Up to 100 wild horses will be targeted in a gathering effort announced by the Bureau of Land Management last week. The horses are those that have strayed from the Herd Management Area onto private lands in northwestern Colorado. The Douglas Herd Management Area covers 300-square-miles southwest of Meeker. “The BLM is committed to maintaining a healthy wild horse population on healthy rangelands in the [Herd Management Area],” shares BLM White River Field Manager Kent Walter. “Wild horses that stray from the established Herd Management Area need to be removed to reduce conflicts with other resources and private land under the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.” The BLM primarily uses a helicopter drive trap method to gather the horses from private lands in the Cathedral Creek area. If less than 100 are gathered, the BLM may decide to gather more from nearby areas. There is approximately 210 wild horses currently outside the Herd Management Area. Wild horses removed during this process are taken to a Canon City holding facility where they become available for adoption or sale.
