Wild Horse Roundups in Western U.S. Under Scrutiny by Advocacy Group

An advocacy group has spotlighted seven locations in the Western United States where federal roundups of wild horses might occur this September. Newsweek reported earlier that thousands of wild horses and burros are being rounded up in the American West. Federal officials aim to reduce herd numbers that have exceeded the landscape’s capacity to sustain them.

The organization American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) pointed out several sites on social media where these roundups, also known as gathers, might happen. They are keeping an eye on operations “tentatively planned” at:

• Nut Mountain HMA – 9/1/26
• Bitner HMA – 9/1/26
• Massacre Lakes – 9/1/26
• Challis HMA – 9/9/26
• Sand Wash Basin – 9/17/26
• Fifteenmile – 9/15/26
• Jackson Mountains HMA – 9/20/26

“Another roundup month begins,” the group noted in an Instagram post. “September is a crucial time to document the events, demand accountability, and endorse humane solutions for wild horses and burros.”

The federal schedule includes gathers, emergency removals, and fertility-control operations across various Western states. For instance, a Wyoming operation slated for September 15 aims to remove around 286 animals from the Fifteenmile Herd Management Area. Newsweek reached out to the Bureau of Land Management via email for comment.

Reason Behind Horse Roundups

The Bureau of Land Management states that gathers are vital to protect wild horses, burros, and the public rangelands that sustain them. Herds face a lack of natural predators and can double in size every four to five years, risking depletion of food and water resources and causing land damage.

To maintain herds within “appropriate management levels,” reflecting the land’s ability to support them with wildlife, livestock, and other authorized uses, the agency employs management measures. These include animal removal via gathers and fertility control to curb population growth.

Criticism of Helicopter Roundups

Advocacy groups criticize helicopter roundups, claiming they harm animals and break up family units. Return to Freedom describes helicopter roundups as perilous because horses might be driven over long distances across rough terrain before being divided into holding pens. They propose fertility control to decrease population growth while keeping horses within their habitat.

AWHC highlights that helicopters can stress and exhaust horses, potentially causing injuries or fatalities. They argue that roundups disband family groups, result in animals being placed in federal holding facilities, and incur significant taxpayer costs, supporting fertility control as an alternate method.

Colorado’s Opposition to Helicopter Roundups

Colorado Governor Jared Polis and Representative Joe Neguse requested the Bureau of Land Management to halt upcoming wild horse roundups in the state immediately. In a letter dated September 3, they noted that around 800 horses were captured in the Piceance-East Douglas Herd Management Area, with six dying during the process. A planned roundup in the Sand Wash Basin would reduce that herd by over 60%.

Polis and Neguse acknowledged the need to lower herd sizes to sustainable levels but labeled helicopter roundups as “inhumane and unnecessary,” due to potential panic, exhaustion, and injuries. They urged federal officials to delay planned operations, engage more with communities and state and local partners, and provide proof that helicopter methods are more effective than other “more humane” population-control strategies.

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Alabama Jackson and Trevor Davies.