At WHE our team is working hard at the table, assisting other advocates and juggling multiple court cases. Reporting on holding facilities and doing investigations also continues.

Checking on herds we know (and discovering new ones) can be like taking a deep breath and refocusing in the chaos.

WHE volunteer Bobbie Moller recently took her first trip to the Challis HMA in Idaho.

A Visit to Challis, B. Moller

My husband and I frequently go to the HMA’s to check on the herds in Idaho. We have not had a chance to go to Challis due to the distance it is from our house.   

This past winter, we planned a spring trip to Yellowstone and on the way back, a 3-day side trip to Challis!

A bit about Idaho: Idaho is the 14th largest state in the country with a land area of 83,570 square miles.

BLM manages 12 million acres in the state. Only six relatively small HMAs exist on all of BLM land in Idaho. BLM says only 617 wild horses can be managed on 418,000 acres in the entire state, where domestic livestock receive over 80% of available forage. In contrast, BLM Idaho authorizes livestock grazing for domestic horses, sheep and cattle on more than 11,500,000 acres of public land. This includes more than 2,100 grazing allotments, approximately 1,500 livestock operators and roughly 1,900 grazing permits.

Records show that horses once roamed all over the state. The few areas left in Idaho where you can see wild horses deserve a bit of a spotlight.

The Challis HMA, at 150,000+ acres, has elevations of 4600’ to beyond 8000’ above sea level.  The first thing that catches the eye (at least in May when we were there; before the weather really warmed up) is the breathtaking snow-capped mountains. Besides being very mountainous, the terrain includes large evergreens at the highest elevations, very impressive rocky sections as well as rolling hills.  There’s a little bit of everything at Challis!

While looking for the wild horses, we saw antelope, coyotes and a very large herd of cattle grazing.  In one location, a small herd of cattle was being following by a small herd of antelope.  Some very young antelope were jumping around the cattle as if to try to get them to play.  The cattle apparently weren’t interested!

Appropriate Management Level (“AML”) for the Challis herd according to the above sign is 185 horses.  The current population is 200+.  BLM management told us that two gathers are planned in 2025:

1. 10 to 14 horses hang out close to a highway.  BLM said that they are concerned they could become a traffic hazard, so a bait trap is planned for next January to capture them.
2. In the fall of 2025, they estimate the population, with foals, will be around 280 at that time and plan to remove approximately 100 horses.  This operation they said will be a helicopter roundup.

WHE note: The 2019 Gather-EA states the AML range for wild horses within the Challis HMA is 185-253. After BLM completes the removals they plan for the area in 2025, using the numbers given by BLM, the estimated population would be 166 after the roundups. As the dates get closer, we will share more info regarding how the horses over wintered in 2024 and check on population size. We will ask for the Decision of NEPA Adequacy, should BLM move forward with removal plans, and share it with you.

Besides breathtaking scenery, the Challis HMA has breathtaking wild horses.

We saw in the distance a small herd that was mainly comprised of white (or grey) as well as either very dark brown or black horses. Stood out to us even when they were way up high on a hill! The whites were bright white and the others very dark. Just beautiful!

 This handsome grey boy was very aware of our presence and watched our every move.  Elevation was probably about 5000’.

These wild ones are really in good flesh, great shape. We did not see any foals. But it looks like this band might have a baby coming later this summer.

We were there on Memorial Day weekend and saw no signs of recreationists.  I am sure they come out there, but weren’t there on what one would think would be a busy weekend for outdoor activities.

The Challis HMA and its horses have a special place in my heart now.  

My husband and I are already planning our next trip there!

If you can get out to explore and enjoy the natural world, even if you cannot get to “wild horse country,” it can help heal the soul. 

Our team will have more on the serious news front for you soon. But it is always good to breathe deep, focus and move then forward.

We need your help to continue to document, expose, work toward reform with lawmakers and litigate. Our wild ones deserve to live free on the range and free from abuse.

Thank you for keeping WHE on the frontline in the fight to protect and preserve our treasured wild ones.