2024 Red Rock Herd Management Area Bait and Water Trap Wild Horse and Burro Gather
Purpose of Gather:
The purpose of the gather is to prevent 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. The action is needed to achieve appropriate management levels within the Red Rock Herd Management Area.
Details of Gather:
The BLM plans to gather approximately 112 wild horses and 70 wild burros, remove approximately 92 excess wild horses, 70 excess wild burros and treat up to 10 mares with GonaCon Equine, a population suppression fertility control vaccine, before being released back to the range along with up to 10 stallions.
Public Observation:
Due to the nature of the bait and water trap method, wild horses or burros are reluctant to approach the trap site when there is too much activity; therefore, only essential gather operations personnel will be allowed at the trap site during gather operations.
Adoption Information:
All animals identified for removal will be transported to the Ridgecrest Regional Wild Horse and Burro Corrals in Ridgecrest, Calif. Upon arrival to the facility, all animals will be checked by a veterinarian and readied for the BLM’s wild horse and burro Adoption and Sales Program. For information on how to adopt or purchase a wild horse or burro, visit www.blm.gov/whb.
Background:
The Red Rock Herd Management Area is managed within the Southern Nevada District Office, by the Pahrump Field Office. The Red Rock Herd Management Area is located in southern Nevada, approximately 20 miles west of Las Vegas in Clark County.
The area consists of 157,443 acres of BLM land and 4,526 acres of a mix of private and other public lands for a total of 161,969 acres. The area is characterized as Mojave desert surrounded by high, rocky desert mountains. During the hot months of the year, the burros occupy areas characterized by ravines which supply shade, while horses tend to occupy the open country. During the cooler season, horses and burros use all of the Herd Management Area. Permanent water sources consist of springs found in the mid-range elevations along the slopes of the Spring Mountains. The animals can travel up to five miles and back every day for water during the drier part of the year. Animals drink at least once each day during the hotter part of the year, but can survive by drinking every second day during the winter and early spring.
The BLM is conducting the gather under the DOI-BLM-NV-S030-2013-0010-EA Herd Management Area Plan Environmental Assessment decision signed on May 10, 2022. The decision record and determination of National Environmental Policy Act adequacy can be accessed at the national NEPA register at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2006722/570.
The Red Rock Herd Management Area has an Appropriate Management Level of 16-27 wild horses and 29-49 wild burros. Based on the March 2024 population stats, not including this year’s foal crop, 114 wild horses and 191 burros are within and directly outside the management area.
For more information on the Wild Horse and Burro Program, call 1-866-468-7826 or email wildhorse@blm.gov.
- Daily Gather Reports
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Friday, May 3
Summary: Operations moved to baiting burro traps -- gathering of burros has not begun. Note: Gathered numbers are one day behind and updated the following day.
Animals Gathered: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals) 0 (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies and 0 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 13 (5 Stallions, 5 Mares, and 3 Foals) 0 (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies and 0 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: (0 Mares)
- GonaCon: 0 (0 Mares)
Animals Released: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals) 0 (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 1
- Sudden / Acute: 1
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
- 8-year-old Grey Jack found alone in open trap deceased with a soft tissue injury.
Thursday, May 2
Summary: Gather operations continued under sunny skies and temperatures 50 to 78 degrees. Note: Gathered numbers are one day behind and updated the following day.
Animals Gathered: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals) 0 (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies and 0 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals) 0 (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies and 0 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: (0 Mares)
- GonaCon: 0 (0 Mares)
Animals Released: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals) 0 (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 0
- Sudden / Acute: 0
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
Wednesday, May 1
Summary: Gather operations continued under partly cloudy skies and temperatures 50 to 75 degrees. Note: Gathered numbers are one day behind and updated the following day.
Animals Gathered: 13 (5 Stallions, 5 Mares, and 3 Foals) 0 (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies and 0 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 23 (10 Stallions, 9 Mares, and 4 Foals) 0 (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies and 0 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: (0 Mares)
- GonaCon: 0 (0 Mares)
Animals Released: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals) 0 (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 2
- Sudden / Acute: 1
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 1
- 5-year-old Cremello stallion humanely euthanized, acute condition - laceration to front leg with a poor prognosis for recovery
- 9-year-old Pinto Stallion humanely euthanized, pre-existing condition - lameness in left hind leg with a poor prognosis for recovery.
Tuesday, April 30
Summary: Gather operations continued under partly cloudy skies and temperatures 50 to 80 degrees.
Animals Gathered: 30 (15 Stallions, 11 Mares, and 4 Foals) 0 (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies and 0 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 46 (18 Stallions, 20 Mares, and 8 Foals) 0 (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies and 0 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: (0 Mares)
- GonaCon: 0 (0 Mares)
Animals Released: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals) 0 (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 0
- Sudden / Acute: 0
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
Monday, April 29
Summary: Gather operations began.
Animals Gathered: 54 (24 Stallions, 22 Mares, and 8 Foals) 0 (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies and 0 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals) 0 (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies and 0 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: (0 Mares)
- GonaCon: 0 (0 Mares)
Animals Released: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals) 0 (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 0
- Sudden / Acute: 0
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
Gather Status
As of May 3, 2024
Animals Gathered: 97
97 Wild Horses (44 Stallions, 38 Mares, and 15 Foals)
0 Wild Burros (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies, and 0 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 82
82 Wild Horses (33 Stallions, 34 Mares, and 15 Foals)
0 Wild Burros (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies, and 0 Foals)
Animals Treated with Fertility Control: 0
0 Wild Horses (0 Mares)
GonaCon: 0 (0 Mares)
Animals Released:
0 Wild Horses (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
0 Wild Burros (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies, and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 3
-Sudden / Acute: 2
-Pre-existing / Chronic: 1
Scroll to the bottom of this gather page for detailed “Daily Gather Reports"