Goal of Gather:

The BLM’s goal is to manage for healthy populations of wild burros within the Bullfrog HMA, ensure healthy rangelands, protect wildlife habitat, and appease human-burro conflicts in Beatty, Nevada and along the Highway 95 corridor that runs through the HMA. To accomplish these goals, the Tonopah Field Office (TFO) is proposing to conduct a wild burro gather to achieve the Appropriate Management Level (AML) through removal of excess wild burros.

Details of the Gather:

Under the BLMs Proposed Action, the project would involve gathering and removing all wild burros residing outside of the HMA, and excess wild burros in the Bullfrog HMA. This would result in a post gather population of 58 – 70 wild burros. The established AML in the Bullfrog HMA is 58 - 91 wild burros. The BLM TFO is proposing to gather to the low AML to allow for approximately 3-years of population growth before the AML is again exceeded and another gather would be needed. The proposed gather would be completed in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) located in Appendix A of the Environmental Assessment (EA).

More detail is available by accessing the Documents and Maps link in the right column. Public observations days will be scheduled and announced with details about the media and the public attending the gather. 

Adoption:

Excess wild burros removed from the range are offered for adoption to qualified people through the BLM’s Adopt-a-Horse or Burro Program. Potential adopters must have the proper facilities and financial means to care for an adopted animal, and we always hope that they have experience working with a wild horse or burro, which will help ensure the gentling process.

During the first year, the government retains title to the animal(s), and will conduct compliance checks throughout the year in an effort to ensure as much as possible that the animal is properly being cared for and has gone to a good home. At the end of the first year, if the adopter has complied with all the adoption stipulations and has properly cared for their burro for one year, he or she is eligible to receive title, or ownership, from the Federal government.

The BLM has placed nearly 225,000 wild horses and burros into private care since the adoption program began in 1971. To apply to adopt a wild horse or burro on-line, please go to the BLM's adoption website at: www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/wild_horse_and_burro/What_We_Do/wild_horse_and_burro.html

If you are interested in adopting directly from one of the BLM's holding facilities, please visit the agency's facilities page. For more information about the BLM’s Adopt-A-Horse or Burro program, please visit www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/whbprogram.html, or you may call 1-866-468-7826 with any questions about the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program.

The Tonopah Field Office may hold a small trap-site adoption event in conjunction with the Bullfrog HMA gather if enough interest is received from the public. If you are interested in adopting at such an event, contact Dustin Hollowell, Wild Horse and Burro Specialist at 775-482-7847, or e-mail to the Bullfrog HMA Gather address BullfrogHMA@blm.gov, using the subject line “ADOPTION”.

Latest News:

For BLM news releases and statements issued about the Bullfrog HMA Wild Burro Gather, please check our Newsroom.

Background:

The proposed gather area includes the Bullfrog HMA and areas beyond designated HMA boundaries on public lands administered by the TFO. A small portion of the gather area would be conducted on public lands administered by the BLM Southern Nevada District.

For more information on the Wild Horse and Burro Program, call 1-866-468-7826 or email wildhorse@blm.gov.

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