The Great Mono Lake Gather

A Horse of a Different Bureau

Though the operation may unfold just beyond the borders of Nevada, the Bureau of Land Management will conduct a grand gather of free-range horses near Mono Lake, Calif. Now, one might argue that drawing a line in the dust to separate these fine equines from the Silver State is a fool’s errand, as horses and Nevada are about as inseparable as a man and his shadow at high noon.

Having taken a liking to the rolling terrain outside Montgomery Pass near Benton, the excess Mustangs will soon receive government-sponsored relocation efforts. The operation will extend into the Mono Basin, along U.S. Highway 6 and State Route 120, where the horses have been accused of various transgressions, including disturbing delicate wildlife habitats, loitering in riparian areas, and trampling upon geological formations with a reckless disregard for their aesthetic and scientific value. Motorists, too, have expressed concerns about these free-roaming creatures, as have private landowners who are unamused by their uninvited equestrian guests.

BLM Bishop Field Manager Sherri Lisius assures the public that this grand equine exodus, slated to begin in the summer of 2025, is all in the name of good stewardship. The area, ideally home to a modest 138 to 230 horses, currently boasts a population of 699, according to a 2024 aerial survey—an impressive figure, considering the horses themselves had no say in the matter.

Under the government’s plan, between 300 and 500 of these wayward beasts will be rounded up and whisked away to Forest Service off-range corrals, where they will be examined by veterinarians and prepared for adoption and sale. Thus, the wild spirit of the West will once again be subjected to the tempering hand of civilization, proving that while the frontier may be long gone, the bureaucracy that follows in its wake is alive and well.