Thursday, February 8, 2018

Cherry Creek Gather

2018.FEB.08

"Hey, Arla!"
My neighbor strode purposefully toward my gate. I usually do my best to dodge this person, but it was too late. I dreaded to hear whatever plot he might be stirring up, this time. I waited.

"We just came from fishing up to Goshute Creek. BLM is rounding up horses right now!" He seemed nearly out of breath as he continued, "When we came down ... they were chasing them out of the trees, and then, when they get out in the open, they just drive them as fast as they will go. They start at the Cordano place and run them full out, all the way to that place that used to be a gravel pit!"

I mean, they are RUNNING them - a full dead run --- ALL THAT WAY! With a helicopter ... "


I nodded, remembering the last time I had witnessed this along the same bench road in 2011. (We clocked one run at 32 MPH for seven miles.) "Yeah." I scoffed. That's what they do."

"And they glared at us, like we were not supposed to even be there ... WE live here!"

"Uh huh. Were there any photographers there? Any people besides BLM?"

"No. Just some BLM trucks and the helicopter."


I did my best to act cool about the shocking news -- It wasn't entirely unexpected, except that I have been following the daily gather reports, and the one for this day indicated that it would be a full day of PZP treatment and release of treated mares, along with an equal number of stallions. That would take place in another part of the HMA. There was no indication of any further roundups to be conducted that day.


(At the time I began this post, the gather report has not been updated since February 6.) 

It was nearly sundown at that point. I thanked the visitor and went inside to try and decide what to do.

One thing that I was absolutely certain I was NOT going to do, was get up at 4 am in order to leave by 5 so as to arrive in Ely (as required if a member of the public wants to join the BLM roundup tour) by 6 am, only to drive 70 miles back to get to the trapsite location.

I have done roundups before. Those in Utah are a lot friendlier than any I've been on here in Nevada, but even those force observers to remain within the confines of whatever observation area they deem appropriate. This allows them to decide what we can see, and what we cannot.

Another sleepless night, wondering if they had gotten all of the wild ones along the bench road, and how that little family had fared.



I drove out this morning expecting a regular gather scenario. Two rangers were guarding a full pen with loading chute - off the main road @ 1/4 mile. No other vehicles. I drove on by and turned around @ 4 miles on. On the way back, I noticed a lot of dust around the pen, and when I got up adjacent to it, could see that it is now surrounded by CATTLE. 

Did they deliberately push those cows up?


On the road back to Cherry Creek, I met another vehicle that turned out to be the brand inspector. That truck was followed by a silver Dodge pickup (not BLM)

.... AND NOW ... As of 3:25 pm 2018.FEB.08, The BLM Wild Horse and Burro Triple B Gather site looks like this:

2018 TRIPLE B COMPLEX WILD HORSE GATHER

There was no public observation for the Triple B Gather today because the trip site location is being moved. A meeting time and location for public observers hoping to view the gather operations on February 9, 2018 has not yet been established. If you are interested in viewing the gather operations please continue to check this webpage for updates or call Greg Deimel at (775) 388-7078.
Cherry Creek Sorrels - November, 2017


They are claiming there was no public observation yesterday, because they were moving the trap, AND showing NO HORSES GATHERED.



February 8, 2018

Summary: The trap site location was moved on February 8, 2018 and because of this, there were no horses gathered. Gather operations are expected to pick back up tomorrow. 
Cherry Creek Sorrels - November, 2017
Animals gathered: 0
Mares treated with fertility control: 0
Animals released: 0
Animals shipped: 30 (7 Studs, 18 Mares, and 5 Foals)
Total Deaths Today:  0
   Acute:
   Chronic/Pre-existing:



------------------  AND NOW --- they have corrected the"oversight"
which had initially  OMITTED 30 horses gathered  -----------

February 7, 2018

Summary: Gather operations for Feb. 7 included releasing back on the range studs and treated mares and a small gather at a new site. Today the gather and temporary holding sites are relocating to new sites. 
Animals gathered: 30 (7 Studs, 18 Mares, and 5 Foals)
Mares treated with fertility control: 28
Animals released: 29 mares 27 studs
Animals shipped: 104 (36 Studs, 45 Mares, and 23 Foals)
Total Deaths Today:  1
   Acute: 1
   Chronic/Pre-existing: 

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WHERE ARE THE CHERRY CREEK SORRELS?!!

https://www.facebook.com/cortney.lear/videos/1938314919515943/


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