BLM to begin gathering wild horses from Saylor Creek Wild Horse Herd Management Area

TWIN FALLS, Idaho–On about July 15, 2026, the Jarbidge Field Office will begin a wild horse gather in the Saylor Creek Wild Horse Herd Management Area (HMA), 15 miles south of Glenns Ferry in Owyhee and Elmore Counties. The BLM plans to gather approximately 100 and remove approximately 68 excess wild horses using the helicopter drive trap method. 

The Saylor Creek HMA has an established Appropriate Management Level of 50 wild horses. The estimated 2026 post-foaling population of the Saylor Creek HMA is 118 based on a direct population survey conducted in May. 

The management objectives are to maintain a 50/50 ratio of studs to mares. Approximately 16 mares will be treated with GonaCon-Equine fertility control vaccine then released back to the HMA along with 16 studs for an end population of 50 – anticipating that not all 118 horses will be gathered.  

The purpose of the gather is to prevent undue or unnecessary degradation of the public lands associated with excess wild horses and restore a thriving natural ecological balance and multiple-use relationship on public lands, consistent with the provisions of Section 1333(b) of the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. By balancing herd size with what the land can support and avoiding an overpopulation of wild horses on the range, the BLM aims to protect the habitat for other wildlife species such as sage-grouse, pronghorn antelope, mule deer and elk.

BLM’s priority is to conduct safe, efficient, and successful wild horse gather operations while ensuring humane care and treatment of all animals gathered. The BLM and its contractors are committed to using the best available science and handling practices for wild horses and burros while meeting overall gather goals and objectives in accordance with the Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program.

Members of the public are welcome to view the gather operations, provided that doing so does not jeopardize the safety of the animals, staff and observers, or disrupt gather operations. The BLM will escort the public to gather observation sites located on public lands.  All media and public visitors to the gather must sign up by emailing [email protected]. Please be sure to provide your name, email, phone number, and the number of people in your party each day before gather operations begin. Please note that gather operations are weather‑dependent and may change with little or no notice.

All horses identified for removal will be transported to the Boise Off-Range Wild Horse Corrals, 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. 

The BLM will temporarily close certain public lands around gather locations to public access in accordance with 43 CFR 8364.1. The closures are necessary to protect the wild horses, as well as public health and safety. BLM will notify the public about the duration and location of temporary closures in accordance with 43 CFR 8364.1, including on the gather webpage.

Once the gather is underway, reports and additional information will be posted at Idaho - Gathers & Removals | Bureau of Land Management For more information, contact [email protected].