Nationally, the BLM’s goal is to remove about one of every four wild horses and burros from the range this year.

“If we hadn’t been gathering horses, the numbers would be astronomical,” Shane said. “It would be a pretty inhumane situation. You would have animals dying, not just horses, but wildlife too. It would be devastating.”

Ranchers in the Great Basin and mountain West areas hit hardest by wildfires are among the biggest backers of the government’s bid to pare the wild herds.

"Due primarily to weather cycles, horse population totals in Nevada have ranged from a high of an estimated 34,677 in 1992 to a low of 22,463 in 1998"

More than 1.7 million acres of range — an area bigger than Delaware — burned in Nevada in 1999. The result has been less forage.

“It’s a problem and the long-term impact is not going to be good for anybody,” said Rachel Buzzetti, executive director of the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association.

“They’ve been trying to do periodic roundups, but they are stretching the dollar as far as it can be stretched and they haven’t been able to accomplish the task,” she said from Elko, Nev.

Nevada Rep. Jim Gibbons helped secure an additional $9 million last year to push the BLM’s roundup budget to $29 million and is pressing for more.

“It’s an emotional issue,” said Gibbons, a conservative Republican who sits on the House Resources Committee. “Every time the federal government goes to make a move, they are sued in federal court whether it is over wild horses or any other species or animal or insect that occurs on the planet.”

But Gibbons sees brighter days ahead.

“You’ve got a president in office now who understands ranching and how proper herd management takes place,” he said.