Black Mountain Burro Crisis: Supervisor Don Martin Raises Alarm Over Herd Growth and Roadway Safety

With the Black Mountain wild burro population far above federal management targets, concerns are growing over collisions, animal deaths, private-property impacts and whether current federal management efforts are enough.

By The Mohave Insider Staff MOHAVE COUNTY, Ariz. —

Wild burros are an iconic part of western Mohave County. They are woven into the history and identity of communities surrounding Oatman, Golden Valley, Bullhead City and the Black Mountains.

But protecting the animals also means confronting a difficult reality: there may simply be too many burros for the area to support safely and sustainably.

Mohave County District 4 Supervisor Don Martin has raised concerns about management of the Black Mountain herd, an issue that involves far more than wildlife numbers. It includes vehicle collisions, animals entering developed areas and private property, limited federal management resources and questions about the effectiveness of previous population-control efforts.

Martin’s concerns come as Mohave County officials have considered formally criticizing federal land managers over what has been described as a crisis-level wild burro population in the Black Mountains.

And the federal government’s own numbers demonstrate the magnitude of the problem.

Nearly 3,900 Burros Where the Target Maximum Is 478

The Black Mountain Herd Management Area encompasses approximately 1.1 million acres and stretches along the Colorado River from Hoover Dam south toward Interstate 40, including the Oatman area. 

According to the Bureau of Land Management⁠, the estimated Black Mountain population reached approximately 3,896 wild burros as of March 2026.

The federal Appropriate Management Level?

Just 382 to 478 animals.

That means the estimated population was more than eight times the upper end of the federal government’s own management range. 

This isn’t merely a claim coming from local politicians.

The BLM itself describes the Black Mountain herd as overpopulated and says that reducing the population is necessary for rangeland health, public safety, and the protection of private property. 

Burros and Cars Can Be a Deadly Combination

One of the most visible consequences is occurring on area roads.

Burros travel in and out of areas near highways searching for food and water. At night, particularly on poorly illuminated desert roads, a driver can have little time to react when a large animal enters the roadway.

Mohave County residents have seen the consequences before.

In 2018, Bullhead City fire crews reported responding to two burro strikes within approximately 12 hours  one on Bullhead Parkway near Cemex and another around Milepost 4 on Highway 68.

The drivers and passengers reportedly escaped injury.

Both burros died.

Another widely discussed incident occurred in the Lake Havasu area in 2022, where two wild burros were killed and a person was reportedly injured after burros entered Highway 95. Reports about the incident raised concerns that a fence had been cut, potentially allowing animals to access the roadway.

These aren’t isolated theoretical concerns.

During its 2026 Black Mountain gather, the BLM reported euthanizing one jack because of pre-existing injuries consistent with having been struck by a vehicle. 

The BLM specifically identifies vehicle collisions involving burros as a human health and public safety concern associated with Black Mountain overpopulation. 

Drivers Have a Responsibility Too

Population management isn’t the only part of the equation.

Residents have repeatedly complained about drivers speeding through areas known for wildlife and ignoring warning signs.

As with cattle, deer and other large animals, collisions can happen even when a motorist is driving responsibly, particularly at night or during poor visibility.

But excessive speed dramatically reduces reaction time.

Residents have also reported disturbing instances in which motorists allegedly leave after striking burros rather than reporting the collision.

Drivers traveling through known burro territory need to slow down, pay attention to warning signs and assume an animal could enter the roadway.

A posted speed limit is a maximum under appropriate conditions, not an instruction to maintain that speed regardless of darkness, weather, wildlife or other hazards.

But Drivers Aren’t the Entire Problem

Blaming every collision on motorists ignores the other half of the equation.

When thousands more animals occupy an area than federal managers consider sustainable, encounters with roads, neighborhoods and private property become increasingly difficult to avoid.

The BLM acknowledges that excess Black Mountain burros have moved onto private property in search of food and water, resulting in property damage and roadway safety concerns. 

Residents have also reported seeing burros increasingly near developed areas of Bullhead City and other populated areas.

That creates a situation where animal management and driver responsibility must be addressed simultaneously.

Feeding Wild Burros Can Make the Situation Worse

There is another human behavior that deserves attention:

Treating wild burros like pets.

People naturally want to interact with them. Oatman’s burros, in particular, are one of the area’s most recognizable attractions.

But repeatedly feeding wildlife can alter animal behavior and encourage animals to associate humans, vehicles, and developed areas with food.

That can become dangerous.

An animal conditioned to approach people or vehicles may have less reason to avoid roads.

The principle is simple:

Let wild animals remain wild.

Loving an animal does not always mean approaching it or feeding it.

Sometimes protecting wildlife means leaving it alone.

Fertility Control Has Been Tried

Population control isn’t a new concept in the Black Mountains.

During its 2024 Black Mountain gather, the BLM planned to remove as many as 1,000 excess burros and treat approximately 100 female burros, known as jennies, with PZP fertility control before releasing selected animals back onto the range. 

The BLM has used fertility-control strategies as part of broader wild-horse and burro management, and the agency says research and modeling indicate that reducing female fertility is generally more effective at slowing herd growth than targeting males. 

But fertility control alone has clearly not brought Black Mountain anywhere near its management target.

The estimated population was 1,925 in November 2023. By March 2026, BLM’s estimate was approximately 3,896. 

The agency notes that wild horse and burro herds without sufficient management and natural predators can double every four to five years. 

That is the mathematical problem confronting federal land managers.

BLM Removed Nearly 500 This Year

Federal officials have not completely ignored the situation.

Beginning April 2, the BLM conducted another Black Mountain gather using bait-and-water traps rather than helicopters.

The operation concluded May 18.

According to BLM’s final numbers, 495 burros were gathered, 486 were shipped from the area, and six were released. Animals removed from the range were sent through the federal adoption and sales program. 

But compare that with the estimated population.

Approximately 3,896 burros were estimated in the HMA before an operation designed to remove about 500.

The upper management target remains 478.

That gap helps explain why county officials, including Martin, continue questioning whether current federal resources and management actions are adequate.

A Conservationist Raising a Conservation Issue

Martin’s involvement is also notable because wildlife management isn’t a new subject for the District 4 supervisor.

Mohave County describes Martin as a longtime conservationist and outdoors writer. He has worked with the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Hunter Education Program for more than 25 years and previously served on the Mohave County Public Lands Use Committee. In 2013, Wildlife for Tomorrow inducted him into the Arizona Wildlife Hall of Fame. That background makes the burro debate more complicated than portraying population management as being either “for” or “against” the animals.

Managing a population can itself be an act of conservation.

When animals greatly exceed what available habitat can sustainably support, the consequences can include competition for limited water and forage, deteriorating rangelands, animals moving into populated areas and additional encounters with vehicles.

There Is No Verified Arizona Driver Death We Could Find

One claim deserves particular clarification.

The Mohave Insider could not locate an official record or credible news report establishing that a motorist has been killed specifically from striking a wild burro in the Black Mountains or Oatman area.

That doesn’t mean the danger isn’t real.

People have been injured, vehicles have been damaged, and numerous burros have died.

But animal deaths and serious collisions should not be converted into an unverified claim that a person has already been killed locally.

The existing facts are concerning enough without exaggeration.

And waiting until someone is killed would hardly be responsible public policy.

Who Is Responsible?

The answer isn’t just one group.

BLM has a responsibility to effectively manage a federally protected herd that is dramatically above its established population range.

Drivers have a responsibility to slow down, remain alert, and drive appropriately in areas known for wildlife.

Residents and visitors have a responsibility not to encourage dangerous behavior by feeding or habituating wild animals.

Government officials have a responsibility to push for workable solutions when federal management problems begin to affect local roads, neighborhoods, property owners, and emergency services.

And people who care about the burros should recognize that population management and animal protection are not necessarily opposing goals.

Protecting Burros Means Managing Them

The Black Mountain burros are part of Mohave County.

They deserve protection.

But protection cannot simply mean allowing the population to grow indefinitely while animals increasingly encounter highways, neighborhoods and limited desert resources.

As the BLM’s own data shows, this is no longer a small discrepancy.

Estimated Black Mountain population: 3,896. Upper federal management target: 478. 

That difference deserves serious attention.

The question facing Mohave County and federal land managers isn’t whether the burros should be protected.

It is about protecting them before overpopulation becomes even more dangerous for the animals and the people who share this landscape with them.

DISCLAIMER: For clarity, the phrase “too many asses” was added by The Mohave Insider for humor and audience engagement. The individual featured did not use those exact words. His actual statement referred to there being “too many burros.”

The wording should not be interpreted as a direct quote or attributed to him.

AI DISCLOSURE: This graphic/image was AI-generated for illustrative and entertainment purposes.