ELY, Nev. (KTNV) — The Bureau of Land Management will begin a wild horse gather on July 14, within and outside of the Triple B Complex located in Elko and White Pine counties, about 60 miles north of Ely, Nevada.
The BLM plans to gather up to 1,900 horses and remove up to 1,800 excess wild horses using the helicopter-assisted method. Up to 100 mares will also be treated with the population suppression vaccine GonaCon and released back to the range.
The Triple B Complex consists of the Antelope Valley, Maverick-Medicine and Triple B Herd Management Areas.
The combined Appropriate Management Level is 482-821 wild horses.
In March 2022, the BLM conducted a helicopter survey. The estimated population is 3,475 wild horses within and directly outside of the Complex, over 4 times above the high end of established AML.
The purpose of the gather is to prevent unnecessary degradation of public lands associated with excess wild horses and to restore a natural ecological balance for public lands, consistent with the provisions of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.
The action is also necessary to reduce overpopulation of wild horses within and outside the Complex, where there currently is not enough water and/or forage to support the number of horses in the area.
“We conduct gathers like this to ensure that rangeland and wild horse health are not at risk due to herd overpopulation and severe drought conditions,” said Robbie McAboy, Ely District Manager. “We are always committed to conducting safe and humane gather operations as we work to protect animal health by bringing herd size down to AML in order to help restore a thriving natural ecological balance on the range and protect it from further deterioration associated with horse overpopulations.”
All animals identified for removal will be transported to the Indian Lakes Off-Range Wild Horse and Burro Corral in Fallon and Sutherland Off-Range Corrals in Sutherland, Utah.
Upon arrival to the facilities, all animals will be checked by a veterinarian and readied for the BLM’s wild horse and burro adoption and sale program.
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