Between November 3rd, 2012, and November 11th, 2012, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) conducted the first roundup for the removal of horses in the Wassuk Herd Management Area (HMA). BLM documents indicate that the population in the Wassuk HMA remained at or below the Allowable Horse Management Level (AML) for nearly 30 years. The BLM claims to have no idea why this was the case, or why, in 2008, the population of wild horses started to increase. Livestock grazing permit renewal documents, however, indicate that mountain lions were present in the area for much of that time.
Location and Management
The Wassuk HMA is located within the administrative jurisdiction of the BLM Carson City District (CCDO) within Lyon and Mineral Counties, Nevada (NV). It is approximately 12 miles east-southeast of Yerington, NV, and west of Walker Lake. Wassuk encompasses approximately 51,750 acres and consists of north-south trending mountain ranges surrounded by valley bottoms.
The BLM's Allowable Wild Horse Management Level (AML) is between 110-165, in which livestock are allotted 2-3 times more forage than horses.
Roundup Details
Out of 623 wild horses living on the Wassuk HMA, 457 were rounded up and removed. The original plan was to vaccinate horses with fertility control and release them back on the range. The BLM decided that due to 'poor body condition of the majority of the gathered horses, along with impacts of overpopulation and drought', the horses were instead relocated to the Palomino Valley Center near Reno, Nevada.
Casualties
There were 5 deaths during the 8-day roundup:
- Sorrel yearling stud colt, body condition 2, and swayback multiple synovitis
- Bay stud, age 7, body condition 2, and swayback
- Bay mare, age 11, body condition 2, and icterus (jaundice)
- Blue roan mare, age 4, body condition 2, blind in one eye, and water belly (ascites)
- Bay mare, age unknown, body condition 2, unable to stand on her own and was euthanized in the field (this horse was not gathered so is not counted in the capture total)
Field Observations
An observer from the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign) was in the field during this roundup and filed the following video reports. One of the videos shows the horrendous treatment of an exhausted mare, who collapsed, was roped, sat upon by wranglers, dragged by her mane and tail into the trap, then killed by BLM the next day.