2023-2024 McCullough Peaks Wild Horse Bait Trap Gather
Purpose of Gather:
The Bureau of Land Management Wyoming's Cody Field Office plans to begin the wild horse bait trap gather on or about November 27, 2023.
Despite the continued use of Porcine Zona Pellucida (PZP) since 2011, the McCullough Peaks wild horse population increases at an average of 2% annually, necessitating occasional, small bait trap gathers.
The purpose of the gather is to return the population to the high end of its appropriate management level while maintaining genetic diversity; selectively remove a portion of horses for placement into the adoption program; and capture, treat and release horses for application of fertility treatment. The gather will allow older horses to remain in the McCullough Peaks HMA.
This bait trap gather also gives us the opportunity to reset the sex ratio of the herd to a more favorable ratio. Currently, the sex ratio of the herd is 40:60 (stallions:mares), perhaps because PZP-treated mares generally have a longer lifespan than stallions. Mares that are treated with fertility control have better overall health, as they do not experience the biological stress of reproduction, foaling and lactation as frequently as untreated mares. Because of this, McCullough Peaks horses have an average lifespan of over 25 years, five years longer than the average lifespan of a wild horse.
Details of Gather:
The BLM Cody Field Office is conducting a wild horse bait trap gather operation in the McCullough Peaks Wild Horse HMA, just east of Cody. The BLM is using temporary bait traps consisting of a series of corral panels stocked with food and mineral tubs; no helicopters will be used.
The BLM plans to gather approximately 80 wild horses and remove approximately 35 to reach the high Appropriate Management Level of 140 horses in the HMA. Operations could continue into March.
UPDATE: The BLM has adjusted the anticipated number of wild horses that the agency intends to remove in order to reach high appropriate management level in the McCullough Peaks herd. On Jan. 1, 2024, wild horses born in 2023 were added to the total population*. The purpose of this gather continues to be to return the population to the high end of its appropriate management level, which would require the removal of approximately 43 wild horses.
*According to BLM Handbook H-4700-1, Wild Horses and Burros Management Handbook, "WH&B 1 year of age and older are considered adults. A foal is considered 1 year of age on January 1 of the year following its birth."
Mares due for their regularly scheduled PZP fertility control booster will also receive those during the gather operation.
Please see our Frequently Asked Questions for more information.
Learn more about the bait-trapping process here.
Public Observation:
Because of the nature of the bait trap method, wild horses are reluctant to approach trap sites when there is too much activity; therefore, only essential gather operation personnel will be allowed at the trap sites, and the spur roads leading to the trap sites, during operations.
Additionally, the recreational use of drones, which could disrupt horse movement, will not be allowed near the trap sites.
Adoption Information:
All horses identified for removal will be transported to the Rock Springs Wild Horse Holding Facility, where they will be checked by a veterinarian and readied for adoption. Information about how to adopt a McCullough Peaks wild horse will be posted at www.blm.gov/whb in early 2024 and shared via news release and social media.
Background:
The McCullough Peaks HMA is located east of Cody in Park County in northwest Wyoming.
The current population of the herd is 175* horses based on direct counts in 2023, while the appropriate management level is 70–140 horses. The BLM is conducting the gather under the McCullough Peaks HMA Bait Trap Gather Environmental Assessment. The environmental assessment, decision record and other associated documents are available at the BLM National NEPA Register.
While mares of the herd have been treated with fertility control since 2011, herd growth continues at approximately 2% annually. The reasons for this are that (1) several mares have not responded to PZP treatments and (2) the BLM allows each mare to foal once to provide genetic diversity to the herd. The BLM will continue to apply PZP but may implement the use of GonaCon-Equine on mares over the age of 13 that have already contributed to the genetic diversity of the herd and are not responding to PZP.
Learn more about the McCullough Peaks HMA at https://www.blm.gov/programs/wild-horse-and-burro/herd-management/herd-management-areas/wyoming/mccullough.
*175 reflects the most recent direct population count, a decrease from the previous count of 181, following the deaths of 6 horses from natural causes over the summer/fall.
- Daily Gather Reports
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Saturday, March 9
Summary: The final 15 horses were transferred to the Rock Springs Wild Horse Holding Facility today. This concludes the McCullough Peaks bait trap gather.
Animals Gathered: 0
Animals Shipped: 15 (11 Stallions, 4 Mares, 0 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: 0
Animals Released: 0
Deaths: 0
Friday, March 8
Summary: Ten horses were released back into the HMA today. Trapping is complete.
Animals Gathered: 0
Animals Shipped: 0
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: 0
Animals Released: 10
Deaths: 0
Thursday, March 7
Summary: Ten horses were gathered today and 10 were transferred to the Rock Springs Wild Horse Holding Facility.
Animals Gathered: 10
Animals Shipped: 10 (4 Stallions, 6 Mares, 0 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: 0
Animals Released: 1
Deaths: 0
Wednesday, March 6
Summary: Twelve horses were gathered today. No horses were transferred to the Rock Springs Wild Horse Holding Facility today due to poor road conditions.
Animals Gathered: 12
Animals Shipped: 0
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: 0
Animals Released: 0
Deaths: 0
Tuesday, March 5
Summary: Sixteen horses were gathered today. Conditions were partly cloudy, with temperatures in the 30s.
Animals Gathered: 16
Animals Shipped: 0
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: 0
Animals Released: 3
Deaths: 0
Saturday, March 2
Summary: Two horses were removed and transferred to the Rock Springs Wild Horse Holding Facility today.
Animals Gathered: 4. Two were removed (1 Stallion, 1 Mare, 0 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 2 (1 Stallion, 1 Mare, 0 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: 0
Animals Released: 2
Deaths: 0
Wednesday, February 28
Summary: Three horses were transferred to the Rock Springs Wild Horse Holding Facility today.
Animals Gathered: 0
Animals Shipped: 3 (1 Stallion, 2 Mares, 0 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: 0
Animals Released: 0
Deaths: 0
Tuesday, February 27
Summary: Three horses were removed today. Conditions were mostly cloudy, with temperatures in the 20s.
Animals Gathered: 11. Three were removed (1 Stallion, 2 Mares, 0 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 0
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: 0
Animals Released: 8
Deaths: 0
Saturday, February 24
Summary: Two horses were transferred to the Rock Springs Wild Horse Holding Facility today.
Animals Gathered: 0
Animals Shipped: 2 (2 Stallions, 0 Mares, 0 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: 0
Animals Released: 0
Deaths: 0
Friday, February 23
Summary: Two horses were removed today. Conditions were clear, with temperatures in the low 60s.
Animals Gathered: 3. Two were removed (2 Stallions, 0 Mares, 0 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 4 (1 Stallion, 3 Mares, 0 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: 0
Animals Released: 1
Deaths: 0
Thursday, February 22
Summary: Four horses were removed today. Conditions were mostly cloudy, with temperatures in the low 50s.
Animals Gathered: 14. Four were removed (1 Stallion, 3 Mares, 0 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 0
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: 0
Animals Released: 10
Deaths: 0
Wednesday, February 21
Summary: No horses were removed today.
Animals Gathered: 4
Animals Shipped: 0
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: 0
Animals Released: 4
Deaths: 0
Monday, February 12
Summary: No horses were removed today.
Animals Gathered: 2 (2 Stallions, 0 Mares, 0 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares 0 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: (0 Stallions, 0 Mares)
- PZP: 0 (0 Mares)
- PZP-22: 0 (0 Mares)
- GonaCon: 0 (0 Mares)Animals Released: 2
Deaths: 0
- Sudden / Acute: 0
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
Saturday, February 10
Summary: No horses were removed today.
Animals Gathered: 3 (3 Stallions, 0 Mares, 0 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares 0 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: (0 Stallions, 0 Mares)
- PZP: 0 (0 Mares)
- PZP-22: 0 (0 Mares)
- GonaCon: 0 (0 Mares)Animals Released: 3
Deaths: 0
- Sudden / Acute: 0
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
Friday, January 26
Summary: No horses were removed today.
Animals Gathered: 1 (0 Stallions, 1 Mares, 0 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares 0 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: (0 Stallions, 0 Mares)
- PZP: 0 (0 Mares)
- PZP-22: 0 (0 Mares)
- GonaCon: 0 (0 Mares)Animals Released: 1
Deaths: 0
- Sudden / Acute: 0
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
Wednesday, January 24
Summary: No horses were gathered today. The first horses removed from the HMA were shipped to the Rock Springs Wild Horse Holding Facility, where they will be checked by a veterinarian and readied for adoption.
Animals Gathered: 0
Animals Shipped: 3
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: (0 Stallions, 0 Mares)
- PZP: 0 (0 Mares)
- PZP-22: 0 (0 Mares)
- GonaCon: 0 (0 Mares)Animals Released: 0
Deaths: 1
- Sudden / Acute: 1
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
1-year-old sorrel mare. Veterinarian determined horse died due to a head injury.
Monday, January 22
Summary: The first horses of the bait trap operation were gathered. Conditions were sunny and calm, with temperatures in the upper 20s.
Animals Gathered: 10. Four were removed (2 Stallions, 2 Mares, 0 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares 0 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: (0 Stallions, 0 Mares)
- PZP: 0 (0 Mares)
- PZP-22: 0 (0 Mares)
- GonaCon: 0 (0 Mares)Animals Released: 6
Deaths: 0
- Sudden / Acute: 0
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
Gather Status
Animals Gathered: 90
Animals Shipped: 39
Animals Returned to Home Range: 51
Deaths*: 1
-Sudden / Acute: 1
-Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
*Scroll to the bottom of this page for details in the “Daily Gather Reports"