On day 3 of the Black Mountain, Hardtrigger and Sands Basin roundup, BLM hit Hardtrigger capturing 89 wild horses.
BLM captured 88 wild horses to date at Black Mountain using 1 trap location in the 50,904 acres during the first 2 days. A new foal was trampled and killed on day one at Black Mountain.
The capture goal for all 3 HMAs is 220.
Hardtrigger is the largest of the 3 HMAs at 67,882 acres. At this time it appears BLM will be employing the single trap method for the entire HMA. Horses are being driven from throughout the HMA to one location.
Video below: Fast edit of first run to show ages of foals and how many bands in the group. This run took about 2 hours according to BLM.
The first run at Hardtrigger saw multiple bands grouped together and then pushed for a long distance. You can see the sheen of sweat as they move across valley and into trap. Tension is high during foaling and breeding season. Lumping horses together increases tension. BLM simply claims because the drive was slower than many of the “race to the trap” type runs you see that there is no stress.
In the video above you can see the old brands BLM used to use for PZP-22 for about a decade as wild horses are being loaded for transport to the Boise corral. Trailers were filled to capacity.
BLM has failed to analyze or set any actual data-based foaling season for these HMAs, even though there own data shows peak foaling is now in September. BLM regulations prohibit helicopter drive trapping during foaling season. (WHE has active legal action against the ten-year roundup plan BLM blatantly rushed through the approval process. You can read more HERE)
Using BLM’s own scant available data, our WHE analytics team members plugged it into a graph to show you that foaling season actually peaks in September.
24 foals, several very young, were captured. The video above shows loading prior to shipping to Boise.
Above: Stallion that likely evaded capture heads into the valley where the trap is located as his family is shipped from the range. Riders head out and he flees. It does appear that he is brought in during the next run.
Above: The final run.
BLM uses a single metric, immediate death at trap, to claim roundups are not abusive. They do not count deaths they claim are from pre-existing conditions or those that occur after transport from roundup related injury or illness in holding. They do not count injuries or illness that do not result in death. They do not count capture stress as a metric. Immediate death is not the only measure of abuse.
Trapping resumed in the HMA today.
Our team member was back onsite.
Our team is burning the candle at both ends documenting 2 ongoing roundups and working on a number of cases where briefs are due next week.
We will have more updates as time allows.
Our wild ones should live free on the range with the families they hold dear. Our wild ones should also live without abuse.
Thank you for keeping us in the fight!
2023 Summer roundup reports
Antelope Complex (north and south)
Black Mountain, Hardtrigger, Sands Basin
Categories: Wild Horse Education
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