BLM to hold wild horse gather east of Fallon

CARSON CITY, Nev. (KOLO) - The Bureau of Land Management will be holding a gather of wild horses east of Fallon next week.

On or about Sept. 25, they will be gathering horses on and around the Desatoya Herd Management Area about 60 miles east of Fallon in Churchill and Lander Counties using helicopters.

The area is comprised of around 161,000 acres of public and private lands. The herd management area is meant, according to the BLM, to accommodate between 127-180 wild horses. According to a March 2023 survey, the area holds approximately 152 wild horses, a number that does not include the 2023 foal crop.

BLM plans to gather approximately 122 wild horses, removing 24 of them, and treating 49 of them with a fertility control vaccine. Those mares that are given the vaccine will be released back to the range with up to 49 stallions.

The BLM says the purpose of the gather is to prevent undue or unnecessary damage to public lands associated with excess wild horses.

“We conduct gathers like this to maintain the current population of wild horses within the appropriate management level,” said Kim Dow, Carson City District Manager. “Consistent applications of fertility control such as GonaCon is one tool used to obtain this goal of a healthy population.”

The gathered horses will be taken to the Palamino Valley Off-Range Corrals outside of Reno. Once there, they will be readied for BLM’s wild horse and burro adoption and sales program.