The final release of studs took place at Clan Alpine. While observers were allowed to view 2 trailers, during observation they were informed that BLM took out 4 additional trailers. However, there would be no observation at those locations. (We will talk about that again in an article tomorrow.) You can see daily reports from the roundup HERE.

4:45 pm 11/30: BLM has still not updated the website, but they sent a press release stating 109 studs in total were released.

What many of you at home don’t see the full measure of (although we certainly try) is that each day has numerous events and background associated with each event. Some days we can have literally as much as 4-6 hours of video to edit down to illustrate common and unusual events. Editing just one day can involve the same amount of work as editing a short documentary!

When dealing with lawmakers and the courts, you must provide site-specific examples (with documentation) to  even stand a chance to disprove BLM assertions. BLM onsite is invaluable to illustrate to the media, public, lawmakers and the courts what is really happening. When you compare onsite documentation and actions taken by BLM, it rarely matches the assertions in the paperwork done by BLM to justify their actions.

Each one of the videos below has a story worth telling in an article of its own. 

Below: Capture. This is in the northern part of Clan Alpine. In an area where many of the horses move into an area between Augusta and Clan Alpine to winter. It is one of the areas considered “off HMA” by BLM, even though horses have always done this behavior. The biggest problem? Augusta is part of the East Pershing Complex with a roundup scheduled to begin December 28th. They will hit the area these horses winter in. BLM did not mark these horses in any way and they are at risk of recapture. Clan Alpine is bordered on the East by New Pass/Ravensood (Battle Mountain) and north and northwest lies the East Pershing Complex (Winnemucca). This area has no data, analysis or consideration when determining AML (number of horses) or how this seasonal migration impacts removals. In other words, horses captured may in fact be part of the allocated AML of Pershing and capture numbers in Pershing need to be adjusted or any released horses counted toward the AML in Clan, will be recaptured in Pershing. BLM just does not care enough to gather actual data.

Below: This stallion makes and incredible escape ripping through the jute. He is watching in fronmt and behind as he escapes and we cannot tell if he injured a back leg. Riders go out, but the stallion is long gone.

There have been 3 days where BLM has released horses (not the 2 they have listed on the website that actually escaped and may have been recaptured). Each time they say to “look on the website” for confirmed numbers. Throughout this operation BLM has not included releases in dailies or cumulative totals once. Onsite, they won’t give you a straight answer.

On the last of active trapping BLM also released 13 horses. We have only documented intentional releases during active trapping one other time in 15 years.

Below: Most of these horses watched their families load onto trailer but were singled out for release. The panel near the trailer was opened and they ran out, passed the helicopter and were gone. The last one close enough where his stress was visible; licking and chewing as he left the valley.

Below: One of the most heart wrenching releases we have ever seen took place. Two horses (the red and the black) were released. The red lost his nerve and took off. The black waited for his family. back and forth and around the pens, he fought his fear. His family looked at him over the pens. Eventually to be trailered away.

Family bonds are fueled by many things. One of the most important reinforcement bonds of nature comes from hormones. Hormones help bond mother and child and males to females. The same hormonal bonds that would keep bands together and cause a stallion to risk his life to protect his band from a mountain lion (this area has lions).

These are the same bonds using something like GonaCon (that causes mares not to ovulate or exhibit sexual behaviors) destroys… for 5-10 years.

All the “studies” BLM uses to justify using something like GonaCon focus on ease and cost. In other words, you do one roundup and may not have to come back for decades. None of the studies focus on the impact to the herd. In fact, once shown to impede reproduction for a really long time, BLM went into full gear and has actually nearly destroyed herds (like the one across highway 50 from Clan Alpine, Desatoya) this year as they “expand fertility control” and ignore their responsibility to data, science and any semblance of preservation.

Of note: BLM chose all the mares for release from the first 2 trap locations in the south where a higher prevalence of cancer was present. These horses will be released all over the area, where they do not know the terrain. None of the mares from any other trap will go home.

Our wild ones should live free on the range with the families they hold dear. Our wild ones should also live without abuse. WHE carries ongoing litigation to push BLM into open public process to create an enforceable welfare standard for our treasured wild ones. Something they said they would do years ago. 

Thank you for keeping us in the fight!

There are many ways to support the work of WHE from direct contribution, stock donations and even while you shop. More HERE.