Fertility Control Update
By the numbers
Total Mares Treated: 1,868
Winter weather continues! The Virginia Range welcomed the New Year with a bang in the form of lots and lots of snow. And the systems continue. The break in the drought is welcome and needed for the range!
How do volunteers find the darts on the range?
By Deborah Walker
To be a Darter for the Fertility Control Program each volunteer goes through training after shadowing one of our veteran darters. This training is multifaceted and one of the important subjects is dart placement and recovery. The dart hits the muscle of the mare, injects, and then pops out. It is important to find each dart for many reasons, but highly important is to check the dart for injection. The darter inserts a long needle (comes with the darts) into the dart needle. If the needle goes into the dart, then the plunger did not release, it is counted as a misfire (MF), and the mare will be scheduled for re-treatment another time. If the needle stops at the “plunger” then it released, was a successful treatment, and the mare’s record is updated to reflect that.
You may be scratching your head on how we could possibly find a dart on the range. Up until a couple years ago the darts were whitish-gray which made finding them a bit harder. Darters would color the body with hot pink permanent marker to make it easier. At a fertility control conference a couple years ago one of our darters asked the maker of our darts if they would be willing to make orange bodied darts, which would be easier to see, and we’d field test them. Thankfully they did so and we now use these darts almost exclusively.
There are several ways our innovative darters use to recover darts: use of a spotter, landmarks, use of rangefinder to measure distance dart was fired from, and if not immediately found - a metal detector, and more. These volunteers are so committed and do what it takes to be successful in their efforts to protect these wonderful wild horses.
On the very few occasions a dart is not recovered, a flag is usually placed in the area so that if there are other darters and/or documenters are in the area, they will keep an eye out for the dart or the darter can return with a metal detector. Believe it or not, many times the dart is found! We are proud to say that we actually have about a 96% recovery rate which is really good. Great job TEAM!
Left to Right: The older whitish-gray darts, the newer orange darts in brush, and finding a submerged dart with a metal detector.
In memory of Nancy Kilian
Shared from Virginia Range Wildlife Protection Association’s Facebook page:
”How does a group of wild horse people say goodby to one of our most fierce and active advocates? Nancy Kilian spent most of her time in Nevada on the Virginia Range. Going out with her, looking for wild horses, was always an adventure. She was documenting the individual bands, darting for birth control, and seeing to the welfare of the wild horses she loved. She was generous with her time and taught many of us how to be an effective wild horse advocate. She was also a loyal friend to so many of us.
President of the Virginia Range Wildlife Protection Association, she loved all wildlife, plants, and the mountain range she called home. She was willing to jump in and get dirty to clean up a mountain spring or pick up trash left behind by less conscious visitors. More than once we captured lost domestic animals and made sure they were returned to their owners. Fundraising for VRWPA was always on her agenda, making jewelry and other crafts to sell, she kept busy on or off the range. We wondered how she could do all this volunteer work, keep a spotless home, keep up with her many friends, and take care of her husband John. Her two daughters, Brei and Chelsea and their daughters delighted her. She loved to proudly share their stories.
This summer a routine surgery revealed cancer. As fiercely as she did everything else, Nancy took on chemotherapy and radiation. With the help of husband John, she fought and was determined to get her good health and strength back. Sadly she lost the battle.”
From AWHC Executive Director Suzanne Roy:
”These were her horses. Nancy’s spirit lives on in the work we do and the wild horses who run free thanks to her compassion, dedication, and hard work.”
Nancy is missed dearly by her family, friends, and teammates. Her legacy will live on here on the Virginia Range.
