Wild Horse and Burro Units - Quick Reference

This Wild Horse and Burro Territories map designates boundaries to establish extent of distribution and management of Wild Horse and Burro territories. This is a published layer created by combining GIS data managed by each National Forest and attribute data stored in the Forest Service RIMS database application. This dataset is designed for reporting and analysis only.

Fields: Agency, Type, Status, Acres, Species, AML (Appropriate Management Level), Notes/Year. Values reflect the summary you provided; blanks/dashes mean not specified in that summary.

White Mountain (WY) ActiveBLM HMA

Agency / Type: BLM - Herd Management Area
Status: Active
Size: ~393,000 acres
Species / AML: Horses; AML 205-300
Notes: Checkerboard ownership; 2022 est. ~791 horses (pre-2024 gather).

Black Mountain (AZ) ActiveBLM HMA

Agency / Type: BLM - Herd Management Area
Status: Active
Size: ~1,100,000 acres
Species / AML: Burros; AML 478 (≈1,700-1,900 on range in recent years)
Notes: Largest burro herd.

Deep Creek (UT) ActiveBLM HMA (JMA)

Agency / Type: BLM - HMA (Joint Mgmt. Area with USFS)
Status: Active
Size: ~84,600 acres (JMA total)
Species / AML: Horses; AML 40-60 (JMA)
Notes: Water availability is a key constraint.

North Hills WHT (UT) ActiveUSFS WHT

Agency / Type: USFS - Wild Horse Territory (inside the North Hills JMA)
Status: Active
Size: ~24,000 acres (USFS share of JMA)
Species / AML: Horses; AML 40-60 (JMA)
Notes: Managed jointly with adjacent BLM HMA.

Montgomery Pass (NV/CA) ActiveBLM HMA

Agency / Type: BLM - Herd Management Area
Status: Active
Size: ~50,815 acres
Species / AML: Horses; AML 64-81
Notes: On the NV/CA line near Boundary Peak.

Murderer's Creek (OR) ActiveUSFS WHT

Agency / Type: USFS - Wild Horse Territory (Malheur NF)
Status: Active
Size: ~73,600 acres (USFS; mixed ownership in mosaic)
Species / AML: Horses; AML set by USFS (range not specified)
Notes: Territory established 1972.

Big Summit (OR) ActiveUSFS WHT

Agency / Type: USFS - Wild Horse Territory (Ochoco NF)
Status: Active
Size: ~25,434 acres
Species / AML: Horses; USFS-managed (range not specified)
Notes: Only USFS-managed wild horse herd in the PNW.

Heber (AZ) ActiveUSFS WHT

Agency / Type: USFS - Wild Horse Territory (Apache-Sitgreaves NF)
Status: Active
Size: ~19,700 acres
Species / AML: Horses; AML set via USFS planning (not specified)
Notes: Designated post-1971 Act.

Johnnie (NV) ActiveBLM HMA

Agency / Type: BLM - Herd Management Area
Status: Active
Size: ~179,000 acres
Species / AML: Burros; AML 65-108 (horses present; no horse AML)
Notes: Mojave Desert shrub; near Pahrump.

Spring Mountain / Wheeler Pass (NV) ActiveBLM/USFS JMA

Agency / Type: BLM HMA / USFS Territory - Joint Mgmt.
Status: Active
Size: -
Species / AML: Horses AML 47; Burros AML 20 (per 1996 plan; updates in progress)
Notes: Includes Spring Mountains NRA.

Caja del Rio (Caja WHT) (NM) ActiveUSFS WHT

Agency / Type: USFS - Wild Horse Territory (Santa Fe NF)
Status: Active
Size: 8,728 acres
Species / AML: Horses; AML not specified
Notes: ~8 miles W of Santa Fe; distinct from nearby feral bands.

Chicoma WHT (NM) InactiveUSFS WHT

Agency / Type: USFS - Wild Horse Territory
Status: Inactive
Size: ~2,893 acres
Species / AML: - (AML 0)
Notes: Listed inactive in USFS roster.

Mesa de las Viegas WHT (NM) InactiveUSFS WHT

Agency / Type: USFS - Wild Horse Territory
Status: Inactive
Size: ~7,368 acres
Species / AML: - (AML 0)
Notes: Inactive per USFS listings.

Dome WBT (NM) InactiveUSFS WBT

Agency / Type: USFS - Wild Burro Territory
Status: Inactive
Size: -
Species / AML: Burros; AML 0
Notes: Listed INACTIVE in USFS roster.

San Diego WHT (NM) InactiveUSFS WHT

Agency / Type: USFS - Wild Horse Territory
Status: Inactive
Size: -
Species / AML: Horses; AML 0
Notes: Listed INACTIVE in USFS roster.

Saguaro WBT (AZ) InactiveUSFS WBT

Agency / Type: USFS - Wild Burro Territory (Tonto NF)
Status: Inactive
Size: -
Species / AML: Burros; AML 0 (historical values noted elsewhere)
Notes: Roster shows inactive despite a historical AML row.

Double A WBT (AZ) ActiveUSFS WBT

Agency / Type: USFS - Wild Burro Territory (Kaibab NF)
Status: Active
Size: -
Species / AML: Burros; AML 22-35
Notes: Listed ACTIVE with AML in USFS roster.

Jarita Mesa WHT (NM) ActiveUSFS WHT

Agency / Type: USFS - Wild Horse Territory (Carson NF)
Status: Active
Size: ~55,000 acres
Species / AML: Horses; AML 20-70
Notes: 7,000-9,700 ft; mountainous terrain.

Unit	State	Agency	Type	Status	Acres	Species	AML	Notes / Year
White Mountain	WY	BLM	HMA	Active	~393,000	Horses	205-300	Checkerboard; 2022 est. ~791
Black Mountain	AZ	BLM	HMA	Active	~1,100,000	Burros	478	Largest burro herd (~1.7-1.9k on range)
Deep Creek	UT	BLM	HMA (JMA)	Active	~84,600	Horses	40-60	JMA with USFS; water-limited
North Hills WHT	UT	USFS	WHT	Active	~24,000	Horses	40-60 (JMA)	Inside North Hills JMA
Montgomery Pass	NV/CA	BLM	HMA	Active	~50,815	Horses	64-81	Near Boundary Peak
Murderer's Creek	OR	USFS	WHT	Active	~73,600	Horses	-	Established 1972
Big Summit	OR	USFS	WHT	Active	~25,434	Horses	-	USFS-managed herd (PNW)
Heber	AZ	USFS	WHT	Active	~19,700	Horses	-	AML via USFS planning
Johnnie	NV	BLM	HMA	Active	~179,000	Burros	65-108	Horses present; no horse AML
Spring Mountain / Wheeler Pass	NV	BLM/USFS	JMA	Active	-	Horses/Burros	47 / 20	1996 plan; updates in progress
Caja del Rio (Caja WHT)	NM	USFS	WHT	Active	8,728	Horses	-	~8 mi W of Santa Fe
Chicoma WHT	NM	USFS	WHT	Inactive	~2,893	-	0	Listed inactive
Mesa de las Viegas WHT	NM	USFS	WHT	Inactive	~7,368	-	0	Listed inactive
Dome WBT	NM	USFS	WBT	Inactive	-	Burros	0	Listed INACTIVE
San Diego WHT	NM	USFS	WHT	Inactive	-	Horses	0	Listed INACTIVE
Saguaro WBT	AZ	USFS	WBT	Inactive	-	Burros	0	Historical AML noted; currently inactive
Double A WBT	AZ	USFS	WBT	Active	-	Burros	22-35	Active per roster
Jarita Mesa WHT	NM	USFS	WHT	Active	~55,000	Horses	20-70	7,000-9,700 ft terrain

Legend & Terms

AML: Target range of free-roaming animals the unit is managed for long-term (e.g., 40-60). Agencies use monitoring and gathers to keep herds near AML.
HMA: BLM (Herd Management Area) unit designated under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act for managing wild horses and/or burros.
WHT: USFS Wild Horse Territory - territory designated for wild horses under the same Act.
WBT: USFS Wild Burro Territory - territory designated for wild burros.
JMA: A contiguous jointly managed area by BLM and USFS. Some figures (acres/AML) may refer to the whole JMA rather than a single agency unit.
Status: Active - agency manages a resident wild herd (has an AML).
Inactive - territory remains on the books but is not managed for a resident herd (often AML = 0).
Species: Indicates the free-roaming equids present/managed: Horses (Equus caballus) and/or Burros (Equus asinus).
Acres: Approximate size of the managed unit. Some boundaries include mixed ownership (e.g., "checkerboard" public/private).
Population (est.): Most recent on-range estimate published by the agency; values are approximate and updated periodically.
Gather: Management action (helicopter/bait trap, fertility control, adoptions/transfers) used to align population with AML and range conditions.
Notes: Extra context such as year established, planning documents, nearby designations (e.g., NRA), or habitat constraints (water, forage).

Agencies: BLM = Bureau of Land Management; USFS = U.S. Forest Service. "1971 Act" = Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act (Public Law 92-195).

Wild Horse & Burro Territories - FAQ (incl. "Hidalgo," Choctaw Ponies & Gilbert Jones)

1) What's the difference between the "Wild Horse Land" in Hidalgo and today's official Wild Horse & Burro areas?

Short version: The film portrays a romantic 1890s "mustang country." Modern units are formal, mapped federal designations created under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act-managed by agencies with plans, monitoring, and target herd sizes (AMLs).

Movie / folklore: Broad, largely unmanaged ranges used for storytelling; not a legal land designation.
Reality today:
- BLM HMAs (Herd Management Areas) and USFS Territories (WHT = Wild Horse Territory; WBT = Wild Burro Territory) with fixed boundaries and management plans.
- AMLs (Appropriate Management Levels) set a target population range; agencies use fertility control and gathers to meet AML while protecting rangeland health.
Where the Choctaw Ponies & Gilbert Jones fit: The well-documented Choctaw/Spanish Mustang lines tied to breeder Gilbert H. Jones ran on/around Blackjack Mountain in SE Oklahoma under private/timber leases-not on a federal HMA/WHT. The free-roaming Blackjack herd was removed in 2007-2008; today those bloodlines are conserved on private ranches and sanctuaries, not as a federal "preserve."

2) What happens if horses or burros leave a designated HMA/WHT/WBT?

Agencies treat animals outside designated areas as a priority for action:

Private land: If the landowner submits a written request, BLM must remove wild horses/burros "as soon as practicable."
Public land (outside a unit): BLM/USFS typically gather and return/remove animals from places not managed for resident herds.
Other jurisdictions: Parks, tribes, and states have their own rules; the federal agencies coordinate when animals cross boundaries.

3) How fast can herds overpopulate if unmanaged?

With few natural predators, free-roaming horses and burros commonly grow about 15-20% per year-which can double a herd in ~4-5 years without management. That's why AMLs, fertility control, and periodic gathers are used.

4) Are these animals truly "wild"? Does the government feed and care for them?

On federal HMA/WHT/WBT lands: They're legally protected as "wild free-roaming," though most descend from historic domestic stock (biologically feral). Agencies do not routinely feed or water them; supplemental feeding is generally prohibited except in emergencies. Day-to-day, the animals fend for themselves; management is limited to monitoring, fertility control, and gathers/adoptions when needed.

Choctaw/Spanish Mustang lines (Blackjack Mountain heritage): These horses are now on private ranches or nonprofit sanctuaries. Care (feed, water, veterinary) is provided by owners and organizations-not the federal Wild Horse & Burro Program.

Acronyms used: HMA = Herd Management Area (BLM); WHT = Wild Horse Territory (USFS); WBT = Wild Burro Territory (USFS); AML = Appropriate Management Level.