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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