Calico Mountains Complex Wild Horse Gather

The Calico Mountains Complex gather is finished.  The BLM gathered and removed 1,922 excess wild horses from the five herd management areas that comprise the Complex.  By reducing the overpopulation of wild horses in this area, the BLM can avoid the potential or an emergency gather situation later this summer.

Based on aerial reconnaissance by the BLM an estimated 600 wild horses remain in the Complex, which is within the appropriate management level range of 600 to 900 animals established for that area.  In late spring, the BLM will conduct a comprehensive post-gather inventory of all the herd managment areas in the Calico Complex and the surrounding area.

The gathered horses were transported to the Indian Lakes Road Short-Term holding facility in Fallon, Nev., where they are being prepared for the BLM's adoption program or for long-term holding pastures. 

The goal of the BLM gather action was to reach a population level of 600 to 900 wild horses in the Calico Mountain Complex of five herd management areas in the Black Rock Desert.  That population range is what has been determined to be the appropriate number of wild horses that can be supported as healthy viable herds by the amount of forage and water available on these rangelands.

The population of wild horses before the gather was about 3,040 animals, which is 5.5 times the low range AML of 572 horses and about three times the land's full carrying capacity, or high range AML, of 952 horses.

The BLM gather operations are consistent with the provisions of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, which mandates that the BLM will remove excess wild horses to achieve a population within the established appropriate management level (AML), to protect rangeland resources from further deterioration associated with the wild horse overpopulation, and to achieve and maintain a thriving natural ecological balance and multiple use relationship in the area.

Monitoring studies indicate that the overpopulation of wild horses is causing resource impacts within the Complex, such as moderate to heavy use of rangeland vegetation and damage to sensitive riparian areas, which are springs, streams and seeps. The gather also will help ensure that there will be sufficient water and forage for the remaining 600-900 wild horses and burros, wildlife, and permitted livestock.