Buck and Bald Complex Wild Horse Gather Begins

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Ely and Elko field offices are scheduled to begin gathering and removing wild horses from the Buck and Bald Complex on July 15. The Complex is located in the southern portion of Elko County and northwest portion of White Pine County.

The Buck and Bald Complex is comprised of the BLM-administered Buck and Bald, Butte, Cherry Creek and Maverick-Medicine Herd Management Areas (HMAs); and the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Ruby Mountains Ranger District-administered Cherry Springs Wild Horse Territory (WHT).

The BLM and Forest Service anticipate gathering up to 1,300 wild horses during the approximately 30-day gather period. About 700-800 head will be removed during this gather as the BLM strives to achieve an appropriate management level of about 500 on the range.

During the operation, BLM will be evaluating whether to return to the Complex later in the year as a pre-gather census conducted the last week in June indicates there may be more horses in the area than BLM’s estimates which were based on 2001 or 2002 census data. Additional census may be scheduled after the July gather to determine distribution and numbers of the remaining animals and if horses have moved into the Complex from adjoining HMAs.

The purpose of the gather is to maintain a thriving natural ecological balance between wild horse populations, wildlife, livestock, and vegetation, to improve watershed health, make "significant progress towards achievement" of Northeastern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council standards for rangeland health, and to protect the range from the deterioration associated with overpopulation of wild horses. The gather will also serve to collect information on herd characteristics and determine herd health.

The gathered horses will be transported to the National Wild Horse and Burro Center in Palomino Valley, near Reno, Nev., to be prepared for adoption through the BLM’s Adopt-a-Horse-or-Burro Program. To learn more about the program or to obtain an application, call toll-free (866) 4-MUSTANGS or visit the BLM Wild Horse and Burro website at www.blm.gov. Potential adopters can also call the National Wild Horse and Burro Center, in Palomino Valley, at (775) 475-2222.