The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Nevada’s Winnemucca District Humboldt River Field Office released the decision record for the McGee Mountain wild burro water- and bait-trap gather on July 30.

The gather area, which is outside of the McGee Mountain herd management area (HMA), is located in northwestern Humboldt County approximately 20 miles west of Denio, Nevada. The BLM will gather and remove approximately 125 excess wild burros. The gather will commence mid-August and is expected to run for 30 days.

The McGee Mountain HMA is currently in an extreme drought condition. As a result, a majority of the wild burros have left the HMA boundaries in search of forage and water and have caused private property damage to get to the limited water sources in the area. The priority for gathering will take place within the adjacent private property and an area outside of the HMA that is not managed for wild burros.

In July 2014 a census flight of the HMA and surrounding area was conducted. The direct count of the population of wild burros was 101. However, the predicted population based off of a May 5 report from U.S. Geological Survey was approximately 146 burros, not including the 2015 foals, and is supported by current on-the-ground observations. The appropriate management level (AML) for this HMA is 25 to 41 wild burros