Bureau of Land Management to begin the Maverick-Medicine Herd Management Area Emergency Horse Gather
Media Contact
Elko, Nev. – On or about August 25, 2024, the Wells Field Office plans to begin an emergency wild horse gather on and around the Maverick-Medicine Herd Management Area (HMA) located approximately 62 miles southwest of Wells, Nevada. The agency will conduct gather operations utilizing temporary bait and water traps consisting of a series of corral panels stocked with water/forage; no helicopters will be used.
The Maverick-Medicine HMA encompasses approximately 286,460 acres of public and private lands and has an Appropriate Management Level (AML) of 166-276 wild horses. The last inventory was in May 2023 and the current estimated population is 1,042. The Agency plans to gather and remove approximately 100 excess wild horses that are impacted due to limited water resources. The most recent gather in the Maverick-Medicine HMA occurred in 2022, where 906 excess wild horses were removed.
The purpose of the gather is an emergency removal of excess wild horses due to limited water and declining body condition. The small springs in the area produce only limited amounts of water and cannot support the current population. In order to prevent undue or unnecessary degradation of the springs and the public lands within the HMA the Agency must reduce the number of excess wild horses.
“We are doing this gather to prevent approximately 100 horses from dying due to a lack of water,” said Elko District Manager, Jared Bybee.
The agency’s priority is to conduct safe, efficient, and successful wild horse gather operation 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 while meeting overall gather goals and objectives in accordance with the Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program.
All animals identified for removal will be transported to the Indian Lakes Facility, Fallon, Nev. 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.
Due to the nature of the bait and water trap method, wild horses are reluctant to approach the trap site when there is too much activity; therefore, only essential gather operations personnel will be allowed at the trap site during gather operations.
The BLM is conducting the gather under the DOI-BLM-NV-E030-2017-0010-EA Antelope and Triple B Complexes Gather Plan Environmental Assessment decision signed on December 21, 2017. Access the Decision Record can be found at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/84367/510 .
Gather reports and additional information will be posted on the 2024 Maverick Medicine Gather Webpage . For technical information, contact Bruce Thompson, Wild Horse and Burro Specialist at (775) 753-0200.
For information on how to adopt or purchase a wild horse or burro, visit www.blm.gov/whb.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.