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BLM outlines fertility program for wild mares; NEPA ruling limits field darting
Summary
BLM staff described fertility-control methods for wild mares, reporting six treated animals in the Muddy Creek herd unit and a March aerial count of roughly 344 horses; a court decision and NEPA review currently bar field darting, constraining near-term treatments.
The Bureau of Land Management on Thursday described its current use of fertility-control tools for wild mares and the operational limits the agency faces after a recent court decision. Mike Tortell, assistant field manager with the BLM’s range, wildlife and wild horse program, told the Emery County Public Lands Council the agency uses two approved fertility products — PZP (porcine zona pellucida) and gonacon — delivered either by darting in the field or by capture, treatment and release.
"We have essentially two agents that are approved right now," Tortell said, naming PZP and gonacon and explaining differences in durability and delivery. He said gonacon can offer up to five years of effectiveness in some cases and that PZP typically lasts about a year, so operational preference is shifting toward longer-lasting adjuvants where approved.
Tortell summarized the program’s record-keeping and…
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