The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Nevada’s Elko District, Wells Field Office began an emergency wild horse gather on May 8 in the Antelope Herd Management Area (HMA) to remove approximately 60 horses from private land near Boone Springs, approximately 40 miles southwest of Wendover, due to a projected lack of water this summer.

The BLM said it plans to use a water trap, consisting of corral panels stocked with water for this gather; no helicopters will be used. Because of the nature of this gather method, wild horses are reluctant to approach the trap site when there is too much activity. In addition, the gather operations are being conducted on private land. Therefore, only essential gather operation personnel will be allowed at the gather site during operations.

The Antelope HMA has an appropriate management level of 155-259 adult horses. As of March 1, 2016, the BLM estimated the population at 1,013 wild horses (not including foals born this year). The BLM Wells Field Office determined that despite above-average amounts of precipitation this winter and spring, there are still no known water sources in the area for wild horses to obtain water later this spring and summer.

The wild horses removed from the range will be transported to the Indian Lakes Facility in Fallon, Nevada