The Bureau of Land Management concluded the Shawave Mountains Herd Management Area wild horse and burro gather
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WINNEMUCCA, Nev. – On August 24, 2020, the Bureau of Land Management, Humboldt Field Office concluded a wild horse and burro helicopter gather. The gather was located on the Shawave Mountains Herd Management Area (HMA) located approximately 20 miles southeast of Lovelock, Nevada. Approximately 466 wild horses remain in the HMA.
The BLM gathered 1,653 and removed 1,596 wild horses and removed 220 burros. A total of 44 mares will be released back onto the range on September 5, 2020. Mares identified for release were treated with the fertility control vaccine, Gona-Con to slow the population growth rate of the remaining population within the HMA. Gona-Con is a temporary fertility-control vaccine that can prevent pregnancy in wild horses for 1-2 years. If you would like to view the release of the mares, please RSVP to hohanlon@blm.gov for the meeting location and time.
The purpose of the gather is to prevent undue or unnecessary degradation of the public lands associated with excess wild horses and burros, 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.
By balancing herd size with what the land can support, the BLM aims to protect habitat for other wildlife species such as sage grouse, pronghorn antelope and mule deer. Removing excess animals will enable significant progress toward achieving the Standards for Rangeland Health identified by the Sierra Front-Northwestern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council also alleviating private land issues.
“The gather was critical to ensuring the health of public lands within the complex as well as the wild horses in the area, both of which are at risk due to herd overpopulation and severe drought conditions,” said Ester McCullough, Winnemucca District Manager.
The BLM transported wild horses removed from the range to the BLM’s Indian Lakes Off-Range Wild Horse and Burro Corrals located in Fallon, Nevada. The burros were transported to the Axtell Contract Off Range Corrals in Axtell, Utah. All the animals will be readied for the BLM’s wild horse and burro adoption and sale 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. For information on how to adopt or purchase a wild horse or burro, visit www.blm.gov/whb.
Additional gather information is available on the BLM website at https://go.usa.gov/xfRfE.
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.