Bureau of Land Management concludes the FY2024 Caliente Complex Bait and Water Trap Wild Horse Gather

CALIENTE, Nev. – The Bureau of Land Management concluded the FY2024 Caliente Complex Bait and Water Trap Wild Horse Gather near Caliente, Nev., on June 29, 2024. The BLM gathered and removed 382 excess wild horses from public lands; removed animals include any mortalities. Gather operations were conducted using the water and bait trap method.

The purpose of the gather was to prevent undue or unnecessary degradation of the public lands associated with excess wild horses and restore a thriving natural ecological balance and multiple-use relationship on public lands.

The gather was conducted in compliance with the provisions of Section 1333(b) of the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. Removing excess animals supports significant progress toward achieving the Standards for Rangeland Health identified by the Mojave-Southern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council. In addition, by balancing herd size with what the land can support, the BLM aims to protect habitat for such wildlife species as desert tortoise, pronghorn antelope, mule deer and Rocky Mountain elk.

“By conducting this gather, the BLM was able to reduce the risk of starvation and thirst for the wild horses in the area while making progress toward achieving a thriving natural ecological balance on public lands,” said BLM Ely District Manager Robbie McAboy.

The BLM transported the animals removed from the range to the Axtell off-range corrals, in Axtell, Utah; Delta Wild Horse and Burro Facility, in Delta, Utah; and Sutherland off-range corrals, in Sutherland, Utah, to be readied for the BLM’s wild horse and burro Adoption and Sales Program. Wild horses not adopted or sold will be placed in long-term pastures where they will be humanely cared for and retain their “wild” status and protection under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.

Additional gather information is available on the BLM website at https://www.blm.gov/programs/wild-horse-and-burro/herd-management/gathers-and-removals/nevada-ely-do/2024-caliente.