Summary: The BLM has cancelled gather operations of the Pilot Mountain HMA.  The gather contractor conducted an aerial reconnaissance over a portion of the area on Saturday and found fewer wild horses in the HMA than predicted. Based on this reconnaissance and ground observations by BLM staff, the gather was cancelled.

A new aerial population census flight will be scheduled by BLM in the future to accurately determine if current population numbers of horses within the HMA are within the Appropriate Management Level (AML).

The nine horses that were held overnight at the temporary corrals were released this morning without the mares being treated with PZP. The gather contractor is removing the temporary corrals and Saturday’s trap site.

With the termination of further gather operations the planned guided-observation days on November 30-December 1 are also cancelled.

Saturday, 
November 27

Summary: Pilot Mountain HMA gather operations started this morning with a gather trap located off Finger Rock Road (off Nevada State Route 361). 

Ten horses (six mares and four older foals of weanling age) were moved from the north end of the Gabbs Valley Range to the gather trap today. No injuries. One mare was determined to be too old for treatment with PZP-22 and was immediately released. The other nine horses will be held overnight pending PZP treatment of the mares.

The contractor conducted an extensive aerial reconnaissance over much of the area today and is finding fewer wild horses than expected. A lowering ceiling with snow showers did not help visibility today.

Animals gathered: 10 (one released from the trap site)
Animals shipped: 0
Gather related animal deaths: 0
Cause: NA
Non-gather related animal deaths: 0
Cause: NA