen because in my opinion they are the problem and are standing right there with thier BLM buddies
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Where is this ranch? Centennial where? Thanks.. BTW I think they are safer and it is not a perfect solution, but it is a life saving solution. I hope the BLM has the good sense to utilize or create more sanctuaries to save our beloved wild horses and burros.
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Heather, Centennial is located in Wyoming and is just a few miles west of Laramie, Wyo. It is near some of the mountain ranges so I assume the horses do have hills to live on.
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The most important point to consider is that most wild horse herds on HMAs are now NON-VIABLE!! It is important to understand that there will be no wild horses to put in the BLM eco-sanctuaries in 25 years or so, and it is equally important against the blanket use of PZP as a solution. NON-VIABLE herds = most of the herds have less than 100 horses.
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I love that these selected geldings have some sort of freedom…but why aren’t the mares out there as well…the poor girls are stuck in holding pens…no harm putting the mares with the geldings…again the BLM shows their ignorance and lack of practical knowledge re: wild herd behavior.
Besos RT,
Calamity Cate
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Well ignorance “NO”…ZERO them out is the attitude……..It’s Corruption their way and NO other way!!!……..
They live by their own rules and agenda……………………
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I agree!!!
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Oh the games they play…..they certainly are living by their own rules and in the long term plan, I believe, all wild horse herds will be eliminated. If they want the wild horses to be able to live somewhat in the wild, such as the use of this sanctuary, surely they could have allowed some mares to share, form bands and live out their lives as nature intended. Although I’m certainly happy to see their living free from the holding pens, to put them out without mares, even if were just a few, is very unfortunate. No doubt a business opportunity for the ranchers and life saving for these magnificent creatures, but a horrbile tragedy, nevertheless.
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jean you are soooooo right…..
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i am grateful that the Wilson’s can do this. BUT, THE MALES ARE GILDED. HOW PROSPEROUS IS THAT GOING TO BE FOR THE HORSES?
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All wild horses should be protected. All wild horses deserve freedom. No wild horse should be in an unnatural pen. We are destroying our wild horse population. At least these here are safe. I wish all were safe.
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This government will never turn down oil drilling and fracking, mining on public land. There is to much money in it for all of them. At least this couple welcomes the public to drive out and see the horses. This is different from some ranches that the BLM is paying to let the horses live there. From what I understood BLM said that no one was to bother the ranchers about seeing the mustangs. That is what made me think that the horses had already been sent to slaughter and the ranch’s was all a lie. I trust the BLM about as far as I can throw the whole bunch. This is only one ranch I’d like the addresses to all of them if they exist.
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