The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced it will gather and remove about 40 horses from the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range this fall.
The range is in the southeastern portion of Carbon County, MT, and northern Big Horn County, WY.
“This action supports the long-term health and viability of the herd by reducing pressure on limited forage and water resources and keeping population levels within the range the landscape can reliably sustain,” the agency said.
As of this spring, the range was estimated to have 187 horses, not including foals less than 1 year old. The appropriate management level for the range is 107-120 horses. BLM will also treat up to 43 mares with fertility control and release them back to the range.
“The gather will help ensure the herd remains healthy and genetically diverse while allowing vegetation and soils to recover,” said Nate Arave, Billings field manager.
