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CHALLIS, Idaho – The Bureau of Land Management will begin a wild horse gather today in the Challis Herd Management Area, approximately 20 miles south of Challis in Custer County, Idaho. The gather is necessary to protect the health of the wild horses that depend on the area’s rangelands, particularly during the winter, which have been heavily strained by long-term overpopulation and drought conditions.

Without active management, wild horse populations can grow rapidly and may double in size every four to five years. When populations exceed the Appropriate Management Level, forage and water become increasingly scarce. Horses might travel outside the Herd Management Area in search of resources, creating safety concerns and potential conflicts with private property. Overpopulation also increases the risk of horses experiencing starvation, thirst and injuries as they compete for limited forage and water. Continued overpopulation can result in habitat degradation, reduced forage availability for wildlife and livestock, and long-term damage to rangeland resources.

Scientific analysis estimates the Challis Herd Management Area can adequately support 185 to 253 wild horses. The estimated 2026 post-foaling population is about 330 horses, which is above the number range needed to maintain a healthy and sustainable herd and protect the rangeland resources. Due to overpopulation, the BLM plans to gather approximately 281 wild horses and remove approximately 146 animals to stabilize conditions on the range. 

Fertility control is also an important tool for managing wild horse populations. By limiting reproduction, fertility control helps balance herd numbers and can reduce the need for frequent, large-scale removals. During the gather, BLM staff plan to treat approximately 54 mares with fertility control and return them to the range.

BLM staff and contractors will conduct drive-trap gather operations in accordance with the Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program, which establishes science-based, humane handling requirements designed to protect wild horse health and safety. During gather operations, helicopter pilots and ground crews use controlled approaches to keep horses together and moving at a safe pace. Horses are not pushed to exhaustion, and special care is taken with animals that may be more vulnerable, including foals and older horses. Nationwide, more than 99% of wild horses and burros are gathered safely without a severe incident.

The Challis Herd Management Area encompasses nearly 164,720 acres, consisting primarily of BLM-managed land intermingled with State of Idaho and private lands. The Herd Management Area supports wild horses as well as native wildlife, livestock grazing and other authorized uses.

Following the gather, horses will be transported to the Challis Wild Horse Off-Range Corrals, where they will receive veterinary evaluation and care. As appropriate, horses will then be prepared for placement into private care through the BLM’s Adoption and Sales programs or into long-term contracted pastures.

Members of the public are welcome to view gather operations, provided that doing so does not jeopardize the safety of animals, staff or observers, or disrupt gather activities. The BLM will escort members of the public to designated observation sites on public lands.

All media and public visitors wishing to observe the gather must register by emailing [email protected]. Please provide your name, email address, phone number and the number of people in your party for each day you plan to attend. Gather operations are weather dependent and may change with little or no notice.

Once the gather is underway, updates and additional information will be posted at 2026 Challis Herd Management Area Wild Horse Gather | Bureau of Land Management.

For more information, contact [email protected].