Wyoming
Wild Horse Herd Management Areas
The Bureau of Land Management maintains and manages wild horses or burros in "herd management areas" (HMAs). The BLM establishes an "appropriate management level" (AML) for each HMA. The AML is the population objective for the HMA that will ensure a thriving ecological balance among all the users and resources of the HMA–for example, wildlife, livestock, wild horses, vegetation, water, and soil. Wyoming has no wild burros.
Antelope Hills HMA
The Antelope Hills HMA encompasses 57,000 acres, of which 54,600 are BLM-administered public lands. The AML for this HMA is 60-82 adult horses. The area is located approximately 15 miles south/southeast of Atlantic, City, Wyoming. Elevations in the HMA range from 7,100 to 7,250 feet along Cyclone Rim. The HMA is bisected by the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. The area receives 5-7 inches of precipitation annually. The predominate vegetation type is sagebrush/grass. Riparian zones are infrequent but very important to wild horses, wildlife, and livestock. The topography ranges from rolling flatlands south of Cyclone Rim, uplifted ridges along Cyclone Rim, and abrupt rocky zones interspersed with rolling lands north of the rim to the Sweetwater River.
Crooks Mountain HMA
The Crooks Mountain HMA is located directly southeast of Sweetwater Station, Wyoming, and encompasses about 51,000 acres. The AML for this HMA is 65-100 adult horses. Elevations in the HMA range from 6,900 to 8,100 feet. The lower elevations receive approximately 10-14 inches of precipitation annually, and the upper elevations receive 15-20 inches annually. The major vegetation types are sagebrush/grass, woodland, and riparian. Topography within the HMA is generally rolling hills and slopes to the north and south of Crooks Mountain. The Crooks Mountain portion of the herd area is quite steep and broken with mountainous terrain. The area supports significant wildlife populations of elk, deer, and antelope. Livestock graze the area from May to December.
Muskrat Basin, Conant Creek, Rock Creek & Dishpan Butte HMAs
These four HMAs are located in southeast Fremont County. They encompass about 375,000 acres of land, of which about 90% are BLM-administerd public lands. While the four HMAs are managed with recognized individual populations, there is no geographic separation of the HMAs and the gates between them remain open a significant part of the year. As a result, the horses move regularly among the HMAs, helping to ensure the overall genetic health of the horses. Topography of the area includes high ridges and steep terrain with grand vistas. Beaver Rim, located on the western edge of the HMAs, is a beautiful, high escarpment with amazing views of the Wind River Mountains, Copper Mountains, and Owl Creek Mountains. Elevations in the HMAs range from 5,300 to 7,200 feet. The area receives 5 to 12 inches of precipitation a year, depending on the elevation, most of it in the form of snow.
The AML for these HMAs is 320 horses. A full range of colors is present. Most horses are solid in color. The horses range from 11 to 15 hands and 750-1000 pounds mature weight. Health is good with few apparent problems. Domestic cattle and sheep utilize the area during spring, summer, and fall. Vegetation is dominated by various sage and grass species. Elk, deer, and antelope also inhabit this area.
Green Mountain HMA
The Green Mountain HMA encompasses 88,000 acres, of which 74,000 acres are BLM-administered public lands. Topography within the herd area is generally gently rolling hills and slopes north and south of Green Mountain. Green Mountain itself is quite steep with mountainous terrain and conifer/aspen forests. Elevations range from 6,200 to 9,200 feet with grand vistas of the Red Desert, Sweetwater Rocks, and Oregon Trail from the higher elevations. Precipitation ranges from 10-14 inches at the lower elevations to 15-20 inches at the upper elevations. Most of the precipitation is in the form of snow.
The AML for this HMA is 300 horses. A full range of colors is present. Most horses are solid in color, but a noticeable number of tobiano paints are present. The horses range from 11 to 15 hands and 750-1000 pounds mature weight. Health is good with few apparent problems. Domestic cattle and sheep utilize the area in all seasons with summer cattle use predominating. Vegetation around the mountain is dominated by various sage, grass, woodland, and riparian species. The area supports significant wildlife populations of elk, deer, antelope, and moose.
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