2018 Antelope Valley Emergency Wild Horse Gather (Deer Spring)

The 2018 Antelope Valley Emergency Wild Horse Gather (Deer Spring) concluded on July 31, 2018.

The Bureau of Land Management, Elko District, Wells Field Office will begin an emergency wild horse water gather on or about July 20, from the Deer Spring area located in the Antelope Valley Herd Management Area (HMA)as there is not enough water to support the number of horses in the area. The gather will be conducted using the bait and water trap method; no helicopters will be used. The BLM plans to gather and remove approximately 250 excess wild horses.

Details of Gather

The Bureau of Land Management, Elko District, Wells Field Office will begin an emergency wild horse water gather on or about July 20, from the Deer Spring area located in the Antelope Valley Herd Management Area (HMA)as there is not enough water to support the number of horses in the area. The gather will be conducted  using the bait and water trap method; no helicopters will be used. The BLM plans to gather and remove approximately 250 excess wild horses. 

The wild horses in the Antelope Valley HMA have been determined to be excess and water resources in this area are experiencing quickly diminishing water flows. The BLM is supplementing the water supply at Deer Spring until the wild horses can be gathered. The Deer Spring area within the Antelope Valley HMA is not capable of sustaining the excess wild horses which rely on this water source. Deer Spring produces approximately 15 gallons an hour, which cannot sustain the more than 200 wild horses that have been observed on a regular basis waiting for water at this location.

Public Observation

The BLM will conduct this operation by using temporary water and bait traps consisting of a series of corral panels stocked with water and hay; no helicopters will be used.  Because of 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 operation personnel will be allowed at the trap site during operations.

Adoption Information

The horses identified for removal will be transported to the Indian Lakes Off-Range Wild Horse and Burro Corrals in Fallon, Nev., where they will be checked by a veterinarian and readied for the BLM’s wild horse and burro adoption program.  For information on how to adopt a wild horse or burro, visit www.blm.gov/whb.

Background

The Antelope Valley HMA is 463,540 acres in size and the area around Deer Spring is located in the northwest portion of the Antelope Valley HMA. 

Based on historic and current monitoring and observations there is insufficient water on public lands in the Dolly Varden Range, Antelope Valley HMA to support the current number of excess wild horses. Excess wild horses have been documented traveling to Deer Spring from the Dolly Varden Springs to water. Deer spring water flow can only support about 24 wild horses at best and this water source has been documented to completely stop flowing during the hot summer months.

The wild horses in the Antelope Valley HMA have been determined to be excess and water resources in this area are experiencing quickly diminishing water flows. The BLM is supplementing the water supply at Deer Spring until the wild horses can be gathered. The Deer Spring area within the Antelope Valley HMA is not capable of sustaining the excess wild horses which rely on this water source. Deer Spring produces approximately 15 gallons an hour, which cannot sustain the more than 200 wild horses that have been observed on a regular basis waiting for water at this location.