The BLM said there is not enough water and forage to support the number of horses in the HMA's Boone Spring area. | Photo: iStock

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Nevada’s Elko District Wells Field Office is conducting an emergency wild horse gather from the Boone Spring area, located in the Spruce-Pequop Herd Management Area (HMA). The agency said there is not enough water and forage to support the number of horses in the area.

Michael Uhalde Livestock LLC will conduct the gather using the bait and water trap method; the contractors will not use any helicopters. The BLM plans to gather and remove approximately 300 wild horses from the range.

The Spruce-Pequop HMA is 138,000 acres in size and the Boone Spring are is in the HMA’s southern portion. The BLM estimates that there are 1,523 wild horses currently residing in the HMA; the agency set its appropriate management level at 57-82 wild horses