2026 Spring Mountains Complex wild horse and burro bait and water gather
Purpose of Gather:
The purpose of the gather is to prevent undue or unnecessary degradation of the public lands associated with excess wild horses and burros and to restore a thriving natural ecological balance and multiple-use relationship on public lands, consistent with the provisions of Section 1333(b) of the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. The action is also necessary to reduce overpopulation of wild horses and burros within and outside complex.
Additionally, the gather is in response to concerns of public safety. The horses and burros are crossing state highways and have entered private properties, caused damage to fencing, water lines, and vegetation.
Details of Gather:
The BLM will conduct gather operations utilizing temporary bait and water traps consisting of a series of corral panels stocked with water/forage; no helicopters will be used.
Temporary closures will be put in place around bait and water trap locations. The closure is necessary to protect public health and safety. The BLM's Priority is to conduct safe, efficient, and successful wild horse and burro gather operations while ensuring humane care and treatment of all animals gathered. Wild horses and burros are reluctant to approach the trap site when there is too much activity. Therefore, only essential gather operation personnel will be allowed at the trap site during operations.
Public Observation:
Due to the nature of the bait and water trap method, wild horses and burros are reluctant to approach the trap site when there is too much activity; therefore, only essential gather operations personnel will be allowed at the trap site during gather operations.
Adoption Information:
Information for wild horse adoptions can be found on the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Adoption page.
Background:
The Spring Mountain Complex has three Herd Management Areas (HMAs.)
- Johnnie HMA encompasses 177,237 acres of BLM lands and 2,131 acres of a mix of private and other public lands which totals 179,368 acres. It has an Appropriate Management Level (AML) of 65-108 wild burros and is not managed for wild horses.
- Red Rock HMA encompasses 157,443 acres of BLM lands and 4,526 acres of a mix of private and other public lands which totals 161,969 acres. It has an AML of 16 – 27 wild horses and 29 – 49 wild burros.
- Wheeler Pass HMA encompasses 273,898 acres of BLM lands and 1,677 of a mix of private and other private lands which totals 275,575 acres. It has an AML of 47 – 66 wild horses and 20 – 35 wild burros.
The gather is critical to ensuring the health of the HMA lands as well as the wild horses or burros in the area, both of which are in jeopardy due to herd overpopulation. By balancing herd size with what the land can support, the BLM aims to protect habitat for other wildlife species including mule deer, sage grouse, blue grouse, eagles, and hawks. Removing excess wild horses and burros supports significant progress toward achieving the Standards for Rangeland Health identified by the Mojave-Southern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council.
- Daily Gather Reports
Sunday, March 15, 2026
Summary: (Gather status, temp and weather conditions)
Animals Gathered: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals) 0 (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies and 0 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals) 0 (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies and 0 Foals)
Animals Released: 0 (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals) 0 (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 0
- Sudden / Acute: 0
- Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
Provide short description of each animal death
Gather Status
This gather will begin on or about March 15, 2026.
Animals Gathered: 0
0 Wild Horses (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
0 Wild Burros (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies, and 0 Foals)
Animals Shipped: 0
0 Wild Horses (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
0 Wild Burros (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies, and 0 Foals)
Animals Released:
0 Wild Horses (0 Stallions, 0 Mares, and 0 Foals)
0 Wild Burros (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies, and 0 Foals)
Deaths: 0
-Sudden / Acute: 0
-Pre-existing / Chronic: 0
Scroll to the bottom of this gather page for detailed “Daily Gather Reports"