Horses in the field.

2013 McCullough Peaks Wild Horse Gather

Gather Complete
1/21/13 - 1/31/13

Purpose of Gather:Wild Horse and Burro Logo

Each HMA has its own AML. That is the number of horses that can thrive in a particular area in balance with other resources and uses. When a herd exceeds its AML, it becomes necessary to remove some of the horses to ensure the health of the rangeland, wildlife and the horses themselves.

The AML of the McCullough Peaks HMA is 70 to 140 wild horses and the current population is 153 horses. The use of bait trapping to gradually remove excess horses through 2018 will help maintain a population of approximately 100 adult wild horses in the McCullough Peaks HMA.

Details of Gather:

The BLM Cody Field Office will gradually gather and remove excess wild horses from the McCullough Peaks Wild Horse Herd Management Area (HMA) using non-helicopter gather techniques. The removal began in mid-January and will continue for two to three weeks. The duration of the gather is largely dependent on weather conditions and may be longer or shorter than originally anticipated. The bait trap removal may continue at intervals, if necessary, through 2018, but only if adult horse numbers grow beyond the upper appropriate management level (AML) for the herd.

The Cody Field Office has been administering fertility control since 2009, and by way of field darting since spring 2011. The results of the fertility control program are beginning to be realized and should result in a stabilized population in the near future. However, the fertility control aims to level out the population, not reduce it, and currently the population is too large to maintain healthy horses on a healthy ecological landscape.

The Cody Field Office manages the McCullough Peaks HMA, located east of Cody and north of U.S. Highway 14/16/20. The HMA encompasses 109,814 acres of land, including the McCullough Peaks Wilderness Study Area.

Gather Reports

Monday, January 21

Summary: Temporary gather facilities were constructed today within the McCullough Peaks HMA.

Animals gathered: 0
Animals shipped:  0
Total Deaths Today:  0
Acute: 0
Chronic/Pre-existing: 0

Tuesday, January 22

Summary: Twenty-one horses were captured today, including three domestic horses. Six wild horses and the three domestic horses were removed and placed in the temporary holding facility. The remaining 12 wild horses were returned to the range.

Wild horses gathered: 18
Domestic horses gathered: 
Animals shipped:  0
Animals returned to home range: 12
Total Deaths Today:  0
Acute: 0
Chronic/Pre-existing: 0

Wednesday, January 23

Summary: Nine wild horses were captured today. Four were removed and placed in the temporary holding facility. The remaining five were returned to the range. In addition, the three domestic horses captured yesterday were removed today by the brand inspector.

Wild horses gathered: 9
Domestic horses gathered: 0
Animals shipped:  3 domestic horses
Animals returned to home range: 5
Total Deaths Today:  0
Acute: 0
Chronic/Pre-existing: 0

Thursday, January 24

Summary: Five wild horses were captured today. Two were removed and placed in the temporary holding facility. The remaining three were returned to the range. 

Wild horses gathered: 5
Domestic horses gathered: 0
Animals shipped:  0
Animals returned to home range: 3
Total Deaths Today:  0
Acute: 0
Chronic/Pre-existing: 0

Friday, January 25

Summary: No horses were captured today. Ten horses were shipped to the Mantle Wild Horse Adoption and Training Center in Wheatland, Wyo. 

Wild horses gathered: 0
Domestic horses gathered: 0
Animals shipped:  10
Animals returned to home range: 0
Total Deaths Today:  0
Acute: 0
Chronic/Pre-existing: 0

Saturday, January 26

Summary: Fifteen wild horses were captured today. Three were removed and placed in the temporary holding facility. The remaining 12 were returned to the range. 

Wild horses gathered: 15
Domestic horses gathered: 0
Animals shipped:  0
Animals returned to home range: 12
Total Deaths Today:  0
Acute: 0
Chronic/Pre-existing: 0

Sunday, January 27

Summary: One domestic horse was captured today. A new trap site was constructed. 

Wild horses gathered: 0
Domestic horses gathered: 1
Animals shipped:  0
Animals returned to home range: 0
Total Deaths Today:  0
Acute: 0
Chronic/Pre-existing: 0

Monday, January 28

Summary: Four wild horses were captured today. One was removed and placed in the temporary holding facility. The remaining 3 were returned to the range. One wild horse was also released from the temporary holding facility.

Wild horses gathered: 4
Domestic horses gathered: 0
Animals shipped:  0
Animals returned to home range: 4
Total Deaths Today:  0
Acute: 0
Chronic/Pre-existing: 0

Tuesday, January 29

Summary: Four wild horses and three domestic horses were captured today. One wild horse and the three domestic horses were removed. The remaining 3 wild horses were returned to the range. The three domestic horses captured today plus the one captured on 1/27 were removed by the brand inspector. 

Wild horses gathered: 4
Domestic horses gathered: 3
Animals shipped:  4 domestic horses
Animals returned to home range: 3
Total Deaths Today:  0
Acute: 0
Chronic/Pre-existing: 0

Wednesday, January 30

Summary: Ten wild horses were captured today. Five horses were removed and placed in the temporary holding facility. The remaining five, plus one from the temporary holding facility, were returned to the range. 

Wild horses gathered: 10
Domestic horses gathered: 0
Animals shipped:  0
Animals returned to home range: 6
Total Deaths Today:  0
Acute: 0
Chronic/Pre-existing: 0

Thursday, January 31

Summary: Ten wild horses were shipped today to Mantle Wild Horse Adoption and Training Center. Gather and removal operations are now complete in the McCullough Peaks HMA. A total of 20 wild horses and seven domestic horses were removed during the gather. 

Wild horses gathered: 0
Domestic horses gathered: 0
Animals shipped:  10
Animals returned to home range: 0
Total Deaths Today:  0
Acute: 0
Chronic/Pre-existing: 0

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A death labeled as "acute" is when an animal dies or is euthanized due to acute injuries or medical conditions brought about by the gather and removal process including those that occur during capture, sorting and holding at the gather site. This term will include animals that die for known or unknown reasons thought to be related to gather activities. 

A death labeled as "chronic/pre-existing" is when an animal dies or is euthanized for reasons related to chronic or pre-existing conditions such as body condition, lameness, serious physical defects, etc. This term will include animals that are euthanized for conditions not brought about by the gather activity.

Veterinary Reports

There are no veterinarian reports to display at this time. 

Adoption Information

Horses removed from the McCullough Peaks HMA will be available for adoption in April in Powell. Additional information about the upcoming adoption will be posted as it becomes available.

Those that are not adopted will be cared for in off-range pastures, where they retain their “wild” status and protection under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.

Cumulative Totals

Animals Gathered
72

Animals Returned to Home Range
45

Animal Deaths
0