Bureau of Land Management to gather Idaho wild horses after Jump, Paddock fires

The Bureau of Land Management released the first group of 14 wild horses to the Hardtrigger Herd Management Area. The entire Hardtrigger Herd Management Area was burned by the 280,000-acre Soda Fire in 2015. The BLM gathered the wild horses following the fire, and cared for those destined to return to the range at both the Boise and Bruneau Off-Range Wild Horse Corral facilities. (Courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management)

Staff from the Bureau of Land Management Owyhee and Four Rivers field offices will perform an emergency gathering of wild horses from the Sands Basin and Four Mile Wild Horse Herd Management Areas next week.

With Idaho’s Jump Fire contained, Jump Creek Recreation Site to reopen in Owyhee County

The areas were nearly completely burned by the Jump Fire , which resulted in 25,720 acres burned, and the Paddock Fire which resulted in 187,185 acres burned.

There is no known loss of wild horses from the fires, but there is not enough vegetation to sustain the horses into the winter months, according to a BLM press release.

The Sands Basin Herd Management Area is near Marsing, and there are about 40 wild horses that will be gathered, while the Four Mile Herd Management Area has about 52 wild horses that will be gathered, the BLM said in the press release.

The wild horses will first be transported to the BLM Boise Wild Horse Off-Range Corrals. Then, the horses will be cared for at the Bruneau Wild Horse Off-Range Corrals until they can be returned to the range.

There are no public viewing opportunities for the emergency gathering of horses, but daily updates will be posted on the BLM website here .

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