Self-Stabilized Herd in Designated Wilderness Area

Here is a great example of a truly natural environment for the American wild horse WITHOUT the BLM's intervention. According to the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, the Montgomery Pass herd, located on the California-Nevada border has survived naturally, UNMANAGED by people, for about 25 years and has maintained population levels of about 150 to 200 horses. On the BLM's own web site, they state this about the Montgomery Pass herd: "This herd's population is perfectly balanced with its environment - mountain lions keep the population from getting out of control. As a result, this herd has never been gathered."

On the National Wildlife Federations web site, in a 1992 article, it states "a finding Turner made several years ago about the Montgomery Pass herd: While populations of other western wild horse herds are mushrooming, predators operating in a natural system of checks and balances keep these animals' numbers under control...John Turner began studying wild horses at Montgomery Pass in 1985, when the U.S. Forest Service proposed reducing the herd from 190 animals to 75. Before long, he became puzzled by the relatively high level of foal mortality. While 90 percent of the foals in other parts of the Great Basin survived to become yearlings, only 25 to 40 percent at Montgomery Pass made it to their first birthday. An investigation suggested the cause: 'The range wasn't overpopulated,' Turner says. 'Mountain lions had it under control.'...Turner and Wolfe have evidence indicating that at least five mountain lions prey on the Montgomery Pass herd. But it's hard to be certain with creatures as elusive as these wary cats. After 5,000 hours of field observations, only once did anyone in Turner's group actually see a mountain lion take a foal...Once they've learned to run, most horses can outpace a mountain lion. Until then, though, they are easy targets. The majority of foals that end up as cat prey are taken in late spring and summer, when the horses are just a few months old. These kills alone are enough to keep the Montgomery Pass wild horse population relatively stable."

In the Pryor Mountains, in 2007 and perhaps other years, mountain lions have been hunted, therefore reducing and/or eliminating the wild horse's natural predator. Seems pretty clear that people are disturbing the natural balance in the designated wild horse areas and then more human intervention comes in the form of round ups. Looks like we need to get back in balance with nature...