2020 Pryor Foal # 15

Ursala and Kitalpha

Pryor Foal # 15 was born to Kitalpha and Hickok. Kitalpha is the 2010 daughter of Buffalo Girl and Durango. Hickok is the 2007 son of Bell Starr and Starbuck. The foal is a filly and has been named Ursala.

Thank you Brittny for the use of your beautiful photos!

2020 Foals # 12, 13 and 14

Utopia
Utopia

Pryor Foal # 12 was born to Icara and Johnston.  Birth date possibly August 11.  Icara is the 2008 daughter of Waif and Corona, Johnston is the 2009 son of Cascade and Seattle.

Icara and Utopia
Icara and Utopia

The foal is a colt and has been named Utopia.  Thank you Brittney for the use of your photos.

Morgana and Utopia
Morgana and Utopia

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Utopia

Nina and Ula
Ula

Pryor Foal # 13 was born to Nina and Oglala. Birth date possibly August 22.  Nina is the 2013 daughter of Bakken (father unknown).  Oglala is the 2014 son of Icara ( father possibly Hildago).

The foal is a filly and has been named Ula.

Thank you Brittny for the use of your beautiful photos!

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Nina and Ula

Nina and Ula 3
Nina and Ula

Uma
Greta and Uma

Pryor Foal # 14 was born to Greta and Garcia. Birth date possibly August 26.  Greta is the 2006 daughter of  Belle Starr and Chino.  Garcia is the 2006 son of Topper and Tony.

The foal is a filly and has been named Uma.

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Greta and Uma

Utopia and Unity
Utopia and Unity

 

2020 Pryor Foals # 10 and # 11

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Photo by Dawn Ness.  Thank you Dawn

Pryor Foal # 10 was born to LaBrava and Irial.  Labrava is the 2011 daughter of Blue Sioux and Coronado.  Irial is the 2008 son of Ireland and Prince.  The foal is a colt and has been named Ultra Blue.

Utra Blue

Utlra Blue: Dawn photo
Photo by Dawn Ness.  Ultra Blue and LaBrava

Pryor foal # 11 was born to the mare Hailstorm.  This is a long awaited foal.  Several of us for years have been hoping for a Hailstorm foal, and finally at the age of 13 she has had her first known foal.

Hailstorm is the 2007 daughter of Aztec and Cloud.  There are 3 possible sires of this foal: Killian, Miocene, Orlando and possibly Nickel.  I will be listing the sire as unknown.

The foal is a colt and has been named Uno Caballo.

 

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Uno Caballo and Hailstorm
Hailstorm and Uno Caballo. Thank you Dennis for the use of your stunning photos!

Killian and Hailstorm

Pryor Mountain Management Proposal

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Below is the letter I received as an “Interested Party”

 

In Reply Refer To: 4700 (MTC01)

Dear Interested Party:

United States Department of the Interior

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Billings Field Office
5001 Southgate Drive
Billings, Montana 59101 http://www.blm.gov/montana-dakotas

4/9/2020

The Billings Field Office is initiating public scoping and encouraging input on a Joint Management Area Plan (JMAP) for the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range. The planning area includes public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service which comprise the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range.

Implementation of a Herd Management Area Plan (HMAP) or a Joint Management Area Plan (JMAP) is consistent with the authority provided in 43 CFR 4700 and the 1971 Wild Free- Roaming Horses and Burros Act (WFRHBA). The JMAP is needed to manage wild horses within the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range Joint Management Area to maintain the wild horse herd as a self-sustaining population of healthy animals in balance with other uses and the productive capacity of their habitat and attain the objectives outlined in the Billings Field Office Approved Resource Management Plan.

The Billings Field Office will begin accepting public scoping comments regarding long and short-term management objectives for an updated Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range Joint Management Area Plan (JMAP) through the ePlanning website at http://eplanning.blm.gov . Public comments will be considered in the development of an Environmental Assessment that will be prepared to analyze and recommend a decision regarding long and short-term management actions for the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range

Substantive comments and recommendations should focus on long and short-term herd and habitat management objectives and goals. Please refer to the Preliminary Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range Joint Management Area Plan on the ePlanning website at http://eplanning.blm.gov for the preliminary plan. Examples of substantive input includes comments regarding:

  • Population control, method and techniques, sex ratios and growth rates.
  • Removal criteria such as characteristics and age structure.
  • Achieving appropriate management levels for the attainment of a thriving natural

    ecological balance.

  • Maintenance of existing developments.
  • Healthy populations of wild horses including her characteristics and age structure.

2

Electronic comments may only be submitted via e-Planning however, if you prefer to submit hard copy comments you can mail to:

Preliminary Pryor Mountain Joint Management Area Plan can be found at: BLM e-Planning website – https://eplanning.blm.gov
Click “Text Search”

Click “Advanced Search” in the NEPA #: Type DOI-BLM-MT-C010-0004-EA

Click “Search”
Click “Documents”
Click “Comment on Document”

Mail: Billings Field Office 5001 Southgate Drive

Billings, MT 59101-4669

The BLM will consider any substantive comments and include as appropriate. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment, including your personal identifying information, may be publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Comments must be submitted no later than close of business on Friday, May 15, 2020 in order to be considered. If you have questions, please contact Jerrie Bertola at (406) 896-5223.

Sincerely,

David Lefevre
Field Manager Billings Field Office

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Here is a link that will take you to the proposal details.  Click on BLM

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at my email:  wildinthepryors@aol.com.

All comments must be submitted by May 15, 2020.  You can submit on line or via mail.

When commenting, please remain courteous and try to back up your comments with educated reasons.

Thank you,

Sandy

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Hamlet and Seattle, July 2013

 

2020 Pryor Foal # 2

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Phantom and Unity

2020 Pryor Foal # 2 was born to Phantom and Johnston.  Phantom is the 2015 daughter of Icara and Fools Crow.  Johnston is the 2009 son of Cascade and Seattle.

The foal is a filly and has been named Unity.

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Johnston

Thank you Brittny for the use of your beautiful photos.

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Phantom and Unity

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Unity

A Tribute To The Horses That Have Passed in 2019

IMG_5341The 2019 year is coming to a close soon.  For the past several years, I have been publishing this post to honor and remember the horses that died during the year, this year is no exception.

A part of me just wanted to let it slide by, this post is never an easy one to make, but in the end, I realized that I needed to continue this tradition and give these wonderful wild horses one last post of love.  The mountain is a special and spiritual place, even though these horses are gone, their spirit continues to touch anyone who visits and takes the time to listen.

The horses below are listed in alphabetical order.

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Baja, 2015

1.  Baja.  Baja was the 1996 son of Tonapah and Looking Glass.  Baja was an incredably strong band stallion.   He held on to his band until the fall of 2017.  That year he was 21.  The average life of a wild stallion on the mountain is 19, and for him to not only out live that, but to continue to hold unto his band until he was 21, was an amazing accomplishment.  He was one of the most beautiful stallions on the mountain.  He is truly missed.  His legend lives on with his beautiful daughter Quahneah and her offspring.

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Baja, May 2012

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Duke, 2016

2.  Duke.  Duke was the 1996 son of Flicka and Bigfoot.  Duke was also a strong and consistent band stallion.  He too lived to the age of 23, losing his band the winter of 2017-18.  His legend lives on with 7 offspring left on the range.

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Duke, 2015

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Duke, 2016

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Fiero, 2012

3.  Fiero.  Fiero was the 2005 son of Sacajawea and Merlin.  A beautiful stallion with an amazing bloodline, Fiero died too soon.  Unfortunately, he has no known offspring on the range.

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Fiero, winter 2012

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Jemez with his bachelor buddies in 2012.  From left to right:  Jemez, Hidatsa, Hawk and Issaquah

4.  Jemez.  Jemez was the 2009 son of Strawberry and Blizzard.  Life is tough for these Dryhead stallions.  So few filly/mares for these amazing stallions, Jemez’s life was cut short due to an injury.  He also has no known offspring on the range.

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Jemez, 2012

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Killian and Lobo, summer of 2015

5.  Lobo was the 2011 son of Sapo and Bolder.  Lobo was an amazingly beautiful horse.  Just coming into his own, he disappeared the winter of 2018-19.  I have fond memories of him as a young colt, sparing with his 1/2 brother Killian.  He has no known offspring on the range.

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Lobo, 2015

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Lobo, 2015

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Lobo, July 2016

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Tiny with Waif and Kemmerer

6.  Tiny.  Tiny was the 2019 foal of Waif and Kemmerer.  He was first seen by Dennis McCollough in April 2019.  He was never seen again.  Thank you Dennis for the use of your photos.

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Waif and Tiny

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Warbonnet, July 2013

7.  Warbonnet.  Warbonnet was the 1993 daughter of Tonapah and Geranimo.  This beautiful mare was very close to Phoenix, you could often see the two of them grooming, napping or grazing together.  Her heritage lives on with her daughter Heritage and her son Tecumseh.

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Warbonnet and Phoenix, July 2015

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Warbonnet with her daughter Kayenta, March 2012

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Warbonnet, July 2016

Rest in Peace, Wild Horse Souls.  Your spirit lives on, and you will always be remembered.

Sandy

 

 

2019 Pryor Foal # 12

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The much anticipated Pryor Foal # 12 was born to Nimbus and Knight.

Nimbus is the 2013 daughter of Feldspar and Cloud.  Knight is the 2010 son of Guinevere and Cappuccino.

Nimbus 8-13
Nimbus, August 2013 Photo by Sandy/ Wild In The Pryors

Knight
Knight, July 2011. Photo by Sandy/ Wild in the Pryors

The foal was first discovered by Phylis Wray (thank you for the use of your photos).

The foal is a colt and has been named Tor (pronounced Thor).

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2019 Pryor Foals # 8 and # 9

Quan and foal
Quahneah and her new foal Taiga

Pryor Foal # 8, was born to Quahneah and London.  Quahneah is the 2016 daughter of Washakie and Baja.  London is the 2011 son of Gold Rush and Doc.  The foal is a filly and has been name Taiga.

Quahneah has always held a special place in my heart.  Abbie and I were blessed to have seen her a few hours after her birth.  The following year, Quahneah put on a special show just for us, making us laugh at a time really needed it.  She is a special horse.

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Quahneah shortly after she was born with mom Washakie, sister Bacardi and father Baja. July 2017

Pryor Foal # 9, was born to Jacinta and Garay.  Jacinta is the 2009 daughter of Rosebud and Tecumseh.  Garay is the is the 2006 son of Mariposa and Conquistador. The foal is a colt and has been name Tapadero.  Tapadero joints his other two full siblings on the range, Rue and Patriot.

Jacinta and foal
Jacinta and her new foal.

 

2020 Camping Tour Dates/ CANCELED

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Due to the on going Cornovirus, I have decided to cancel this years trips.  I will be doing 2021 and will release those dates at another time.  Thank you.  Sandy

 

Have you ever wanted to photograph wild horses in their nature setting?  The Pryor Mountains in Montana offers you an amazing opportunity to do that with an equally amazing backdrop.  You will have full days loaded with the opportunity to capture the horses in action, starting with the first light and ending with the blue hour and sunset.  And if you choose, you can stay up late and capture some of the dark starry skies in photos and then fall asleep with the horses near by. 

Whether you bring a professional camera, or just a cell phone to take photos, Sandy goes out of her way to make sure you leave the mountain with cherished memories of your once in a life-time camping trip. 

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Sandy has been camping in the Pryors since 2009, spending weeks at a time with the horses, and has been providing camping tours since 2013. Abbie Branchflower will be joining Sandy  for part of this season, as her assistant. Abbie also has a vast knowledge of the horses and loves to share it! 

Sandy is unsure how many more years she will be doing these tours, choosing not to do tours in 2019.  Don’t miss the opportunity to join her.

The many stories that Sandy and Abbie share about the horses and the range, make this trip more than just a chance to view them, it makes this a trip more about knowing the horses, giving you a brief glance into the life of the Pryor Mountain Wild Horses.

Experience living with the horses 24 hours a day and in doing so, this will give you a better understanding of what it is like to live wild on the range.  All tours may include light to moderate hiking.

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Below are the tour dates for the summer of 2020. Cost of the trip is $2125 per person. A deposit of 50% ($1062.50) is due at time of booking. Contact me for payment options, or check out by hitting the PAY NOW button below. (a secure payment that accepts most credit/debit cards through out the world.)Below are the tour dates for the summer of 2020. Cost of the trip is $2125. A deposit of 50% ($1062.50) is due at time of booking. (balance is due April 1, 2020). Contact me for payment options, or pay now by hitting the PAY NOW button below.  Accepts most credit/debit cards all over the world.

1. June 28-July 1  2 Openings
2. July 3-6 Full Moon!  Full
3. July 9-12  Full
4. July 14-17  2 Openings
5. July 19-22  Full

All payments are considered non-refundable. Refunds may be made if cancellations can be filled.  THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS, so please consider purchasing travel insurance on your own!!  Here is a link to travel insurance purchase.  This insurance is not through Wild In The Pryors.  Please explore this link for cost comparisons of several companies.   TRIP INSURANCE 

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Contact Sandy with any questions:  406-360-8959
All tours will start and end in Billings, MT.

 Your camping trip will be 4 days/3 nights on the mountain top.  This trip includes: comfortable transportation up and down the mountain, all food,( the food is top quality, no freeze dried camping stuff!)  snacks, tents, sleeping pad and expert personal guiding. (last night dinner is on your own once we return to Billings).

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There are many great hotels in Billings, MT.  You will be responsible for making your own arrangements before and after the trip.  AirBnb is also a great source to find some lodging.  I can pick you up at your hotel the morning of our first day, or you can meet me at my house in Billings. Feel free to contact me for hotel recommendations. Camping trips will be limited to 5 guests.  Sandy will have an assistant with her who will assist her and help you with any camping needs.  Sandy will personally be doing all of the guiding. For reservations:  Contact Sandy
Phone: 406-360-8959 
email:  wildinthepryors@aol.com

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Wild in the Pryors is permitted by the Bureau of Land Management to conduct small group tours within the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range from January to December. Wild in the Pryors is one of a handful of businesses that have the federal permits necessary to guide clients onto this federal property.

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2019 Pryor Foals 6 and 7

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Talia

Pryor Foal # 6 was born to Juniper and Horizon.  Juniper is the 2009 daughter of Sapo and Bolder.  Horizon is the 2007 son of Felina and Morning Star.  The foal is a filly and has been named Talia.

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Pegasus and Traveler.  Photo by Jack Sterling.

Pryor Foal # 7 was born to Pegasus and Missoula.  Pegasus is the 2015 daughter of Galaxy and Ireland.  Missoula is the 2012 son of Half Moon and Teton.   The foal is a colt and has been named Traveler.

This foal is very special to me.  Both Pegasus and Missoula were discovered and named by me.  Missoula was the very first foal that I had the privileged to find.   I am looking forward to watching this little guy grow into a stallion. Thank you so much Jack for the use of your photo and the discovery of this very special foal.