According to the Bureau of Land Management, federal land managers are proposing a massive fall roundup of wild horses and burrows. Reportedly, the agency wants to remove approximately 725 wild horses from public rangelands in southwest Wyoming to reduce two wild horse herds.
The wild horses will be captured from White Mountain and Little Colorado herd management units located northwest of Rock Springs, Wy.
Federal officials say wild horses have no natural predators, and they cite a reproduction rate among the herds of about 15 to 20 percent annually.
The BLM’s target management level in Wyoming is 3,263 wild horses.
The BLM's goal is to remove the excess horses and put them up for adoption as part of the agency's adopt-a-horse program. The agency also plans to use birth control methods on selected mares in the herds to reduce population growth over the next few years.
The primary capture method will include the use of helicopters to drive the wild horses into a temporary trap, according to BLM plans. Gathering operations are scheduled to start around Oct. 1.