If your friend hasn’t dealt with the BLM in Nevada, then he doesn’t understand the historically established grazing easement that Bundy holds - if he would argue his case based on Nevada grazing law, he would win. People get their undies in a bunch over paying fees or not paying fees...he owned the easement, by Nevada law, before the feds took possession of the land - the feds cannot charge a citizen to use an easement they already own. So far the case has been argued on the bases of the feds not having the right to own the land - his grazing easement is valid, even if the feds can own the land.
The BLM paid almost 1 million dollars to the contract cowboys from Utah to round up the cattle for a million dollar debt they claim is due - now that makes no sense. There is no question this is all about bullying and spite.
Gov of Utah issued an order those cattle from Bundy’s could not cross the state line, so BLM weren’t going to find anyone or any auction willing to take rustle cattle. That idea was over & done before the standoff finished.
That same argument has been used, and sometimes it wins. But case law is pretty settled that if you don't pay the grazing fees, you lose the right to graze.
However, he did say that sending in a massive show of force is very troubling. Most cases are handled by mail, and more than a few are settled very quickly. Grazing for twenty years without paying a fee is very odd. Sending in mercs and BLM rangers is almost unprecedented (they don't do that on the Rez even when there are massive drug operations going on).
IF they killed the cattle, then not only does Bundy have excellent standing to sue and win a lot of money, he wins the sympathy of many in the West. Law out there is very different, and that may go farther than anything.
I do wonder about the wranglers they brought in. Not many would do so. I wonder if after the boys got down there and saw what was going on, they stopped working. Then the mercs started shooting (I say mercs because of the pictures of non uniformed armed men in tactical gear inside the Fedgov compound).