Dec. 2021 - 42

wildlife, livestock grazing, recreation and conflicts
with private land. Further, the BLM is
required to manage herd management areas
in a manner that maintains a " thriving natural
ecological balance. "
In present-day, the BLM manages 16 herd
management areas on nearly 5 million acres
in Wyoming. Although the BLM has conducted
removals in the past, at least seven of
the herd management areas in Wyoming have
horse numbers in excess of established and
appropriate management levels. The combined
appropriate management level for all
herd management areas in Wyoming is 3,795
horses. However, as of fall 2021 prior to any
round-ups, there were at least 8,700 horses
in Wyoming; more than twice the number
determined to be appropriate for these areas.
Wyoming horse areas (HA) and
horse management areas (HMA) overview
Greybull
Pinedale
Lander
WHAT'S AT STAKE
Food and water lie at the crux of the competition
between feral horses and wildlife.
" There is a concern that in an arid environment,
in the high-elevation desert, there will
be a competition for resources - primarily
water, " said Todd Graham, Game and Fish
wildlife supervisor in the Green River Region.
Horses can cause additional stress on wildlife
through competition for water. Recent
studies on wildlife-horse interactions documented
horses keeping elk from water in
Colorado. In Nevada, horses have been noted
displacing pronghorn from water, and completely
degrading natural springs where wildlife
drink. Throughout the West, pronghorn and
mule deer have been documented using water
sources less often where horse activity was high.
In Wyoming, biologists and hunters have
started to see similar issues with feral horses
keeping elk, deer and pronghorn from using
limited water sources.
" There is a bully factor at waterholes, " said
Kim Olson, game warden in Baggs on observing
horses in her district. " As water becomes
more scarce, there will likely be more conflicts
where feral horses will keep other animals from
getting a drink. "
Habitat conditions are also a concern. Feral
horse populations that exceed appropriate
management levels alter rangeland vegetation
and soils, which can negatively impact
wildlife habitat. Recent research has focused
on the negative effects to sagebrush, which
directly affect sagebrush obligate species. This
is especially concerning in arid landscapes such
as southwestern Wyoming.
Wyoming wildlife managers hope to stave
42 | December 2021
Rawlins
Green River
Evanston
HMA boundaries
HA boundaries
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Reclamation
Department of Defense
Department of Energy
Other federal agencies
Private land
State land
U.S. Forest Service
Water
The majority of the feral horse areas
in Wyoming are in the southwest
and south-central parts of the state.
Towns are in approximate locations.
(Bureau of Land Management map)
Studies have shown feral horses keep close guard of water holes in arid areas, and often prevent other wildlife from
utilizing these resources. (Photo by Greg Bergquist)

Dec. 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dec. 2021