The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released its decision to gather and collar as many as 30 wild mares within the Adobe Town herd management area (ATHMA) as part of a collaboration with the University of Wyoming to study wild horses.

Radio collars will be placed on the wild horses to help researchers learn more about seasonal use, migration patterns, and herd movements in the area. No wild horses will be removed from the ATHMA as part of this effort.

After Dec. 9, wild horses will be gathered by bait-trapping and up to 30 mares will be collared and returned to the ATHMA. After Feb. 10, 2017, helicopter drive trapping could take place to finish the project before the annual foaling season starts on March 1 and runs through June 30, 2017.

The University of Wyoming requested this action to study how the wild horses in ATHMA interact with their surrounding environment. It will also provide BLM with new information that will help the agency keep healthy wild horses living on healthy rangelands, the BLM said