Thanks to Karen Herman, I just became aware of this editorial published March 20 in the Santa Fe New Mexican, written by her and Dr. Jay Kirkpatrick. Karen runs Sky Mountain Wild Horse Sanctuary and is the business partner of Dan Elkins (owner of Mt. Taylor Mustangs who does no-chase gathers, also known as bait trapping), and Dr. Kirkpatrick, of course, is the director of the Science and Conservation Center in Billings. This was in response to a New Mexican editorial that espoused shooting mustangs as a “management” tool.
We were so privileged to meet Karen and Dan two summers ago when NMA/CO invited them to Spring Creek Basin to see the area and meet our mustangs. This was part of our ongoing work to move away from helicopters here to bait trapping … but it hasn’t come to fruition yet.
We want to have “gathers” as few and far between as possible – which will happen, I firmly believe, with PZP – but bait trapping is a much more humane option than chasing mustangs (and burros) with flying machines.
Nice. I’ll follow the link and read it. Good for them!
Amen! We agree with every bit of strength and reason we have!