Piceance-East Douglas Creek HMA, North Piceance HA, and West Douglas Creek HA Wild Horse Roundup Reports

Welcome to our roundup reporting page for the Piceance-East Douglas Creek Herd Management Area and the North Piceance and West Douglas Creek Herd Areas in western Colorado, where you will find eyewitness reports, photographs, and videos as the Bureau of Land Management carries out one of the largest scheduled wild horse removals of the 2026 roundup season.

The BLM has scheduled the combined operation for August 2 through August 31. Across the three areas, its plan calls for gathering approximately 1,025 wild horses and permanently removing 1,011. Only ten horses are scheduled to receive fertility control, and just 14 are expected to be returned to the range. Because West Douglas Creek is classified as a Herd Area and is not managed for a permanent wild horse population, none of the horses captured there are planned for return to the range.

Conducted using helicopters, the roundup will separate family bands and remove more than 1,000 wild horses from the landscape. Most captured horses will be transported into the federal holding system rather than returned to their public-land habitat.

Our field observers will attend the operation whenever access is provided to witness helicopter drives, monitor horse welfare, document conditions, and provide the public with independent reporting.

This page will serve as a living record of the roundup. Throughout the operation, we will publish daily totals, photographs, videos, and observations from the field so the public can follow events as they unfold.

We hope these reports bring greater transparency to the large-scale removal of wild horses across these neighboring public-land areas and strengthen the call for humane, science-based management that prioritizes keeping wild horses free on the range.

08/03/26

Animals Gathered: 84 wild horses (23 stallions, 40 mares, and 21 foals)

Animals Shipped: 80 (25 stallions, 37 mares, 18 foals)

Animals Treated with Fertility Control: 0

Animals Released: 0

Deaths: 0

The day started out less dusty as they had put water down, however as the day went on the dust increased and got bad again. It was also very smoky from wildfires in the state, raising questions about the safety and health of the horses running and breathing hard in the smoke.

After 7 runs, operations ended at 11:48am and by BLM’s reporting, the temperature was 95.2 degrees, adding extreme heat to the smoky and dusty conditions. Foals were noted to have fallen behind during runs, and were continued to be pushed into the trap.

Advocate observers were again denied viewing of short term holding, while it was stated that journalists/media might be allowed. That decision was questioned and observers were told they would receive a text letting them know if they might be allowed. After waiting more than an hour in the heat, only the journalist who had been there received a text.

08/02/26

Animals Gathered: 96 wild horses (35 stallions, 43 mares, and 18 foals)

Animals Shipped:

Animals Released:

Deaths:

-Sudden / Acute:

-Pre-existing / Chronic:

The wings of the trap were visible from the observation site, though a mile away. There were 6 runs which brought in an estimated 100+ horses (pending BLM number confirmation.) Visibility was very poor when running horses in with the helicopter from very dusty conditions. The day was ended when temperatures reached 93 degrees.

During observation, dozens of cattle passed through the observation area.

Observers were not allowed to visit temporary holding, as it was placed on private instead of public land, and they were told the owner doesn’t want the public on the property. This seems easily avoidable by simply placing temporary holding on public land.

This roundup is following a similar situation at the Callaghan HMA, with “scheduled” observation days. During the other days, the roundup will continue with no public viewing and no transparency. The reason stated is a shortage of personnel.