WINNEMUCCA – Wild horses in the Jackson Mountains Herd Management Area are scheduled to be gathered on or around June 15 and continuing for 30 to 45 days by the Bureau of Land Management’s Winnemucca District Black Rock Field Office.
The BLM said they plan to gather approximately 300 wild horses from within and outside of the Jackson Mountains HMA, which is located about 40 miles west of Winnemucca. Declining health of the horses and a lack of water have spurred the gather. The BLM also cited unnecessary degradation of the public lands.
Temporary water and bait traps consisting of a series of corral panels stocked with water and hay will be used to gather the horses. The BLM said no helicopters will be used in the operation.
The Jackson Mountains HMA encompasses over 283,775 acres of public and private lands and has a history of water issues during dry spring and summer months. It’s estimated the herd is more than four times the size of the appropriate management level, with more than 900 wild horses at last estimate, not including this year’s foal crop.
Due to 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 operations personnel will be allowed at the trap site during operations. In addition, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no public viewing opportunities during gather operations or at the holding facilities. All essential gather personnel will be practicing social distancing during gather operations.
All horses identified for removal will be transported to the Indian Lakes Off-Range Wild Horse and Burro Corrals in Fallon where they will be checked by a veterinarian and readied for the BLM’s wild horse and burro Adoption and Sale Program. For information on how to adopt or purchase a wild horse or burro, visit www.blm.gov/whb.
Once the gather begins, gather reports and additional information for the “2020 Jackson Mountain HMA Emergency Wild Horse Gather” will be posted on the BLM website at https://go.usa.gov/xwNqn. For technical information, contact Garrett Swisher, Wild Horse and Burro Specialist at (775) 623-1534 or gswisher@blm.gov.
