Most of the land in Nevada is owned by the state because it is either mountain or desert and not really a place for humans. When the gold miners left they did not take their burros with them and the government decreed the burros were a part of history and not to be bothered. Beatty is full of burros and today we counted a herd of 15 in one casino parking lot and what a mess they leave behind.  The burros wander freely and are sometimes a hazard when they get over the fences by the highway. They are like our deer! 

 Most of the burros are nice looking but they do leave a mess.