2022 South Steens Wild Horse Gather
Purpose of Gather:
The gather is being conducted 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 Horses Act.
Details of Gather:
Helicopter drive-trapping operations will begin September 10, 2022, and are expected to last approximately ten days, though exact start and end dates will be determined by the contractor’s availability.
For the South Steens Herd Management Area, the Appropriate Management Level – the number of horses the range can sustainably support in conjunction with other animals and resource uses – is 159 to 304 horses. The current population estimate is 1,148 adults and 222 foals.
Approximately 750 (increased from 500 on 9/13/22 due to severe drought conditions) horses are planned to be gathered with around 50 to be returned to the range, including up to 25 mares treated with Zonastat-H fertility control. Post-gather population estimate is approximately 662 horses.
Public Observation:
GATHER CONCLUDED SEPTEMBER 15, 2022.
The public is welcome to view the South Steens HMA gather. You must call ahead, by 5 p.m. PST the previous day, to let us know of your planned attendance: 541-573-4519.
Travel to and from the capture site will be caravan-style, with observers in their own vehicles, following an agency representative. Observers must attend a pre-viewing briefing prior to departure to the HMA. Observers arriving at the viewing area without first attending a briefing or making prior arrangements with the BLM shall not participate in the observation day.
Observation is held on a first come, first served basis. Every effort will be made to accommodate everyone interested each day; however, participation may be limited and/or some days of the gather may not provide a viewing opportunity due to variable circumstances such as moving the trap location (not gathering), no safe area to view activity or disguise vehicles, rainy or windy conditions (not gathering), poor vehicle access, etc.
Notice on the days where no viewing opportunity exists will likely be given on short notice – perhaps the day before or the morning of the gather operation. You may attend multiple, consecutive observation days as long as you are within the first come, first served maximum (if one is set).
The number of media and public in the gather observation site may be limited in order to allow for social distancing. The CDC has offered guidance to help people visiting public lands prevent the spread of infectious diseases. We will continue to monitor all functions to ensure that visitors adhere to CDC guidance for mitigating risks associated with the transmission of COVID-19 and take any additional steps necessary to protect public health.
Access to and distance from the capture site location will be determined jointly by the Contractor and the BLM's Contracting Officer's Representative prior to gather operations. Safety of the horses, crew and public, is our top priority.
For more information and to find the progress of the gather and/or whether or not a viewing opportunity exists each day, first check our Social Media sites: Facebook or Twitter — you do not need to have an account on these sites to view the content. You may also call Tara Thissell, BLM Burns District Public Affairs Specialist, at 541-573-4519 or email tthissell@blm.gov.
Adoption Information:
Many horses from the South Steens gather will be available for adoption beginning in late December 2022 or early January 2023. Adoption horses have yet to be selected. The method of adoption (online event, in-person event, first come first serve, etc.) is still under consideration as well.
Background:
The South Steens HMA is about 70 miles southwest of Burns and 10 miles south of Frenchglen along Hwy 205 and the Steens Mountain south loop road. The area is in rugged high desert country and is characterized by extremely rocky surfaces divided by canyons, rimrocks and plateaus, dissected by perennial and intermittent stream channels.
The HMA is managed for pinto colored horses with above average conformation. Colors, however, range from pinto to buckskin, sorrel, bay, palomino, gray brown and black. The horses in this herd average anywhere from 14 to 16 hands in size and from 900 to 1,200 pounds.
RELATED INFORMATION
- Daily Gather Reports
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Thursday, September 15, 2022
Animals gathered: 125 (47 Stallions, 52 Mares, 26 Foals)
Animals shipped: 153 (60 Stallions, 64 Mares, 29 Foals)
Total deaths today: 6 horses with non-gather related / pre-existing conditions were humanely euthanized:
-20+ year old pinto mare in poor body condition (Body Condition Score 1.5), unable to maintain or improve
-Cremello horse colt with eye abnormality/blindness
-1 year old cremello stallion with eye abnormality/blindness
-2 year old cremello stallion with eye abnormality/blindness
-3 year old cremello mare with eye abnormality/blindness
-2 year old pinto mare with old break in hind fetlock, resulting in a collapsed hoofNotable: Gather concluded today.
Wednesday, September 14, 2022
Animals gathered: 103 (40 Stallions, 43 Mares, 20 Foals)
Animals shipped: 69 (23 Stallions, 30 Mares, 16 Foals)
Total deaths today: 0
Tuesday, September 13, 2022
Animals gathered: 0
Animals shipped: 34 (13 Stallions, 4 Mares, 17 Foals)
Total deaths today: 9 horses with non-gather related / pre-existing conditions were humanely euthanized
-12 year old pinto mare in poor body condition (Body Condition Score 1.5), unable to maintain or improve
-Sorrel horse colt with eye abnormality/blindness
-11 year old roan mare in poor body condition (BCS 1), unable to maintain or improve
-9 year old cremello stallion with eye abnormality/blindness and poor body condition (BCS 2.5)
-20+ year old sorrell stallion in poor body condition (BCS 1.5), unable to maintain or improve
-2 year old cremello stallion with eye abnormality/blindness
-20+ year old palomino mare in poor body condition (BCS 1), unable to maintain or improve
-Sorrel horse colt in poor body condition (BCS 1), unable to maintain or improve
-3 year old pinto stallion in poor body condition (BCS 1.5), unable to maintain or improveNotable: Gather extended mid-day to include an additional 250 horses due to severe drought conditions. Operations resume September 14.
Monday, September 12, 2022
Animals gathered: 136 (53 Stallions, 65 Mares, 18 Foals)
Animals shipped: 138 (69 Stallions, 69 Mares, 0 Foals)
Total deaths today: 2 horses with non-gather related / pre-existing conditions were humanely euthanized - 6 year old pinto mare with large cancer/tumor on face; 6 year old cremello mare with eye abnormality/blindness.
Sunday, September 11, 2022
Animals gathered: 164 (60 Stallions, 73 Mares, 31 Foals)
Animals shipped: 163 (48 Stallions, 80 Mares, 35 Foals)
Total deaths today:
5 horses with non-gather related / pre-existing conditions were humanely euthanized - 7 year old cremello stallion, 2 year old cremello stallion, 4 year old cremello stallion, and 2 year old cremello mare with eye abnormality/blindness; and, 20+ year old black stallion in poor body condition with missing teeth, unable to maintain or improve.
Saturday, September 10, 2022
Animals gathered: 225 (81 Stallions, 93 Mares, 51 Foals)
Animals shipped: 175 (57 Stallions, 69 Mares, 49 Foals)
Total deaths today: 0
Gather Status
GATHER CONCLUDED SEPTEMBER 15, 2022.
CUMULATIVE TOTALS
Animals Gathered: 753
Animals Shipped: 732
Animals Returned to Home Range: 0
Animal Deaths: 22
5, with non-gather related / pre-existing condition (September 11)
2, with non-gather related / pre-existing conditions (September 12)
9, non-gather related / pre-existing conditions (September 13)
6, non-gather related / pre-existing conditions (September 15)
Scroll to the bottom of this gather page for detailed “Daily Gather Reports."