RANGE REPORT: East Triple B WHA - Elko CO. (2011.JUL.12)

Twelve hours and 200 miles of rough road yielded:

Horses: 2 (Butte Valley)

Deer: 1 (Cherry Creek Canyon)

Antelope: 2 (Butte Valley)

Elk: 0

Cattle: @ 50

Temp: 75-93

The high desert is still relatively green, for mid-July.

Some snow remains on the highest peaks of the Ruby Mountains. Creeks in the higher elevations are slowing, and many of the washes are dry. Grass and vegetation are plentiful in the mountains and foothills.

There are THREE Cherry Springs near the Ruby Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. Two of them are located in the Ruby Mountains, south of Shantytown. The northwestern leg of Cherry Springs Canyon falls within the Cherry Springs Wild Horse TERRITORY.


Ruby Mountains Eastern Slope - Elko County, NV



As there is still snow remaining, and plenty of forage visible, I quickly decided that these short canyons would not be the target of my investigation. The OTHER Cherry Springs, according to locals familiar with the area, would be dry, this time of year.

I stopped at the Ruby Lakes NWR information center and asked where a person might see wild horses?

The agent is new on the job, and anxious to be helpful. She doesn't have the answers, and goes into a back office to inquire of a more experienced agent. I hear him telling her that horses won't likely be visible now, as they will have moved up into the high country where it is cooler. He says that there are wild horses to the south, and to the east of the preserve, and that they are not allowed within the boundaries of the area. (A substantial post-and- barbed wire fence encloses the entire reserve.)

The new agent relays precisely what I had overheard. I asked her if she knew whether BLM had been hauling water to horses in the area?

Oh! Yes! She knew first-hand that they have been collecting water from Ruby Lakes (probably from the fish hatchery), and carrying it to somewhere on the eastern side of the valley. She has no idea what road they were taking, or the exact location they were hauling it to. 

(2011.JUN.30) - East Taylor Canyon Band - Cherry Creek MTs

(2011.JUN.30) - East Taylor Canyon Band - Northeastern Cherry Creek Mountains, north of the old Cordano Ranch in western Steptoe Valley.

There are nine members in this band. Two of them resemble the lead mare in another band that roams a few miles to the south, near Goshute Creek.

The littlest foal appears to be a few months old.



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(2011.JUN.17) - SouthEastern Butte Mountain Bands

(2011.JUN.17) -  The wild bands inhabiting the eastern slopes of Butte Mountain are nearly impossible to get close to, on the ground. They graze in the open cleared areas, and shelter in the dense juniper and pinon forests above that. The old road is barely visible in places, and is littered with the corpses of long-dead tree stumps.

 Most often, I see clouds of dust, and hear them interacting with one another, vocally, and physically.

Butte Mountain - 2011.JUN.17




These horses  are most often observed in late afternoon, as they make their way across a narrow valley and up to the spring at Horse Canyon.  They are extremely shy, and will scatter at the least disturbance to their quiet environment -- which they share seasonally with an abundance of elk, a few deer and pronghorn antelope, and periodically, transitting sheep. Cattle are fed and watered in a broad area where crested wheat grows in abundance. I see the horses along the edges of this area, occasionally, but apparently they are not interested in the wheat grass.



Butte Mountain, Nevada

Based on glimpses and physical evidence in the form of scat, trails, and rising dust, I estimate there are 50-60 wild horses in the main herd.

This is a  diverse population, with a wide assortment of colors, including rare sabino roans, duns and buckskins, as well as many bays and blacks.

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Long Valley Herds (in Triple B's)

(2011.JUN.23) Western Butte Mountains - Long Valley - White Pine Co., NV

The daytime temps are comfortable mid-70's up to 90 degrees, feeling cooler due to scattered cloud cover. Most of the snow is gone, and the land is beginning to show signs of summer dryness.  Vegetation is plentiful, though much of it is not of  benefit to horses. Cheat grass is abundant, and will provide some forage in its green stages, but becomes inedible once it matures and turns purple.

• This does not mean that there is NO forage.  The green we see in the photographs is not all usable forage. Much of the vegetation is wild mustard and cheatgrass. Horses do not eat wild mustard, and cheatgrass is unsuitable forage in its mature stages. There is still plenty of good grass and forage in the hills.

Triple B's Wild Horse Area (WHA) is an enormous land area, encompassing several thousand acres of undeveloped high desert and alpine terrain. Much of this is accessible with four wheel drive ONLY, and should not be attempted with any low-profile vehicle.

Travel is very slow, and approaching wild animals is a challenge, to say the least!  They can see and hear approaching vehicles from miles away, and will typically move into the cover of juniper and pinon pine thickets to evade observation.

Snow-covered Ruby Mountains looking northwest across Butte Valley and the Butte Mountains
viewed from western Cherry Crrek Mountain Range

On this day, we covered a relatively small area, between the Old Stratton Ranch and Long Valley.

All tolled, we saw about one hundred horses, mostly in bands of 8-12 scattered along the western foothills of the Butte Mountain Range, and two larger herds (20-30 in each) around a spring on Mount Hamilton.

On Mount Hamilton, we caught glimpses of heads and tails, and heard much vocalizing, but few clear visuals, due to dense trees and rock formations.

Well-worn trails are evidence of high equine traffic over a long period of time.



Western Butte Mountains Foothills



Cherry Creek Mountains in the distance

Western Butte Mountains

Eat Our Dust!

Butte Valley viewed from Cherry Creek Canyon



Click Map to view LARGER
The green line is Elko-White Pine County Line



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(2011.APR.26) Cherry Creek Tribe





(2011.APR.26)

The day is cool (high 30's - low 40's) partly sunny with occasional scattered snow flurries. Curry Road is dry dirt, well-compacted . 



















Runoff from melting snow runs in small washes from the high mountains down into the flat. Most of these washes will dry up in early summer. For now, water is abundant, as is new-growth grass and forage.

 


There are no free-ranging cattle on this area of the range, at this time. The only other large animals inhabiting this part of Steptoe Valley public lands are a herd of about a dozen antelope.

Cherry Creek Tribe consists of eight core members, including the stallion, two yearlings, one new foal and four mares, (one appears pregnant); plus three satellite bachelors. All members of this band are sorrel with white stars or blaze faces. A few have lighter-colored manes.

Young bachelors, no longer welcome in their famiy of origin, keep one another company until they find mates. These guys are bout two years old.

"BLAZE" is approximately four years old, and has been on
his own for the past few years. As he is reaching his prime, I expect
that soon he will have a harem of his own. Preferrably, his mates will
come from a different band than the one he was born into.

(2011.APR.22)



(2011.APR.22)

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