The largest roundup of the 2024 schedule has begun at the East Pershing Complex in Nevada. BLM plans to capture and remove 2,875 wild horses. None will be returned. BLM claims that the post-operation population will be 622 wild horses. The complex spans about 2.2 million acres. BLM says only 345-555 wild horses can live in the complex.
To read our “know before the roundup begins” article, click HERE.
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Cumulative totals for week 1.
Captured: 832 Wild Horses (363 Stallions, 399 Mares, and 70 Foals)
Shipped to the off-limits facility in Winnemucca NV (BLM has never allowed any observation at this facility: 840 Wild Horses (358 Stallions, 420 Mares, and 62 Foals)
Deaths: 9 (captured day 1 and euthanized the next morning BLM said: “10 year-old Bay Stud, blind in left eye; 7 year-old Bay Stud, right front club foot; 16 year-old Bay Stud, blind in left eye; 14 year-old Bay Stud, – blind in right eye; 14 year-old Bay Mare, blind in left eye; 20+ year-old Bay Stud, blind in left eye; 4 year-old Bay Mare, Euthanized – broken neck; 12 year-old Bay Mare, Euthanized – broken left rear leg; 7 year-old Bay Stud – previous injury; broken right front leg that healed on range crooked. )
Newest reports will appear at the top. Scroll down for earlier reports. Daily reports are a work in progress and we add as we have more information and edits. We will add links to long reports as they are completed.
Long form report from 1/1 HERE
Long form report from 12/30 and 12/31 HERE.
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No fly day. Cloud cover is our assumption as BLM gave no reason to observers at trap location.
It appears while observers sat at trap, BLM sent one semi load of 37 (13 Stallions, 24 Mares, and 0 Foals) wild horses to the off-limits to the public facility north of Winnemucca.
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Yesterday we told you how BLM seems to place much more effort into watching and limiting observers than they do paying attention to the operation and to protecting First Amendment Rights of citizens. Our editor could clearly see in footage provided by our observer, when pulled back from 3000mm full zoom, BLM onsite appeared to be facing the opposite direction from trap. It should be noted that BLM employees with observers have refused to give their full names (we find that odd). The video is full zoom and we cannot assess handling clearly or get you any closer.
BLM captured 104 (46 Stallions, 45 Mares, and 13 Foals) wild horses and shipped another 119 (80 Stallions, 34 Mares, and 5 Foals) to the off-limits to the public facility north of Winnemucca; finally reducing overcrowding in temporary holding corrals. They put down a 7-year old bay stud that survived a broken leg in the wild but it healed crooked and they said he could not ship… instead of just letting him go back home (where he survived a broken leg that would have killed a domestic horse.
After reducing overcrowding, we were finally permitted to see holding that has become a rather muddy mess with snowmelt during the day and refreezing overnight. At the loading chute area it does not look like BLM has added any wood chips or other material to reduce the risk of slipping.
BLM UPDATED NUMBERS: Captured: 105 (47 Stallions, 45 Mares, and 13 Foals) NOTE: Corrected showing one more stallion was gathered than originally reported Shipped: *158 (*78 Stallions, *75 Mares, and 5 Foals) NOTE: Numbers with asterisks corrected
Overnight, 110 wild horses spent the night in the corrals, the lowest number of overnight residents since the operation began.
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The helicopter did not fly as wet snow fell and heavy cloud cover obscured visibility. Our observer went to holding where 211 wild horses spent the night.
86 (0 Stallions, 72 Mares, and 14 Foals) shipped today.
This is all BLM would let her see.
She is back onsite today.
You can read an editorial by our founder who was incredibly moved by images and pictures from loading. It is worth the read HERE.
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Today was similar to yesterday in that no view of trap (far away) or observation of any handling at holding was facilitated. In addition, new BLM employees attended and refused to give their last names. We do reviews similar to BLMs internal CAWP team review and need to identify personnel onsite. BLM is now even trying to obscure that information.
We want to show you that even when horses evade, they are far away. Remember, we are using a long zoom lens.
At 4 pm we were first asked if we wanted to view holding, said “yes,” and then were told no observation would be allowed.
211 wild horses spent the night at temporary corrals. Our observer asked that BLM take a picture so the public can see all 211 in holding corrals. BLM said they would need to post that on Facebook and could not just give it to us. Of course, we said “that’s great!” We have checked BLM FB pages and no picture has been provided.
128 (56 Stallions, 58 Mares, and 14 Foals) wild horses were captured.
Below: These horses evaded capture. However, BLM is returning to the same location tomorrow.
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Happy New Year and welcome to the games of 2024 involving access. Long form report (how far will BLM go to deny the ability to assess) HERE
BLM continued to place speed over safety capturing 152 (66 Stallions, 66 Mares, and 20 Foals) wild horses to jam into overcrowded pens at the temporary corrals they are continuing to obstruct access to view. We have added the “overnight” count to our cumulative update each night. According to BLM numbers, 207 wild horses sat in overcrowded holding we could not see.
We could not see much during capture either. Viewing was over 1.5 miles away (and from coding, it looks like nearly 2 miles).
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On New Years Eve, BLM captured 129 (51 Stallions, 61 Mares, and 17 Foals) and killed 4 (16 year-old Bay Stud, blind in left eye; 14 year-old Bay Stud, – blind in right eye; 14 year-old Bay Mare, blind in left eye; 20+ year-old Bay Stud, blind in left eye).
The new trap location continues to pull a mix of Clan Alpine, New Pass/Ravenswood horses off of winter range just outside the East Pershing Complex (2 other districts) along with Stillwater horses that are actually part of the actual paperwork used to justify this roundup where the first two are not. (Learn more here)
Horses are not being given any chance to settle (recover from the panic of the run) as BLM captures and loads frightened horses immediately.
You can see the old mining tailing piles in the video. Wild horses are not simply squeezed out of territory designated for their use for livestock. Mining is the biggest driver of full loss of habitat.
As many of you celebrate New Year’s Eve with a few drinks (and we hope you are not too hungover today) take a few minutes to contemplate if you have the mental capacity to work at a roundup. “A few drinks” is extremely common for roundup crews each and every day. We will have more on this in our long form report we will publish shortly.
BLM continues to obstruct the ability to assess handling at temporary holding corrals.
Long form report from 12/30 and 12/31 HERE.
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We are working on a long form report from today. There is a lot to “unpack” including BLM sending out riders as the helicopter is in the air driving in a herd, several rough ropings and a lot more. It appears the trap was not well thought our and the morning sun made it glisten, visibly, in the sun causing problems. If BLM gave half as much thought to how they are running operations as they do to making up reasons to keep the public away… maybe roundups would actually produce fewer injuries and deaths?
140 (58 Stallions, 81 Mares, and 1 Foals) were captured.
BLM reports 4 deaths on their online daily, but describes 2 acute deaths. We are checking to see if this in an error or what the other 2 deaths are. Reported: 4 year-old Bay Mare, Euthanized – broken neck; 12 year-old Bay Mare, Euthanized – broken left rear leg
Long form report from 12/30 and 12/31 HERE.
BLM did all they could to keep observers from watching any handling at temporary holding.
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BLM squeezed another 42 (22 Stallions, 20 Mares, and 0 Foals) wild horses out of the traditional winter ground they labelled “off-HMA.” For the second day in a row, note the low number of horses they label “foals.” At summer roundups BLM will say the high number is because they include older foals (up to 10 months). We have not gotten any explanation from BLM as of yet. (Please note, this is the area of large exchange with Clan Alpine where BLM just completed a roundup.)
“Observation” was facilitated at holding only after all handling was completed and no assessment could be done. In addition, BLM has already shipped 73 wild horses and stocking capacity from the day before could not be observed.
Two views in video below: First is where BLM placed observers, second is after public asked to move to a small rise.
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We are still editing footage from an incredibly long day. This operation has been approved and funded to last through the end of February. But as expected in this district, BLM is pushing from dawn to dusk. It has become commonplace for BLM to put speed above safety.
BLM (confiemed) is hitting the area they claim “off HMA” where horses are moving to traditional winter ground outside the HMA. This conforms exactly what we say in our before the roundup article. BLM knows about the flawed boundaries and the lack of data on seasonal movement and cross HMA movement. Please see the “before the roundup” to understand that traps in North Stillwater and Augusta (like this trap) are also taking horses that were left in Clan Alpine and moved north as they do every winter.
Above: You can see that there is an issue with this trap. We cannot tell you exactly what it is because BLM would not let us see the wing set up.
Below: A considerable number of horses were roped. We think 4 in total. These are 2 from the run above.
BLM claimed that the number of horses roped are in the daily report online. Any of you following roundups know that is not trie. BLM uses the term “daily gather report” to refer to there internal report (that you cannot see unless you file a FOIA) and the cherry-picked minimal information they post online.
They also denied access to view any handling at the temporary corrals. Again, it has become common with this particular crew to claim that no access to see handling can be provided because a few people with cameras are “too disturbing.” Observers have to wait until BLM is done and everything is cleaned up before getting to see. Holding the public back until it is “too dark” has become a common claim. Viewing handling at holding has been a right of historic access and BLM is once again denying that right.
Doublespeak: BLM will push at a trap until sundown claiming they need get horses they see. But they will also say they return the next day after horses “settle” in the area making them easier to catch in the morning when they go back to squeeze out the area the next day. If BLM stopped earlier, they would not have to use hotshots to speed up loading and not offload as darkness falls at temporary.
BLM admitted hot shots were used during loading. This contractor and BLM in charge often use hotshots to speed loading.
142 Wild Horses (63 Stallions, 74 Mares, and 5 Foals) were captured. The low number of foals is disturbing.
The conditions of horses after capture was not documented.
Our team remains onsite.
We will continue to upload video from day 1 as time allows.
You can see roundups in review from the 2023 fiscal year HERE.
You can take action to stop abuse HERE
The “Top Ten” viewed articles, video and images can be seen HERE.
Thank you for keeping us in the fight!
Categories: Wild Horse Education
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