761 wild horses removed from Colorado’s Piceance East Douglas herd area, here’s how and why it was done

A controversial wild horse gather – commonly called a roundup – came to an end this week on Colorado’s western slope. The Bureau of Land Management says it removed 761 mustangs from the Piceance East Douglas Herd Management Area, near Meeker, Colo., at a cost to taxpayers of $559,000. 

At the heart of the debate over the roundup lies one major question: Should taxpayers foot the bill for these roundups so ranchers can graze their livestock on the same land for a cheaper price? 

CBS4 Investigates traveled to Meeker to examine that issue while documenting this latest roundup up close. 

How it’s done

The gather in the Piceance Basin had two phases: a bait trap phase and a drive-trap phase using a helicopter. Both stages lasted about two weeks each. 

The BLM says it used the…