2023 Reveille Herd Management Area Wild Horse Gather

Gather operations have concluded. The operation ran from July 1 - 3, 2023.

Purpose of Gather:

The purpose of the gather is to gather and remove excess wild horses from within and outside the Reveille HMA and to reduce the wild horse population growth rates to achieve and maintain the established AML. This action is needed in order to achieve and maintain a population size within the established AML, protect rangeland resources from further deterioration associated with the current overpopulation, and restore a thriving natural ecological balance and multiple use relationship on public lands in the area consistent with the provisions of Section 3(b)(2) of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971.

The primary issue in this HMA is condition and productivity of the arid rangeland, especially in relation to the population in excess of the established AML of 82-138 wild horses. The most recent frequency trend studies completed in the HMA indicate status and downward trends, particularly in the presence of key perennial grass species. The BLM made a determination, that excess wild horses are present and need to be removed based on a review of monitoring, inventory, climate and actual use data and other available information. Removing excess animals would enable significant progress toward achieving the Standards for Rangeland Health identified by the Mojave-Southern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council and stop negative vegetation trends in the HMA and surrounding area.

The Reveille HMA is currently not in conformance with the 1987 Settlement or the 2001/2002 IBLA Orders described above. The Appropriate Management Level (AML) is 82-138 wild horses. The current estimated population based on the February, 2023 inventory flight is 164-180 adult wild horses. Reveille HMA is considered to be within Department Of Defense (DOD) airspace, therefore the scheduling of any in-air activities must be coordinated with the DOD partners.

Details of Gather:

The proposed gather area is located within Central Nevada within the Great Basin. The 105,494-acre HMA resides inside the 650,520-acre Reveille Allotment and is located in Nye County, about 50 miles east of Tonopah, Nevada.

The BLM will conduct gather operations using the helicopter-drive trapping/roping, capture, and transportation of wild horses from trap sites to a central temporary holding facility and sorting and handling for fertility control treatment of released mares. This gather is classified as a catch-treat-hold-and release gather and BLM plans to capture approximately 129 wild horses and remove up to 76 excess wild horses within and outside of the boundaries of the Reveille HMA. In addition, up to 27 mares will be treated with GonaCon Equine fertility control and released back to range with approximately 26 stallions.

The post-gather estimated population goal is approximately 80-100 wild horses. The BLM expects the helicopter gather to take approximately 5-6 days.

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 will escort the public to gather observation sites located on public lands.

Once gather operations have begun, those wanting to view gather operations must call the 2023 Reveille HMA gather hotline nightly at (775) 861-6700 to receive specific instructions on each days’ meeting location and time.

Adoption Information:

Excess wild horses removed from the range will be transported to the BLM’s Ridgecrest Off-Range Wild Horse and Burro Corrals located in Ridgecrest, Calif., where they will be checked by a veterinarian and readied for the BLM’s wild horse and burro adoption program. Animals not adopted will be cared for in off-range pastures, where they retain their "wild" status and protection under 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.

For more information on the Wild Horse and Burro Program, call 1-866-468-7826 or email wildhorse@blm.gov.

Background:

The area is remote and rugged, with portions of four Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs) included within the proposed gather area, and portions of two WSAs within the Reveille HMA itself. Significant features are large flat valley bottoms and steep mountains with elevations ranging from 5,000 feet in the Reveille Valley to over 9,400 feet on Kawich Mountain.

The vegetation within the Reveille HMA consists primarily of salt desert shrub, black sagebrush, and pinyon-juniper woodlands. Noteworthy species include Indian ricegrass, needle-and-thread grass, galleta grass, bottlebrush squirreltail, winterfat (white sage), fourwing saltbush, shadscale, and bud sagebrush.

The Reveille area valleys receive less than five inches of annual precipitation, while mountaintops can receive as much as 16 inches. Since 1985, average annual precipitation at the East rain gauge (14 miles southeast of the HMA) has been 4.91 inches. Since 2014, average annual precipitation at the West rain gauge (within the HMA) has been 4.12 inches (this gauge was first established in 2013). Summers are hot and dry, with high temperatures in the 90s or higher. Winters are cold, with temperatures dropping below freezing and below zero degrees. The HMA receives snow during the winter, which ranges from several inches to nearly a foot in depth depending upon the severity of the winter, and elevation.

Daily Gather Reports

Wednesday, August 2, 2023

Summary: N/A

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 Stallions, *27 Mares, 0 Jacks, 0 Jennies)
- GonaCon Equine: *27 Mares received booster and released back into the HMA

Animals Released: 27 (0 Stallions, 27 Mares, and 0 Foals)

Deaths: 0

- Sudden / Acute: 0

- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0

* On 7/3/2023, Mares were treated with the initial shot of GonaCon Equine, held then received a booster on 8/2/2023 and released back into the HMA.

Monday, July 3, 2023

Summary: 76-93° F*, breeze, sunny

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

Animals Shipped: 37 (7 Stallions, 16 Mares, and 14 Foals)

Animals Treated with Fertility Control: (0 Stallions, 27 Mares, 0 Jacks, 0 Jennies)
- GonaCon Equine: *27 (27 Mares)

Animals Released: 30 (30 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)

Deaths: 0

- Sudden / Acute: 0

- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0

* Mares were treated with the initial shot of GonaCon Equine, they will be held for approximately 30 day, receive a booster and released back into the HMA.

Sunday, July 2, 2023

Summary: 70-93° F*, light breeze (of and on), sunny

Animals Gathered: 50 (**26 Stallions, 16 Mares, and 9 Foals)

Animals Shipped: 39 (26 Stallions, 13 Mares, and 0 Foals)

Animals Treated with Fertility Control: (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, 0 Jacks, 0 Jennies)
- GonaCon: 0 (0 Mares)

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

Deaths: 0

- Sudden / Acute: 0

- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0

** There was one additional stud not counted on July 2 - report has been corrected.

*Follow-up on the colt that passed on July 1, 2023. A necropsy was performed by the on-site APHIS veterinarian; the diagnosis was "Neurologic" due to spinal cord injury caused by blunt trauma to the lower neck, right side.

Examination: Skull and neck were skinned to look for signs of trauma. All major thoracic and abdominal organs were examined.

There was a rub mark above the right eye, no break in the skin. Subcutaneous tissues of the skull were normal. There was a small area (3cm) of bruising and hemorrhage in the musculature of the lower neck overlying the spinal column on the right side. No abnormalities were noted in the abdominal organs. Urine was normal straw colored. Chest cavity, heart and lungs were unremarkable. No other significant findings noted.

Saturday, July 1, 2023

Summary: 65-92° F*, light breeze, sunny

Animals Gathered: 83 (37 Stallions, 40 Mares, and 6 Foals)

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

Animals Treated with Fertility Control: (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, 0 Jacks, 0 Jennies)
- GonaCon: 0 (0 Mares)

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

Deaths: 1

- Sudden / Acute: 1

- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0

*A severely ataxic colt, approximately three months old, was hand watered and treated with electrolytes, anti-inflammatories and pain-relieving medications. The colt had a very guarded prognosis for recovery and past early evening, July 1. The on-site veterinarian will conduct a further evaluation in the morning of July 2.