Above: Our observer spent the last moments of freedom with these wild horses and burros at Blue Wing on day 1 of the 2024 roundup.

The 2024 removal operation seeks to roundup 1,373 horses and 356 burros.

Scroll down to the blue text for the start of roundup updates

This will push the population down under low “Appropriate Management Level” (the number BLM set through agreements with county and permittees, not science, back in the 80s).

The Blue Wing Complex has four Herd Management Areas (HMAs) and five Herd Areas (HAs) which encompasses over 2,283,300 acres north of Lovelock, NV. BLM states only 333-555 wild horses and 55-90 wild burros can be sustained in the area. The target is the low number and BLM will is pushing hard to reach that unsustainable and genetically bankrupt number. 

The last roundup at Blue Wing was in 2022. BLM captured 218 wild horses and 804 wild burros. 45 burros died after the brutal summer roundup in a matter of months. Burros are more susceptible to capture stress than horses. Heat makes the risks much, much higher. (Learn more about burros HERE)

A lawsuit was filed, has gone through all the steps of briefing and is awaiting a ruling. BLM appears to be plowing forward to reach goals the court has not yet determined are legal.

In a similar case, we won a massive victory at the Pancake Complex this year that found BLM illegally withheld actual management planning and their “gather plan (EA)” was flawed and the court sent it back to BLM. (In other words, BLM cannot do a roundup right now and needs to work on a management plan.)

In addition to issues like a lack of finalized management plans and a lack of analysis to address how removing wild horses and burros impacts fire fuels, the case at Blue Wing also covers serious First Amendment violations where, at no time, could anyone see a burro clearly in 2022. Not during capture, on a trailer, temporary holding or the off-limits to the public facility in Utah. BLM is doing the same thing they did in 2022 again as we await a ruling.

After the ruling at Pancake, BLM began a slapdash Herd Management Area Plan (HMAP) scoping period for Blue Wing, but has not finalized any plan that would legally set management goals and objectives. Instead, BLM is thumbing their nose at process and ramming this herd down to a place where it may never recover.

We hope a ruling comes soon for Blue Wing.

This removal is so contrary to any assertion of responsible management that BLM might claim. This operation is more than simply “wrong.” 

Despite extremely dangerous heat warnings, BLM is racing forward to complete this removal. 

Dangers from this type of heat impact not only the capture, but trailering and in holding facilities that have no shelter from the heat.

Our team is onsite

Blue Wing is home to the extremely rare (and endangered) paint burro. BLM has no plan to protect these burros and does what is called a “gate cut removal.” What goes into the trap leaves with no plan in place to protect burros as they slam the population down below genetically viable numbers. 55-90 on over 2 million acres is an absurdity. There is nothing “appropriate” about what BLM calls Appropriate Management Levels

Cumulative totals as of July 14. (The BLM does a meeting each night and they write the daily sheets. If a horse or burro dies after the meeting, it is not reported until the following day. However, with most things “BLM” this is not consistent.) 

Captured: 886
526 Wild Horses (207 Stallions, 214 Mares, and 105 Foals)
360 Wild Burros (186 Jacks, 152 Jennies, and 22 Foals) 

Shipped: 723
370 Wild Horses (161 Stallions, 141 Mares, and 68 Foals)
353 Wild Burros (183 Jacks, 148 Jennies, and 22 Foals) 

Deaths: BLM reports 16

15-year-old, Gray jenny found deceased on trailer upon arrival at temporary holding. (She died during transport from trap to sorting corrals probably from heart failure or was fatally injured during capture or transport.) 2-year-old, Gray jack BLM put down due to a broken leg. 20-plus-year-old, Gray jack killed because it had club foot. 4-year-old, Brown jenny BLM killed because they said she had deformed front legs. 18-year-old, Brown jenny killed because BLM said she had deformed front feet. 20-plus-year-old, Gray jack put down due to severe arthritis in front right knee. 5-year-old, Gray jenny died due to Colic (a stress and heat related condition). 2-year-old, Pinto jenny found deceased on truck upon arrival at Indian Lakes Off-Range Corrals. A 5-year-old, Bay stallion broke his left hind leg.  BLM put down a 15-year-old Sorrel stallion for arthritis in front left knee. 5-year-old, Bay stallion put down for arthritis in front right knee. 20-year-old, Black stallion put down due to arthritis in front right knee. 16-year-old, Dun mare put down, BLM said due to deformed right front leg. 3-year-old, Grulla stallion due to club foot, right front. 11-year-old, Bay mare BLM said had a developmental deformity, right hind leg. 17-year-old, Bay stallion BLM said fractured front left shoulder.

Released (means escaped in NV): 1 stallion. But the roundup is still active.

Newest daily reports appear at the top. Scroll down for earlier reports.

You can find reports after 7/15 by clicking HERE.

July 15:

BLM captured 28 (12 Stallions, 10 Mares, and 6 Foals).

BLM killed 3: 3-year-old, Grulla stallion due to club foot, right front. 11-year-old, Bay mare BLM said had a developmental deformity, right hind leg. 17-year-old, Bay stallion BLM said fractured front left shoulder.

What BLM onsite told our observer does not match what was reported.

Long report from this day will link HERE when uploaded.

July 14: 119 (51 Stallions, 44 Mares, and 24 Foals) 0 (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies and 0 Foals). 3 deaths: 5-year-old, Bay stallion put down for arthritis in front right knee. 20-year-old, Black stallion put down due to arthritis in front right knee. 16-year-old, Dun mare put down, BLM said due to deformed right front leg.

Heat begins to break and daily high temps in the area will drop below 100 for a few days.

July 13

BLM has shifted the target from wild burros and onto wild horses.

42 (13 Stallions, 19 Mares, and 10 Foals) 0 (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies and 0 Foals) were captured as temperatures soared to 98 degrees (according to the National Weather Service and not a pocket device held in the shade at trap).

A 5-year-old, Bay stallion broke his left hind leg (we do not know if it was at trap or holding as our ability to see anything is overly restricted)

BLM put down a 15-year-old Sorrel stallion for arthritis in front left knee.

Above: A fast visit to Porter Spring (main water for burros) only cattle was seen at the spring.

July 12

The cart above shows how dangerous this extended heat index is in the area. For the 48 hour period illustrated above (the same curve is present since the beginning of this operation) there are only about 3 hours each morning (from 4am to 7 am) when the heat index drops below the caution zone.

By 7 a.m. on the 13th the area will enter the caution zone. By 9 am the area will begin to hit the extreme zone.

2 more heat related deaths as BLM plowed forward during heat wave. 5-year-old, Gray jenny died due to Colic (a stress and heat related condition). 2-year-old, Pinto jenny found deceased on truck upon arrival at Indian Lakes Off-Range Corrals.

94 (39 Stallions, 36 Mares, and 19 Foals) 25 (10 Jacks, 13 Jennies and 2 Foals) captured. 

The road to temporary holding went by observation or we never would have seen a thing clearly

New trap.

BLM said observation was only 3/4 of a mile away.

Observation was, in truth, 2.1 miles away from trap. “2 miles away” is literally considered “out of the zone of operations.”

It is unfathomable that BLM can simply say something and it is considered a “truth” when there are so many instances like this.

BLM captured both horses and burros today. BLM said preliminary count was 25 wild burros and 60 wild horses. They exceeded capture goals for burros and released 2 Jennys that had very tiny foals (we did not see release).

Only two horses came close enough to see them. The last group appeared to have really small babies being pushing in blistering heat.

July 11

The view from the Porter Spring trapsite where the last 27 (17 Jacks, 7 Jennies and 3 Foals) wild burros were pulled from the Blue Wing HMA.

No more burros coming in to drink at Porter Springs, only cows lounging and milling around in the blistering heat.

July 10

Above: BLM returned to the trap at Porter Springs and pulled everything for miles. This small group that escaped capture on Monday were taken. It should be noted that the burros waited for cows to move before coming in to drink. 

BLM captured 50 (33 Jacks, 12 Jennies and 5 Foals) and a 20-plus-year-old, Gray jack put down for arthritis in front right knee. BLM says the temperature was 93 at the end of operations (in the shade at trap).

These burros came from the Blue Wing Complex and captured at the Porter Springs trap.

Before 11 a.m. the area of the operation entered into the “extreme caution zone” with a Heat Index of 91. A Heat Index of “91,” is considered the “extreme caution” zone where you should only mildly walk a “in good physical condition” horse, restricting all strenuous activity. (The time before the is called the “caution” zone and intense exertion should be avoided particularly for the very young or old. Learn more.)

The Heat Index has been in various caution zones for over 5 days in this area and the heat will not begin to break until the 14th. Extended heat index warnings (just like the one at Blue Wing) increase risks each day as dehydration and capture stress compound.

In addition to risks to horses and burros there are risks to contract staff. Not only are they in physical risk from heat ,they also face issues with cognition. Decision making is impaired in the heat. Heat makes people more aggressive and irritable. BLMs current standards do not take into account risks to humans or risks involving the increase in (scientifically proven) poor judgement during heat.

Please note: BLM uses a temperature range that has never been inline with veterinary standards and they refuse to change and refuse to create enforceable welfare rules. BLM has replied to our concerns by basically sating they “care” and will come to a full stop before temperatures hit 105 degrees (which is absurd). Heat Index is the current veterinary standard and BLM refuses to incorporate it into their (unenforceable) standard risking the health and safety of both animals and humans. 

July 9

Warning: Video below will disturb many viewers.

Above: Last run of the day a burro makes an escape attempt. They could have let him go, this is not supposed to be a “zero out.” Instead, as temperatures soared in record-breaking heat, a ruthless pursuit is undertaken. The quality of the video (due to distance) is poor. But you can see just how rough staff is on this burro.

There were three ropings that day, we could only see one. BLM in charge emphatically stated they “approved” the conduct because getting this one burro in this blazing heat was one more removed to meet AML… with no mention of the welfare of the burro. 

Burros were pulled in from the Lava Beds HMA.

5 deaths were reported. 

15-year-old, Gray jenny found deceased on trailer upon arrival at temporary holding. (She died during transport from trap to sorting corrals probably from heart failure or was fatally injured during capture or transport. 

Her (the jenny) death happened we believe on the first day but was not reported until the second day. Our observer was told there were “no incidents” when she asked BLM, but there had been and she confirmed this the following day. We do not know when the other deaths occurred. 

2-year-old, Gray jack BLM put down due to a broken leg. (We do not know if this was a roped burro or not)

20-plus-year-old, Gray jack killed because it had club foot. 

4-year-old, Brown jenny BLM killed because they said she had deformed front legs.

18-year-old, Brown jenny killed because BLM said she had deformed front feet.

BLM captured 114 wild burros (60 Jacks, 50 Jennies and 4 Foals). BLM said temperatures did not exceed 93 degrees. The National Weather Service reported temperatures over 101 in numerous valleys in the area, Reminder: BLM only takes temperature in the shade at trap.

BLM considers that making sure they stop at 105 degrees, in an extended dangerous heat event, is enough to ensure welfare.

July 8

Observation was so far away it was hard to see if it was burros, horses or a combination entering trap.

BLM captured 144 Wild Burros (66 Jacks, 70 Jennies, and 8 Foals) were captured at the Porter Springs trap from Seven Troughs HMA.

At no time could observers clearly see trap, wings, loading or even a burro on a trailer. No observation is being facilitated at holding.

Burros are being sent to the off-limits to the public facility, Axtell in Utah, nearly 9 hours away in this heat. In 2023, over 40 burros died in the first months post-capture, many from capture stress.

Temperature during loading of the last burro was over 100 degrees. Temperatures are expected to continue to rise this week before finally breaking on July 14.

Please make a call. Our wild ones desperately need an enforceable welfare policy that is crafted with transparency, public participation and complies with current welfare standards for equines.

The phone number for Congress is: (202) 224-3121. You should put it in your speed dial. Call the number tell the operator who your representative is (or where you live if you do not know) and you will be connected to an aide in the office. Ask to register your concerns and request. Ask that an amendment to the funding bill for the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program be crafted to simply create a line item for funding for “Rulemaking to create an enforceable welfare policy.”

WHE has just been offered a match challenge! Dollar-for-dollar your contribution will be matched up to $5,000. until July 15, If you have been contemplating a contribution, every dollar donated will be matched! Can you help us reach this goal and unlock the match.

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