2018 OUTSIDE GOSHUTE WILD HORSE GATHER

This gather is complete as of July 12, 2018

The Bureau of Land Management, Elko District, Wells Field Office will begin a wild horse water and bait trap gather on or about June 18. Corrals will be placed near the Ferguson Springs area located just outside of the Goshute Herd Management Area (HMA). The BLM plans to gather and remove approximately 125 excess wild horses. The wild horses in the Ferguson Springs area have been determined to be excess, directly impacting a private land owner and creating a public safety issue with wild horses crossing Alternate U.S. Highway 93. The excess wild horses who water at Ferguson Springs cross the highway to graze farther outside of the HMA boundary, creating public safety concerns and private land issues.

Details of Gather

The Bureau of Land Management, Elko District, Wells Field Office will begin a wild horse water and bait trap gather on or about June 25.  Corrals will be placed near the Ferguson Springs area located just outside of the Goshute Herd Management Area (HMA). Gather goal is 125 wild horses.

The wild horses in the Ferguson Springs area have been determined to be excess, directly impacting a private land owner and creating a public safety issue with wild horses crossing Alternate U.S. Highway 93. The excess wild horses who water at Ferguson Springs cross the highway to graze farther outside of the HMA boundary, creating public safety concerns and private land issues.

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 Ferguson Springs are located on private land about one-third of a mile west of Alternate U.S. Highway 93. The wild horses in the Ferguson Springs area have been determined to be excess, directly impacting a private land owner and creating a public safety issue with wild horses crossing Alternate U.S. Highway 93. The excess wild horses who water at Ferguson Springs cross the highway to graze farther outside of the HMA boundary, creating public safety concerns and private land issues.

The Goshute HMA is approximately 250,800 acres in size and the area around Ferguson Springs is located just east of the HMA Boundary. The southern portion of the Goshute HMA is very dry with very few perennial waters. The limited water resources are small seeps that are mainly found in the mountains. Ferguson Springs is located about 22 miles southwest of Wendover, NV on private land (80 acres) just outside the Goshute HMA.