Wild Horses Rounded Up After Soda Fire: A BLM Emergency Gather

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 sort of set up like a funnel, so when they come in to 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 out each horse. The fire and aftermath killed 35 horses, and officials hope they won't lose more.

"These horses have been through a lot. The Soda Fire that came through here really stressed the horses, the lack of forage, the fire suppression activity also can play a role in stressing out the horses," 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, really smart. They've been captured before and so they are smart to the trap location," said Tiel-Nelson.

After a few attempts, the BLM decided it was time to move the trap. With so much land charred, they didn't have a lot of options. Lutterman explained they try to get the traps as close to the horses as possible, and that limited them to the unburned basin.

Crews want to make the gather as easy as possible on the horses.

"It's a pressure and release. That pilot is really good at being able to understand when to apply more pressure to keep those horses pointed in the right direction, and when to release that pressure when they are just gently bringing themselves towards the trap," said Tiel-Nelson.

It's a process that can take several hours, and the BLM will take as much time as needed. The Sands Basin gather is scheduled to be finished Thursday, but Hardtrigger and Black Mountain are bigger 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 go to larger corrals in Nevada, and some will eventually be returned to their HMA. The land can take several years to recover to the point of supporting a full herd. About 100 of the horses will be made available to adopt.

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