KINGMAN — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Kingman Field Office will begin gathering wild burros in and around the Black Mountain Herd Management Area (HMA) in northwestern Arizona, starting April 2. The BLM plans to gather and remove approximately 500 excess wild burros to address public safety concerns, reduce property damage, and support long‑term herd and rangeland health.
BLM contractors will conduct gather operations using temporary bait and water traps consisting of corral panels stocked with water and forage. No helicopters will be used. Burros gathered during operations will be transported to the Axtell Off‑Range Corral in Axtell, Utah, where they will be checked by a veterinarian and prepared for the BLM’s Adoption and Sales Program.
The Black Mountain HMA spans roughly 1.1 million acres, with gather operations focused on approximately 500,000 acres where burros are most concentrated. The HMA parallels the eastern shoreline of the Colorado River from Hoover Dam south to Interstate 40. The current estimated population is approximately 3,896 wild burros as of March 2026, substantially exceeding the appropriate management level (AML) of 478 burros.
The BLM aims to carry out safe, effective, and humane gathering operations, with a strong focus on the welfare of the animals.
For information on adopting or purchasing a wild burro, visit www.blm.gov/whb.
