BLM NEWS RELEASE
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Elko District has tentatively scheduled two observation days—Friday, July 23 and Saturday, July 24—to provide the media and public opportunities to view ongoing BLM gather activities to remove excess wild horses in the Tuscarora gather area in Elko County, about 90 miles northwest of Elko, Nev.
The dates are subject to change depending upon weather and gather operations. These will be the only two observation days offered for this gather based on gather site location accessibility and private and public landownership.
The BLM will rendezvous with interested members of the public in Midas, Nev. at 7:00 a.m. and caravan to the gather site, which will be a two-hour drive from Midas. Four-wheel drive, high-clearance vehicles, appropriate shoes and clothing are recommended. The observation days will last approximately four to five hours, leaving the gather site between 1-2 p.m.
Members of the media/public may call Debbie Collins at (866) 468-7826 to sign up. In an effort to provide a safe environment for the animals, BLM staff, contractors and members of the public/media, requests will be accepted on a first come, first served basis and be limited to 10 people per observation day. Also, daily gather operations could be suspended if bad weather conditions create unsafe flying conditions.
The BLM is planning to remove about 1,137-1,197 wild horses located on the Owyhee, Rock Creek and Little Humboldt Herd Management Areas (HMAs), and including about 425 wild horses located outside the Rock Creek HMA.
The BLM estimates there are about 1,550 wild horses in the gather area and any horses gathered above targeted removal numbers will be released back to the HMAs so that the remaining population is within the appropriate management level range of 337-561. The mares released back to the range would be vaccinated with PZP-22 (Porcine Zona Pellucida) fertility control vaccine.
The gather, removal and fertility control are intended to slow population growth, maintain population size within the appropriate management levels and extend the time before another gather to remove excess wild horses would be needed. Additionally, adjustment of sex ratios of the gathered animals to be returned to the HMAs may be made to 60 percent male/40 percent female ratios.
Gather operations began on July 10 and are expected to continue through late July. To date, 636 excess wild horses have been gathered and 615 transported to the Palomino Valley Center outside Reno, Nev. and Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison, Utah. The public may visit the Palomino Valley Center during its regularly scheduled visiting hours Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to noon. At the Gunnison Prison Wild Horse Training Facility, the horses will be paired with inmates who will saddle train them and prepare them for adoption.
For more information, photos and updates on the status of the gather please visit the BLM website at www.blm.gov/nv/.
