BLM Rounds Up Wild Horses in Fire-Ravaged Area
These Herd Management Areas (HMAs), as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) calls them, span thousands of acres each. Sands Basin is the smallest of the three and maintains about 70 horses. Hardtrigger HMA has 150 horses, and 80 horses call the Black Mountain HMA home. Sands Basin and Hardtrigger are both considered 100% burned in the Soda Fire, leaving only small islands of unburned land where the horses have gathered.
These islands, however, won't support the herds through the winter due to insufficient forage. Consequently, the BLM decided to relocate all horses from Sands Basin and Hardtrigger, and about a third of the horses at Black Mountain. The emergency horse gather began Thursday in the Sands Basin HMA.
Just after sunrise, a helicopter buzzed over an unburned island of land about one square mile in size. Dozens of wild horses started to trot as the helicopter herded them towards what BLM officials call a "trap."
"The wings of the trap are set up like a funnel, so when they come into the wings of the trap, they go into the corral. We then sort them, and they are transported to the Boise Wild Horse Corrals," said Heather Tiel-Nelson, public affairs specialist for the BLM.
A veterinarian will check each horse. The fire and its aftermath killed 35 horses, and officials hope to prevent further losses.
"These horses have been through a lot. The Soda Fire that swept through here really stressed the horses. The lack of forage and fire suppression activity also contributed to their stress," said Jason Lutterman, public affairs specialist for the Wild Horse and Burro Program.
The gather got off to a seemingly great start. A large group of horses trotted right up to the trap, but then they kept on going right past it.
"These Sands Basin horses are really smart. They've been captured before and are wise to the trap location," said Tiel-Nelson.
After a few attempts, the BLM decided to move the trap. With so much land charred, options were limited. Lutterman explained they try to position the traps as close to the horses as possible, which restricted them to the unburned basin.
Crews aim to make the gather as easy as possible on the horses.
"It's a pressure and release. The pilot is skilled at knowing when to apply more pressure to keep the horses moving in the right direction and when to release that pressure as they gently approach the trap," said Tiel-Nelson.
This process can take several hours, and the BLM will take as much time as needed. The Sands Basin gather is scheduled to finish Thursday, but Hardtrigger and Black Mountain are larger areas. There will be several trap locations, and the process could take multiple days.
The horses will all go to the Boise Wild Horse Corrals. Some will then be moved to larger corrals in Nevada, and some will eventually return to their HMA. The land may take several years to recover enough to support a full herd. About 100 of the horses will be available for adoption.
The BLM will host public tours to observe the horses at the corrals starting Monday, Aug. 31. Tours will run each weekday from 1-2 p.m.
Directions to the Boise Wild Horse Corrals: From Interstate 84, exit on Orchard Street (Exit 52) and go south for approximately 1.7 miles, which turns into West Gowen Road. Continue for 0.5 mile. Turn right (south) on Pleasant Valley Road and go approximately 4 miles. Turn right at the "Wild Horse Corrals."
Originally Posted By KTVB