The entire Hardtrigger HMA was burned by the 279,144-acre Soda Fire in 2015. The BLM gathered 279 wild horses (some of which are seen here) from all three affected HMAs following the fire to allow the rangeland to recover. | Photo: BLM Idaho Flickr

The BLM Owyhee Field Office is inviting members of the public interested in watching one of the releases to meet at the I-O-N Truck Plaza (5644 Buntrock Rd., in Marsing) at 10 a.m. on May 29 to caravan to the release location.

This release marks one of the final groups of wild horses to return to their home ranges in the Owyhee Mountains following emergency gathers due to wildfire. The entire Hardtrigger HMA was burned by the 279,144-acre Soda Fire in 2015. The BLM gathered 279 wild horses from all three HMAs (Black Mountain, Hardtrigger, and Sands Basin) in the Owyhees directly following the fire, placing more than 80 into private care through adoption.

As the 69,910-acre Hardtrigger HMA is the largest of the three, the wild horses will be released in multiple locations to disperse the horses throughout the HMA. The horses destined to return to the range were cared for at both the Boise Wild Horse Corrals and Bruneau Off-Range Corrals, both in Idaho, while the rangeland recovered from the burn