Category: Uncategorized

Bearing Witness

As winter rapidly approaches the high deserts of the Great Basin, the Bureau of Land Management has the thankless task of gathering overpopulated wild horses off our drought stricken and fire ravaged western ranges. The activists against responsible management have stepped up their game of protesting these gathers by taking legal action and stopping some of the emergency gathers. One of the tools in their toolbox is attending gathers, photographing them and sensationalizing any mishaps that inevitably occur in handling wild, unhandled animals. Yesterday a group of conservationists, myself included attended a gather north of the city. We had several large wildfires this summer and there is little forage left for any of the animals that live there.

The BLM’s 2026 North Complex wild horse gather will begin October 17, 2026, targeting about 320 horses to bring the population down to the 101–157 “appropriate management level” (AML)

Attending these gathers takes some commitment. You must notify the BLM of your intent. You then wait for a phone call the night before a gather operation. You are told where to meet the BLM officials conducting the gather early in the morning the day of. You are met by BLM wild horse and burro specialists, BLM law enforcement and other civilians who have been approved to attend. Then you convoy out to the gather site. The observers are usually placed about a half mile from the trap site, and this was true in our case. While you have a clear view of the helicopter bringing the horses to the corral it does not make for great photos. Too far, and 80-degree weather ruined my pictures with the heat haze that plagues long distance photography in the desert. You then are committed to staying at the observation site until the operation concludes for the day and the BLM escorts you out of the area.

A cowboy holds the prada horse, or judas horse. A horse released to lead the horses into the trap.

Access to the trap site used to be better. You could be pretty close and really see what was going on. Activists ruined that for everyone by behaving like lunatics, running out in front of the horses entering the trap and threatening BLM employees and contractors running the gathers. In one case they caused a horse death and an injury to a contractor.

Helicopter turning the horses into the trap

We observed a smooth operation, professionals doing their job professionally. Some of us are committing to attending more of these operations to counter the narrative of activists who claim the BLM is cruel and helicopter gathers are inhumane. I am planning to attend several this winter across the state to bear witness to the need for these gathers and to counter the drama that is being pushed by people who don’t want or understand the need for management. Some horses are going to starve in areas that legal injunctions have halted gathers. These areas have burned and forage is gone as we go into winter. Part of my plan is to document those horses suffering as well. It isn’t my dream to see and photograph this type of situation but the reality has not been adequately shared. Looking forward to long freezing days in America’s outback.

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Pronghorn hanging out near the trap site. They were unbothered by the operation.

Spring Hummingbirds with Pink Flowers

The hummingbird season was somewhat different this year. More of a steady stream of birds starting in the spring and continuing through the summer without the frenetic activity I usually see in August. Starting in May, I have Anna’s and Black chinned hummingbirds visiting my feeders and the early blooming pink flowers I have in their garden.

Trail Cam Catch Up

This summer was a tough one for the area with several large wildfires that burned right up to the city limits. At one point 90,000 people had to evacuate their homes. Around 50 homes were destroyed and at least 2 people lost their lives. We were a few blocks from the evacuation zone but thankfully did not have to leave. The sometimes-overlooked cost of these fires is the lost habitat and food sources for wildlife that occur. With critical areas burned animals are already making their way into urban areas to find food. The park I sometimes walk my dog at had a mother bear and two cubs darted and removed this last week. This area is well within the city and not normally considered bear habitat. With record snowfalls predicted as a historic El Nino is forming off the west coast we could have a terrible winter for wildlife.

Bear along the Truckee River

This is a crappy photo but is indication of the movement of wildlife in the wake of the fires. Bears live on the mountainous west side of town and rarely venture to the areas east of there because it is desert. I run my trail cameras along the river corridor east of the city. I collected my memory cards yesterday and was shocked to see a bear when going through the pictures. Over 10 years of monitoring this area and I have never seen a bear out there. Wolves have been spotted just north of the area as well. Maybe I will get lucky and catch one on the cameras.

I have not seen any mountain lions for a few months. It may explain why I am seeing a lot of bobcats.

Bobcat with a muskrat
Trail Camera[MP:00]
Trail Camera[MP:00]

I think it is going to be an interesting winter for wildlife monitoring. We shall see what we see.

Video Variety

Same camera set captured a variety of creatures over the last couple of weeks.

Curious Raccoon
Mama Mallard with ducklings
Mouse
Standing Beaver
Mr. and Mrs. Beaver
Mystery animals passing just out of sight. You can see their eyes. I suspect coyotes.

The Bald Bird

I haven’t made the trip up to the Klamath Basin to see the Bald Eagles for a few years. A visit several years ago was disappointing with lack of water and wildlife in the midst of drought. We have had a couple of decent winters, so I went. It was pleasantly surprising to see all the waterways full to overflowing. Wildlife was there in abundance and of course the stars of the show, the Bald Eagles were plentiful.

Argenta Wildlife Management Area

The AWMA is a relatively new wildlife area that was created from a historic ranch property along the Humboldt River on the outskirts of Battle Mountain Nevada. I follow several wildlife pages on Facebook and have seen some good photos from a local photographer who visits the area regularly. I took a trip out there yesterday. It wasn’t productive from a wildlife photography standpoint, but I had the property to myself. I had a pleasant few miles of walking through the area. I thought it might be too early for a lot of bird life, and it was, but the habitat is healthy and looks like it supports many species. I will visit again when the birds are present.

The loading chute at the abandoned ranch at the center of the property

I think this is an old fuel tank for the ranch.

The Humboldt. It will be a trickle in the summer but is flowing full with snow run off.

The Machine Shop

Abandoned ranch house. I think that autumn photos here would be pretty.

Pronghorn

I have been going out in the evenings trying to find owls to photograph. Barn Owls and Short-eared owls often fly at dusk this time of year. No luck with owls thus far but I did run into this nice little band of Pronghorn. They are my favorite animal. They look so exotic for the sagebrush steppe. Like something that would be more at home in Africa. Their huge eyes and unique colors make them a beautiful contrast on the drab winter landscape.