Wild Horse Group Advocates for Humane Bait Traps in Roundups

Wild horse advocates are urging the federal government to adopt more humane methods for gathering wild horses in Wyoming, proposing bait traps over helicopters. This debate highlights concerns about cost, effectiveness, and animal welfare.

Some wild horse advocates, including Linda Hanick from The Cloud Foundation, are calling for the use of pens near water sources instead of helicopters for gathering wild horses in southern Wyoming this summer. Hanick stated at a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) hearing in Rawlins that helicopter roundups are costly and not the most humane method.

BLM wild horse specialist Ben Smith acknowledged that while using pens around water sources might be cheaper, it takes longer to gather horses. BLM spokeswoman Serena Baker added that bait trapping is less effective in large areas like the 1.6 million acres managed by the BLM in southern Wyoming, as reported by the Rawlins Daily Times.

The Salt Wells Creek Herd Management Area, home to about 1,400 wild horses, has seen requests for the removal of horses from private land within its boundaries. The BLM maintains that helicopters are the most humane way to drive herds for collection, a practice supported by the Wyoming Farm Bureau.

Opposition to helicopter use was also voiced by Northern Colorado Wild Horse and Burro Partners at the meeting. An independent review suggested that the U.S. government should invest in fertility control rather than spending millions on housing horses in holding pens.

A panel from the National Science Academy's National Research Council concluded that the BLM's removal of nearly 100,000 horses over the past decade has not significantly reduced ecological damage or herd overpopulation. The panel recommended increased use of contraceptives and other fertility controls.

Despite support from livestock groups like the National Cattlemen's Beef Association for fertility control, there is resistance to reducing roundups. The conflict has grown as federal land managers face rising costs for food and corrals, limited space for new animals, and fewer public adoptions.

This year, the number of animals in holding facilities exceeded those on the range in 10 Western states for the first time since the Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 was signed. From 2002 to 2011, the BLM removed an average of 8,000 horses annually, spending over $40 million on holding facilities in 2012 alone.

For more information, visit the original article by WRAL.