ELKO, Nev. — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Elko District, Tuscarora Field Office, is scheduled to begin the Tuscarora wild horse gather on July 9, and it will last about three weeks. The BLM will remove about more than 1,100 wild horses located on the Owyhee, Rock Creek and Little Humboldt Herd Management Areas (HMAs), and including about 425 wild horses located outside the Rock Creek HMA, northwest of Elko in Elko County.

The BLM estimates there are about 1,550 wild horses in the gather area and any horses gathered above targeted removal numbers will be released back to the HMAs so the remaining population is within the appropriate management level range of 337 to 561. The mares released back to the range would be vaccinated with a fertility control vaccine. The gather, removal and fertility control are intended to slow population growth, maintain population size within the appropriate management levels and extend the time before another gather to remove excess wild horses would be needed. Additionally, adjustment of sex ratios of the gathered animals to be returned to the HMAs may be made to 60/40 male-to-female ratios.

The BLM will announce public observation days for the gather and will regularly provide updates and information on its website at www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/elko_field_office.html.