2024 Nevada Wild Horse Range Wild Horse Gather
Purpose of Gather:
The purpose of the gather is to prevent wild horse numbers from exceeding high-end Appropriate Management Level and to 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 Horses and Burros Act. The action is also necessary to reapply fertility control to mares within the HMA to help reduce the overall population growth of wild horses in the management area.
Details of Gather:
The BLM plans to gather approximately 350 wild horses, remove approximately 138 excess wild horses, treat up to 106 mares with GonaCon Equine, a population suppression fertility control vaccine, and release approximately 212 wild horses.
Public Observation:
The Nevada Wild Horse Range is entirely inside the Nevada Test and Training Range; therefore, only essential gather operations personnel will be allowed at the trap site during gather operations.
Adoption Information:
All animals identified for removal will be transported to the Ridgecrest Regional Wild Horse and Burro Corrals in Ridgecrest, Calif. Upon arrival to the facility, all animals will be checked by a veterinarian and readied for the BLM’s wild horse and burro Adoption and Sales Program.
Background:
The Nevada Wild Horse Range Herd Management Area encompasses over 1.3 million acres of public lands and lies entirely inside the Nevada Test and Training Range. The Herd Management Area has an Appropriate Management Level of 300-500 wild horses. Based on the March 2023 population stats, 438 wild horses are estimated to be within the management area.
The BLM’s priority is to conduct safe, efficient, and successful wild horse and burro gather operations while ensuring humane care and treatment of all animals gathered. The BLM and its contractors are committed to using the best available science and handling practices for wild horses and burros while meeting overall gather goals and objectives in accordance with the Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program.
The BLM is conducting the gather under DOI-BLM-NV-S030-2020-0003-EA Nevada Wild Horse Range HMA Wild Horse Gather Plan signed in November of 2020. Access to the Decision Record is available at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/1504061/510.
- Daily Gather Reports
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Thursday, December 14
Summary: Gather operations concluded under clear skies with temperatures 20 to 48 degrees.
Animals Gathered: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 40 (0 Stallions, 27 Mares, and 13 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: (0 Stallions, 109 Mares)
- GonaCon: 109 (109 Mares)Animals Released: 112 (0 Stallions, 109 Mares, and 3 Foals)
Deaths: 3
- Sudden / Acute: 1
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 2
3 year-old Bay mare, club foot, humanely euthanized.
25 year-old Buckskin mare, no teeth, humanely euthanized.
12 year-old Bay mare, fractured front radius, humanely euthanized.
Wednesday, December 13
Summary: Trapping operations concluded under partly cloudy skies with temperatures 24 to 43 degrees and wind gusts to 10 mph.
Animals Gathered: 11 (4 Stallions, 7 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: (0 Stallions, 0 Mares)
- GonaCon: 0 (0 Mares)Animals Released: 52 (52 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 2
- Sudden / Acute: 0
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 2
30 year-old Bay stallion, club foot, humanely euthanized.
3 year-old Bay stallion, club foot, humanely euthanized.
Tuesday, December 12
Summary: Operations continued under partly cloudy skies with temperatures 20 to 52 degrees.
Animals Gathered: 34 (11 Stallions, 21 Mares, and 2 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 39 (26 Stallions, 13 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: (0 Stallions, 0 Mares)
- GonaCon: 0 (0 Mares)Animals Released: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 0
- Sudden / Acute: 0
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
Monday, December 11
Summary: Operations continued under partly cloudy skies, temperatures 20 to 52 degrees and mild winds.
Animals Gathered: 141 (41 Stallions, 90 Mares, and 10 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: (0 Stallions, 0 Mares)
- GonaCon: 0 (0 Mares)Animals Released: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 0
- Sudden / Acute: 0
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
Sunday, December 10
Summary: Operations continued under clear skies, temperatures 20 to 50 degrees and mild winds.
Animals Gathered: 63 (25 Stallions, 34 Mares, and 4 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: (0 Stallions, 0 Mares)
- GonaCon: 0 (0 Mares)Animals Released: 1 (1 Stallion, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 0
- Sudden / Acute: 0
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
Saturday, December 9
Summary: Operations continued under clear skies, temperatures 20 to 38 degrees and mild winds. No trapping operations today.
Animals Gathered: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 58 (11 Stallions, 33 Mares, and 14 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: (0 Stallions, 0 Mares)
- GonaCon: 0 (0 Mares)Animals Released: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 1
- Sudden / Acute: 1
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
18 year-old Buckskin mare, fractured right front radius, humanely euthanized.
Friday, December 8
Summary: Gather began under clear skies, temperatures 24 to 40 degrees and 17 mph winds.
Animals Gathered: 60 (11 Stallions, 35 Mares, and 14 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: (0 Stallions, 0 Mares)
- GonaCon: 0 (0 Mares)Animals Released: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 1
- Sudden / Acute: 1
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
3 year-old Bay mare, fractured neck or back, humanely euthanized.
News
Gather Status
Gather concluded on Dec. 14, 2023
Animals Gathered: 309
309 Wild Horses (92 Stallions, 187 Mares, and 30 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 137
137 Wild Horses (37 Stallions, 73 Mares, and 27 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: 109
109 Wild Horses (0 Stallions, 109 Mares, and 0 Foals)
GonaCon: 109 (109 Mares)
Animals Released:
165 Wild Horse (53 Stallions, 109 Mares, and 3 Foals)
Deaths: 7
-Sudden / Acute: 3
-Pre-existing / Chronic: 4
Scroll to the bottom of this gather page for detailed “Daily Gather Reports"