SAND WASH BASIN — Robin Wadhams reviews the list of wild horses that still need to be darted this summer before she sets up for target practice.

Each mare has a name: Angel, Bisbee, Calamity, Dust Devil, Eeyore, Kamchatka. Next to them are notes on whether the horse needs a first dose of contraceptive, or just a booster.

Some notes offer more specific guidance. For Gretchen: “Hard to dart — not a priority unless opportunity presents.”

About 10 times a year, Robin and her husband, Gary, make the four-hour trip from their home in Hotchkiss to the Sand Wash Basin Herd Management Area in the state’s far-northwest corner. There, in the sagebrush plains and dusty, endless hills roamed by about 400 horses, they set out to dispense fertility treatments via dart gun.

For years, dedicated volunt

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