BLM Releasing Wild Horses in Idaho’s Hardtrigger (HMA) Herd Management Area
A Meat and Dairy Industries Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM Tuesday's Horse
May 2019

This release marks one of the final groups of BLM wild horses to return to their home ranges following emergency gathers due to wildfire in 2015.

Captured wild horses Boise, Idaho. Bureau of Land Management Image

This release marks one of the final groups of BLM wild horses to return to their home ranges following emergency gathers due to wildfire in 2015.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will disperse 45 wild horses (24 stallions and 21 mares) in three different locations within the Hardtrigger Herd Management Area (HMA), located south of Marsing, Idaho, at the end of May.

The BLM Owyhee Field Office is inviting members of the public interested in watching one of the releases to meet at the I-O-N Truck Plaza (5644 Buntrock Rd., in Marsing) at 10 a.m. on May 29 to caravan to the release location.

This release marks one of the final groups of wild horses to return to their home ranges in the Owyhee Mountains following emergency gathers due to wildfire. The entire Hardtrigger HMA was burned by the 279,144-acre Soda Fire in 2015. The BLM gathered 279 wild horses from all three HMAs (Black Mountain, Hardtrigger, and Sands Basin) in the Owyhees directly following the fire, placing more than 80 into private care through adoption.

As the 69,910-acre Hardtrigger HMA is the largest of the three, the wild horses will be released in multiple locations to disperse the horses throughout the HMA. The horses destined to return to the range were cared for at both the Boise Wild Horse Corrals and Bruneau Off-Range Corrals, both in Idaho, while the rangeland recovered from the burn.

“We were glad to offer people the opportunity to watch the release of wild horses to the Sands Basin HMA last year,” said Lara Douglas, BLM Boise district manager. “We recognize how important it is to maintain viable wild horse herds on healthy public rangelands and are pleased to see these wild horses return to Hardtrigger.”

Visitors will need to provide their own transportation. As the roads to the viewing area are narrow, rough, and dusty, the BLM recommends high-clearance, 4-wheel-drive vehicles with a spare tire. Additionally, the BLM said it would be helpful if visitors carpool to limit the number of vehicles at the release location. The BLM encourages those interested in attending the release to RSVP to Ruby Kyle at 208/473-9868 by May 28.

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