2023 Desatoya Wild Horse Gather
Purpose of Gather:
The purpose of the gather is critical to prevent native bunch grasses, the primary forage for wild horses and some wildlife species from being over grazed. Over grazing native bunch grasses can lead to the loss of the grasses, depriving wild horses and other grazing animals of the forage that they require to survive. Riparian areas are also being overused; these areas are critical for many species of native wildlife, and two creeks within the HMA provide habitat for Lahontan cutthroat trout (a threatened species). Overuse of riparian areas and creeks causes erosion and loss of native vegetation, which leads to a decrease in water quality that can adversely affect Lahontan cutthroat trout and other aquatic species. undue or unnecessary degradation of the public lands associated with excess wild horses, and to 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.
Details of Gather:
The BLM will conduct gather operations using helicopters. The BLM plans to gather 122 wild horses, remove approximately 24 excess wild horse, and treat up to 49 mares with a population suppression vaccine GonaCon and release them back to the range along with possibly stallions. Once gather operations are completed, approximately 128 wild horses will remain in the HMA. The gather is expected to last approximately seven days.
Public Observation:
All media and/or visitors wanting to go to the gather site the following day will need to call the Desatoya Wild Horse Gather information hotline nightly no later than 5:00 p.m. at (775) 885-6101 to RSVP. The meeting time and location will be available by calling the hotline. If no RSVPs are received by 5:00 p.m., no public viewing will be available the following day.
Adoption Information:
Animals removed from the Desatoya Herd Management Area will be made available for adoption or purchase at Palomino Valley Off-Range Wild Horse and Burro Corrals, located in Reno, NV through the Wild Horse and Burro Adoption and Sales Program. Those that are not placed into a new home will be cared for in off-range pastures, where they live off the rest of their lives on grass pastures.
https://www.blm.gov/programs/wild-horse-and-burro/adoption-and-sales/how-to-adopt
Background:
The Desatoya HMA is managed within the Carson City District Office, by the Stillwater Field Office. The HMA is located about 60 miles east of Fallon, NV in Churchill and Lander Counties, Nevada. The HMA falls within the Edwards Creek Grazing Allotment, Cold Springs pasture of the Clan Alpine Grazing Allotment, Porter Canyon Grazing Allotment, and South Smith Creek Grazing Allotment.
The Desatoya HMA contains 161,678 acres of public and private lands (157,836 acres of which are public), consisting of a vast, diverse, and remote landscape.
The area is typical of the Western Great Basin region, characterized by north-south trending mountain range. Significant features are steep mountains with elevations ranging from about 4,500 feet on the valley floors to 10,000 feet atop the mountain peaks. The area is remote and rugged. Vegetation in the HMA consists primarily of pinion-pine on the upper slopes that transition to sagebrush on the lower slopes. Big sage, black sage, and other “salt desert shrub” type communities are common.
The BLM last conducted a gather of wild horses from the Desatoya HMA in January 2022 due to overpopulation and to treat mares with fertility control. The current estimated population is 152 wild horses in the Desatoya HMA. Appropriate Management Level is 127-180 wild horses.
- Daily Gather Reports
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Saturday, Sept. 30
Summary: Gather operations concluded with temperatures between 43 and 69 degrees and rain.
Animals Gathered: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 12 (0 Stallions, 6 Mares, and 6 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: (33 Mares)
- GonaCon: 33 (33 Mares)Animals Released: 24 (12 Stallions, 12 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 1
- Sudden / Acute: 1
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
25+ year old Red Roan mare died unexpectedly: head fracture.
Friday, Sept. 29
Summary: Gather continued under clear skies and temperatures between 49 and 76 degrees with light winds.
Animals Gathered: 6 (2 Stallions, 4 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: (0 Mares)
- GonaCon: 0 (0 Mares)Animals Released: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 0
- Sudden / Acute: 0
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
Thursday, Sept. 28
Summary: Gather continued under clear skies and temperatures between 45 and 76 degrees with light winds.
Animals Gathered: 14 (4 Stallions, 7 Mares, and 3 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: (0 Mares)
- GonaCon: 0 (0 Mares)Animals Released: 2 (2 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 0
- Sudden / Acute: 0
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
Wednesday, Sept. 27
Summary: Gather continued under clear skies and temperatures between 46 and 79 degrees with light winds.
Animals Gathered: 14 (2 Stallions, 12 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: (0 Mares)
- GonaCon: 0 (0 Mares)Animals Released: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 0
- Sudden / Acute: 0
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
Tuesday, Sept. 26
Summary: Gather continued under clear skies and temperatures between 47 and 73 degrees with light winds.
Animals Gathered: 15 (3 Stallions, 9 Mares, and 3 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: (0 Mares)
- GonaCon: 0 (0 Mares)Animals Released: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 0
- Sudden / Acute: 0
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
Monday, Sept. 25
Summary: Gather began with temperatures between 43 and 79 degrees and gusty winds. Operations shut down at 1 p.m. due to high winds.
Animals Gathered: 10 (3 Stallions, 7 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: (0 Mares)
- GonaCon: 0 (0 Mares)Animals Released: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 0
- Sudden / Acute: 0
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
News
Gather Status
As of Sept. 30, 2023.
Animals Gathered: 59
59 Wild Horses (14 Stallions, 39 Mares, and 6 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 12
12 Wild Horses (0 Stallions, 6 Mares, and 6 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: 33
33 Wild Horses (0 Stallions, 33 Mares, and 0 Foals)
GonaCon: 33 (33 Mares)
Animals Released:
26 Wild Horses (14 Stallions, 12 Mares, and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 1
-Sudden / Acute: 1
-Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
Scroll to the bottom of this gather page for detailed “Daily Gather Reports"