Winnemucca, Nev. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Winnemucca Field Office will start an emergency gather to remove 330-340 horses from the North Stillwater Herd Management Area (HMA), beginning July 2 and lasting for five to 10 days. Immediate removal of excess animals is necessary because water and forage is extremely limited.

The North Stillwater HMA straddles the Churchill/Pershing County line, approximately 65 miles south of Winnemucca and 30 miles east of Lovelock, within Pershing County, Nev.

The herd population will be brought down to approximately 138 animals, which is the appropriate management level (AML). AML is an agency term used to describe the number of animals the landscape can sustain with adequate forage and water.

The gathered horses will be shipped to the Palomino Valley Center, near Reno, to be prepared for adoption or long-term holding. They will receive inoculations to protect them from disease and freeze marks with a unique number once they arrive at the facility. Many of the animals will be available for adoption or sale to interested members of the public within 45 days. 

The horses will be gathered with the assistance of a helicopter due to limited road access, terrain and animal behavior.