Home»All Photographs»2018 September

Recently visited the Warm Springs HMA with friend Alice McCammon. We covered 5 of Oregon's Herd Management Areas. We visited Palomino Butte HMA, Stinkingwater HMA, Warm Springs HMA, Kiger HMA, and South Steens HMA. This album is specifically for Warm Springs. This time of year water tends to be low naturally- being the high desert, and after a long hot summer, a number of main water areas looked adequate, while naturally, shallow waterholes are dry as they are on all ranges. As we all feel this time of year, it will be nice once the rains come in to fill them up.
In July we covered a vast portion of the HMA, entering from the north, roaming around Iron Mt, and exiting to the west. This time in September, we went over 22 miles- east to west on Warm Springs, and hiked out to vistas and points to see beyond, but also have gone in through the North and dog-legged and exiting the west, covering a vast NW corner it to the west toward highway 395 when looking for burros, we covered massive open land. As said, shallow water holes this time of year/late in the season were dry as they usually are, but main water sources were descent. We found 12 horses in all- 3 bands- one with 7 horses, one w 3, and one with 2 (bachelors). Each one healthy some even a little too healthy lol. One mare had a foal just a few days old. Although we found 12 horses out of an estimated 800- but it’s so huge- about 747 square miles, we just couldn’t cover it all and certainly missed some- but looking as far as the eye can see in all directions- pretty ominously empty this huge range felt.... the tumbleweeds with little dust devils crossing our path, felt like a ghost town.
My Notes and opinion on the proposed WS spay study: https://www.facebook.com/notes/mustang-meg/warm-springs-hma-spay-study-my-thoughts/10155864543267776/ (Update: Spaying has been cancelled, contraception will be implemented on mares returned).
Link to the Spay study portion of the Oregon Warm Springs EA:
Link to EA: https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/projects/nepa/107049/149640/183713/FONSI_Spay_Feasibility_and_On-Range_Behavioral_Outcomes_Assessment_and__Warm_Springs_Herd_Management_Area_Population_Management_Plan_.pdf
Keep the wild in our west,
Mustang Meg
MustangWild
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Lebanon, OR 97355
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