2023 West Douglas Herd Area Wild Horse Gather
Purpose of Gather:
The purpose of the gather is to protect the health of wild horses in the area due to limited water and food sources, protect the rangeland from overuse due to excess wild horses, and restore a thriving natural ecological balance and multiple-use relationship on public lands consistent with the provisions of Section 1333(b) of the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act. The current appropriate management level for wild horses in West Douglas Herd Area is zero animals since nearly all forage and water sources are located on adjacent private lands.
Details of Gather:
The BLM will conduct gather operations by using helicopter drive trapping which has been proven effective in this area. Helicopter gathers are one of the most efficient and humane methods to capture wild horses, especially when terrain and access is difficult. The BLM and the contractor will do everything they can to ensure wild horses are treated humanely. All operations will comply with the BLM’s Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program.
The BLM plans to gather and remove up to 122 excess wild horses.
Public Observation:
Members of the public are welcome to view the gather operations, provided that doing so does not jeopardize the safety of the animals, staff and observers, or disrupt gather operations. The BLM anticipates that viewing opportunities will begin on September 1, 2023, weather and logistics permitting. Please review the "Know Before You Go" and "Observation Protocol" documents, located below, before planning to attend.
All media and/or visitors wanting to attend gather operations as an observer must call the gather information hotline at (720) 432-9689 for daily meeting location and times - if viewing is available. BLM staff will meet the public each morning at the pre-determined meeting location to escort the group to and from the gather observation site. Observers must provide their own transportation. The BLM recommends a four-wheel drive, high clearance vehicle with spare tires and an extra can of gas. Please do not bring any pets or you may not be permitted to the observation area due to safety concerns.
Further Information:
Adoption Information:
Horses removed from the range will be transported to Canon City, Colorado where they will be checked by a veterinarian and readied for the BLM’s wild horse and burro adoption program. Those that are not placed into a new home will be cared for in off-range pastures, where they live off the rest of their lives on grass pastures. For information on how to adopt a wild horse, visit www.blm.gov/whb.
Background:
The BLM has determined that the West Douglas Herd Area and other areas outside the Piceance-East Douglas Herd Management Area are not to be managed for wild horses because of the complex terrain and lack of summer range. However, wild horses have continued to exist here for a variety of reasons and are at population levels that require excess wild horses to utilize private land for food and water resources. The appropriate management level for the West Douglas Herd Area is zero wild horses. The current estimated population is approximately 122 wild horses.
The BLM manages the 190,000-acre Piceance-East Douglas Herd Management Area, which is across the highway from the West Douglas Herd Area, for a healthy wild horse herd between 135 and 235 wild horses. This is the most suitable area to successfully manage a wild horse herd within the White River Field Office.
- Daily Gather Reports
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Saturday, September 9
Summary: Final horses shipped to Canon City Facility.
Animals Gathered: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 32 (24 Stallions, 6 Mares, and 2 Foals)
Deaths: 0
- Sudden / Acute: 0
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
Friday, September 8
Summary: Gather operations began at 7:00 AM and ended at 12:15 PM. Temperatures were between 60-87F.
Animals Gathered: 6 (5 Stallions, 1 Mares, and 2 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 0
- Sudden / Acute: 0
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
Thursday, September 7
Summary: Gather operations began at 7:00 AM and ended at 4:11 PM. Temperatures were between 60-83F.
Animals Gathered: 12 (5 Stallions, 5 Mares, and 2 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 45 (0 Stallions, 25 Mares, and 20 Foals)
Deaths: 1
- Sudden / Acute: 0
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 1 (Elderly stallion with lameness)
Wednesday, September 6
Summary: Gather operations began at 8:24 AM and ended at 2:20 PM. Temperatures were between 65-82F. A new trap site was set up in the morning.
Animals Gathered: 11 (7 Stallions, 3 Mares, and 1 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 1
- Sudden / Acute: 0
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 1 (Stallion came in with infected abscess)
Tuesday, September 5
Summary: Gather operations began at 9:37 AM and ended at 5:20 PM. Temperatures were between 65-82F. A new trap site was set up in the morning.
Animals Gathered: 12 (6 Stallions, 5 Mares, and 1 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 1
- Sudden / Acute: 0
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 1 (Stallion came in with broken leg)
Monday, September 4
Summary: Gather operations began at 7:49 AM and ended at 4:50 PM. Temperatures were between 65-82F. Gather operations briefly paused in the morning due to rain and wind.
Animals Gathered: 16 (5 Stallions, 7 Mares, and 4 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 40 (29 Stallions, 11 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 1
- Sudden / Acute: 0
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 1 (Stallion came in with blindness/eye abnormality)
Sunday, September 3
Summary: Gather operations began at 7:10 AM and ended at 4:00 PM. Temperatures were between 65-82F. A new trap site was used.
Animals Gathered: 34 (15 Stallions, 14 Mares, and 5 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals) 0 (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 0
- Sudden / Acute: 0
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
Saturday, September 2
Summary: Gather operations began at 7:30 AM and ended at 12:10 PM. Temperatures were between 63-66F. Roping aids were used on several horses; no injuries.
Animals Gathered: 5 (1 Stallion, 2 Mares, and 2 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals) 0 (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 0
- Sudden / Acute: 0
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
Friday, September 1
Summary: Gather operations began at 7:10 AM and ended at 5:18 PM. Temperatures were between 63-87F.
Animals Gathered: 26 (13 Stallions, 7 Mares, and 6 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals) 0 (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 0
- Sudden / Acute: 0
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
Gather Status
September 8, 2023
Animals Gathered: 122 Wild Horses (57 Stallions, 44 Mares, and 21 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 117 Wild Horses (53 Stallions, 42 Mares, and 22 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: 0
Animals Released: 0
Deaths: 4
-Sudden / Acute: 0
-Pre-existing / Chronic: 4
Scroll to the bottom of this gather page for detailed “Daily Gather Reports"