Wild horses are pictured grazing in the Triple B Complex.

2025 Triple B Complex Wild Horse Gather

The Bureau of Land Management’s Elko District, Wells Field Office and Ely District, Bristlecone Field Office plan to begin the Triple B Complex Wild Horse Gather on or about November 1, 2024.

Purpose of Gather:

The purpose of the gather is to prevent undue or unnecessary degradation of the public lands associated with excess wild horses, 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. Removing excess animals would also enable significant progress toward achieving the Standards for Rangeland Health identified by the Northeastern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council.

The action is also necessary to reduce overpopulation of wild horses within and outside the Complex, where there currently is not enough water and/or forage to support the number of horses in the area, and to prevent further degradation of public lands by helping to balance herd size.

Details of Gather:

The BLM will utilize the services of a helicopter contractor to gather up to 2,255 wild horses and remove up to 2,155 excess horses. Up to 50 mares will be treated with the population suppression vaccine GonaCon and released back to the range with 50 stallions. During the gather, the BLM will collect information on herd characteristics and determine herd health.

Public Observation:

Members of the public are welcome to view the gather operations, provided that doing so does not jeopardize the safety of the animals, staff and observers, or disrupt gather operations. The BLM anticipates that viewing opportunities will begin on or about November 2, 2024, weather and logistics permitting. Please review the "Know Before You Go" and "Visitation Protocol and Ground Rules" documents, located on the right-hand side of this page, before planning to attend.

All media and/or visitors wanting to attend gather operations as an observer must RSVP to 775-296-0679 by 5:30 p.m. the night before the intended observation date. They will receive a call back no later than 9 p.m. with the observation schedule, meeting time and location. A Public Affairs Officer and/or a Law Enforcement Officer will meet the public each morning at the pre-determined meeting location, to escort the group to and from the gather observation and/or holding sites. Observers must provide their own transportation. The BLM recommends a four-wheel drive, high clearance vehicle with spare tires and extra can of gas.

Adoption Information:

Horses identified for removal will be transported to the Palomino Valley Center Wild Horse and Burro Corrals, in Sparks, Nev., and Indian Lakes Off-Range Wild Horse and Burro Corral, in Fallon, Nev., where they will be checked by a veterinarian and readied for the BLM’s wild horse and burro adoption program. Those that are not placed into a new home will be cared for in off-range pastures, where they live off the rest of their lives on grass pastures. For information on how to adopt a wild horse, visit www.blm.gov/whb.

Background:

The Triple B Complex is located in the BLM Elko and Ely districts on public lands administered by the Wells and Bristlecone field offices. The Complex consists of the Triple B, Maverick Medicine and Antelope Valley Herd Management Areas (HMAs). The BLM Elko District, Wells Field Office administers the Antelope Valley and Maverick Medicine HMAs. The BLM Ely District, Bristlecone Field Office administers the Triple B HMA. The gather may also take place in areas outside the Complex where wild horses have moved in search of food and water and are creating a public safety hazard by traveling across roads and highways.

The current population estimate for the Triple B Complex is 3,335 wild horses. Appropriate Management Level is 472-889 wild horses. AML is the level at which wild horse populations are consistent with the land’s capacity to support them and other mandated uses of those lands, including protecting ecological processes and habitat for other resources.

Access the decision record and determination of National Environmental Policy Act adequacy at https://go.usa.gov/xSYnE. For more information on the Wild Horse and Burro Program, call 1-866-468-7826 or email wildhorse@blm.gov

Daily Gather Reports

[Weekday, Month Day]

Summary: (Gather status, temp and weather conditions)

Animals Gathered: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)

Animals Shipped: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)

Animals Treated with Fertility Control: 0
- GonaCon: 0 Mares

Animals Released: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)

Deaths: 0

- Sudden / Acute: 0

- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0

Provide short description of each animal death