BLM seeks input for Red Desert herd management

WLJ Apr. 10, 2026 1 minute read 3 comments

BLM seeks input for Red Desert herd management — BLM Wyoming
Pictured here, the 2024 North Lander Complex horse gather.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is seeking public input on the scoping notice for updated wild horse herd management area plans in Wyoming’s Red Desert.

Existing herd evaluations for the Red Desert Complex are more than 30 years old and require updates, the agency said.

The current appropriate management level for the complex is 480-724 horses, but there are projected to be 2,300 horses in the complex by the fall.

Comments may be submitted by May 4 at tinyurl.com/yc546uxw.

Share this article

Join the Discussion

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

3 Comments

Cezanne Ryerson
April 13, 2026
Are these wild horses or feral horses? If wild, leave them to nature to regulate. If feral, institute a castration schedule for the weanling colts of the herd and let nature do the rest.
Reply to Cezanne Ryerson
Sherry Pfeil
April 15, 2026
Leave them alone, nature takes care of its own.
Reply to Sherry Pfeil
Brent Johnson
April 19, 2026
Live feed and water traps should be maintained as weather permits. With today's technology monitoring actual catches can be done remotely and traps can be emptied as needed when animals are caught. I do believe that BLM counts are way under actual populated numbers thus compounding the problem. When Elk hunting in the Red Desert this last fall, I counted hundreds of feral horses and only saw one Bull elk. I had a cow tag. Maintaining a live trap catch program would negate ever having to do a larger aircraft driven roundup. The BLM already has the heavy duty panels to set up catch pens. I'm not sue about the electronic gate tripping hardware, but the hardware exists. Maintaining a continual catch program just like is done in Oklahoma, Texas, Florida for feral hogs should be done. Of most importance is that the BLM and USFS should not be holding and caring for feral horses and donkeys in long term facilities. The Wild Horse and Burro Act (WHABA) has provisions for disposing of un-adopted livestock and those provisions should be followed regardless of the protests by Wild Horse Annies. Also, of most importance, the USDA should work with private entities to build equine slaughter facilities and inspect horse and donkey carcass meat for human sale and consumption in the USA. If someone is against eating horse meat, no one is forcing them to eat it. Many citizens with common sense understand that Horses and donkeys are excellent sources of protein. Most of the remainder of civilized nations in Europe and Asia eat equine meat. This livestock commodity should be a positive cash flow to the US Government instead of being a huge liability. If the Department of Interior (DOI) refuses to administer the WHABA as written in law, the current administration of the DOI should be fired and or demoted. No longer should Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) be running the US Government. I should not have to travel abroad to enjoy eating an equine steak.
Reply to Brent Johnson