Helicopter Roundup Hopes To Corral Wild Mustangs Near Grand Junction
It's always good to have plan B.
In September, a number of wild horses near Grand Junction were captured via bait and trap methods. The goal BLM wants to reduce the number of animals in the Little Book Cliffs area. A total of 190 horses have been living in the area, but the land can only sustain about 130.
So far, 27 horses have been moved to Canon City where they are being vaccinated and trained. Another 33 horses are expected to be removed from the western Colorado rangeland. The horses will then be put up for adoption in November.
Apparently, the efforts to lure the horses with hay have not been extremely successful, prompting officials to resort to a less desirable method of herding animals. Five wild horses died or were euthanized following a helicopter roundup in Wyoming.
The helicopter roundup near Grand Junction is expected to get started by this weekend. It's part of a nationwide effort to move 12,000 wild horses and burros off rangeland in the western United States.