Nevada Mule Deer Bighorn Sheep Elk Pronghorn

Unit 051

Nevada Hunting Guide — Mule Deer, Bighorn Sheep, Elk, Pronghorn

Nevada Unit 051 covers the Lamoille / South Fork area of Elko County, a productive mule deer unit with draw-only tags. NDOW publishes unit-level hunt information and quotas annually.

View Draw Odds Nevada Hunting Guide

Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 051

Nevada Unit 051 covers the Lamoille / South Fork area of Elko County, a productive mule deer unit with draw-only tags. NDOW publishes unit-level hunt information and quotas annually.

Where to Find Mule Deer in Unit 051

Target alpine and subalpine benches early, canyon drainages and transition zones later. Consult NDOW hunt info sheets for current-year distribution.

How to Hunt Unit 051 Mule Deer

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Mule Deer Success Rates

Rifle30%

Archery18%

Muzzleloader22%

See the current NDOW hunt info sheet for unit-specific success data by season and weapon.

Mule Deer Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— Mid Season	121	1,100	11.0%	1
Rifle— Mid Season	25	766	3.3%	0
Rifle— Limited Entry	50	114	43.9%	0
Rifle— Limited Entry	65	137	47.4%	1
Rifle— Mid Season	40	75	53.3%	1
Archery— Early Season	55	80	68.8%	0
Muzzleloader— Early Season	30	49	61.2%	1
Muzzleloader— Early Season	25	6	100.0%	0

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

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NDOW publishes draw statistics for Unit 051 annually.

Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit 051

Nevada Unit 051 offers a California bighorn sheep hunt on the cliff and canyon country of northern Humboldt County — primarily the escarpments of the Santa Rosa Range and the Owyhee-carved rim country stretching north toward the Idaho line. Tags are extremely limited and this is one of the premier California bighorn hunts in the state when drawn.

Where to Find Bighorn Sheep in Unit 051

Concentrate scouting on the steep escarpments of the Santa Rosa Range — especially the broken volcanic cliffs around Hinkey Summit, the rim country above Martin Creek, and the basalt faces north toward the Owyhee breaks. Rams favor the steepest terrain within an easy walk of feed flats; look for them on south and east-facing rims catching morning sun.

How to Hunt Unit 051 Bighorn

This is a sit-and-glass hunt. Set up a tripod-mounted spotting scope on a vantage point overlooking a rim system, and spend first and last light picking apart the cliffs from a mile or more away. When a shootable ram is located, plan the stalk carefully — wind swirls badly in these canyons, and one blown approach often means the group relocates for days. Figure on a 7-10 day hunt, with most of it spent glassing, not walking.

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Bighorn Sheep Success Rates

Rifle65%

California bighorn rifle success in northern Nevada historically runs 75-90% — the herds are small but the country is finite and rams are findable with enough glassing time. With 4 tags across three years, single-season numbers are noisy, but dedicated tag holders rarely eat the tag.

Bighorn Sheep Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— Early Season	2	873	0.2%	0

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Unit 051 California bighorn is one of Nevada's tougher draws — roughly 4 tags across three years against 1,192 applicants. With NDOW's bonus-weighted bonus point weighting, max-point applicants carry meaningful leverage but still face deep single-digit odds. Most applicants should treat this as a lifetime application effort.

Elk Hunting in Unit 051

Nevada Unit 051 hosts a small but established elk herd in the Santa Rosa Range and surrounding Owyhee country of northern Humboldt County. The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest anchors the public land in the Santa Rosas, with BLM wrapping the lower elevations north toward the Idaho line. Tags are very limited and this is a lightly hunted, low-pressure unit for tag holders who draw.

Where to Find Elk in Unit 051

Elk in Unit 051 concentrate in the aspen and mountain-mahogany pockets of the higher Santa Rosa Range — the basins above Hinkey Summit, the drainages flanking Santa Rosa Peak, and the timbered north-face benches. Bulls push to sheltered canyons during hot early seasons and pull into the pinyon-juniper benches as weather cools.

How to Hunt Unit 051 Elk

Scout in August, mark meadow edges and water sources, and set up glassing points overlooking the major drainages. Bugle-in tactics work during the archery and early rifle windows, but 051 bulls are not heavily pressured so calling should be soft and selective. Plan 7-10 days in-unit; the small tag pool means minimal other-hunter pressure, so patience and repetition pay off.

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Elk Success Rates

Rifle35%

Muzzleloader28%

Success rates on 051 elk tags have historically run 50-75%. Bull quality is solid for northern Nevada — most mature bulls run 300-330 class, with occasional larger animals. Because tag numbers are small, single-season data is noisy; the consistent story is low hunter pressure and good opportunity for patient tag holders.

Elk Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— Early Season	2	543	0.4%	1
Rifle— Late Season	3	90	3.3%	0
Rifle— Mid Season	3	196	1.5%	0
Rifle— Late Season	4	315	1.3%	0
Muzzleloader— Early Season	2	24	8.3%	0

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

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Unit 051 elk is a tough draw — 13 tags across three years against 1,030 applicants. NDOW squares bonus points in the draw formula; max-point applicants carry real leverage but still face long odds most years. Expect 5+ points of buildup for a realistic shot at a rifle bull tag.

Pronghorn Hunting in Unit 051

Unit 051 sits in northwestern Humboldt County, taking in the Pine Forest Range, the northern Black Rock Desert margin, and the sage basins that spill toward the Oregon line. NDOW groups this unit with the surrounding antelope country for its hunt-information sheet, and we see it draw strong application pressure because tag numbers are relatively generous compared to the single-unit sheep hunts in the same region. Expect wide-open sagebrush flats, playa edges, and broken BLM country at 4,500 to 8,500 feet.

Where to Find Pronghorn in Unit 051

Unit 051 pronghorn hold on the sage flats and low benches fringing the Pine Forest Range and the northern lobe of the Black Rock Desert. We focus on the transition zone where sagebrush-grassland gives way to playa and low basalt rims — antelope feed in the sage and bed near the open edges where they can see for miles.

Pine Forest foothills

The rolling benches east and south of Duffer Peak hold consistent antelope numbers through the September archery and October rifle hunts. Water in the form of BLM guzzlers, stock tanks, and springs around the range margin keeps bucks within a few miles of predictable feed.

Black Rock playa edge

The margin where the Black Rock Desert meets the Jackson Mountains foothills is classic antelope country. Early-season pressure is light because access involves long gravel and dirt routes off Soldier Meadows Road, but we have found good bucks cruising the sage islands along the playa's north rim.

How to Hunt Pronghorn in Unit 051

Unit 051 rewards a spot-and-stalk approach built around first-light glassing from the low ridges that break up the sage. We set up with quality 12x or 15x binoculars on tripods, let the sun come up behind us, and cover miles of basin without moving.

Glass first, drive second

Driving the BLM two-tracks pushes antelope out ahead of the truck and rarely puts us inside stalking range. Instead we park at intersections and climb the nearest knob — fifty feet of elevation changes how much country we can read.

Water and wind

By mid-September the natural pothole water is gone and antelope are tied to improved water. Rifle hunters can sit guzzlers at dawn; archery hunters have better luck using the water to pattern a specific buck for a stalk rather than a blind sit.

Wind and heat management

The basin winds pick up hard by 10 a.m. Plan the morning glass, the midday stalk on a bedded buck, and a cool-down break before the evening hunt. Hydration matters — the nearest town services are in Denio (north) or Winnemucca (south), so we carry a week of water in the truck.

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Pronghorn Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %
Rifle— Early Season	65	575	11.3%
Archery— Early Season	20	26	76.9%
Archery— Early Season	25	27	92.6%
Muzzleloader— Early Season	1	1	100.0%
Muzzleloader— Early Season	6	9	66.7%

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Nevada NDOW runs a weighted bonus-point system — one extra entry per point held, straight count. Every point you hold gives you one additional ticket in the random drawing for this hunt.

The live draw-odds chart above reflects the three-year rolling average of 1,264 applicants chasing 134 tags across the 051 hunts. Because NDOW prints separate hunt numbers by season (archery, muzzleloader, rifle) you will see the odds vary substantially between them; the archery and any-legal-weapon rifle hunts tend to draw the hardest.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Elevation

4,200–9,400 ft

Public land

95%

Elevation Profile

Min 4,200 ft Max 9,400 ft

Planning Notes

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Road Conditions

Main access is via US-95 to Kings River Valley Road or Soldier Meadows Road (BLM). Both are maintained gravel that degrade after storms. Interior two-tracks frequently require high-clearance; 4WD is smart for any off-route travel on the Black Rock playa margin.

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Terrain Difficulty

Moderate. Sage basins and low benches with occasional steeper breaks into the Pine Forest foothills. Nothing vertical, but long, exposed, and far from help.

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Weather

September daytime highs routinely hit 80-90°F with cold nights near freezing at higher elevations. October rifle hunts often see the first snow of the season on Duffer Peak with clear windy days on the flats.

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Cell Service

Spotty to none across the unit interior. Coverage resumes near US-95. A satellite communicator is a reasonable expense for a week-long antelope camp out here.

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Nearest Town

Winnemucca (~90 mi south via US-95) is the full-service hub with fuel, groceries, lodging, and sporting goods. Denio Junction (~40 mi north) offers fuel and a small store — plan to arrive topped off.

Note: Unit 051 is among the more remote antelope units on the NDOW draw. We plan around a mobile truck camp and BLM dispersed sites rather than developed campgrounds.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What species are huntable in Unit 051?

NDOW lists mule deer, elk, and California bighorn as huntable in Unit 051. Confirm season structures in the current commission regulation.

Where is Unit 051?

Unit 051 is in northeastern Nevada, covering the Lamoille / South Fork area of Elko County.

What bighorn subspecies live in Nevada Unit 051?

Unit 051 holds California bighorn sheep — the northern subspecies found in the Santa Rosa Range and the Owyhee canyon country of northern Humboldt County.

How hard is Unit 051 bighorn to draw?

Very hard — about 4 tags across three years against 1,192 applicants. Plan on a long-term point-building application.

Are there elk in Nevada's Santa Rosa Range?

Yes — Unit 051 hosts an established but small elk herd in the Santa Rosa Range of northern Humboldt County. NDOW issues a very limited number of tags through the big-game draw.

Is Unit 051 elk a tough draw?

Yes — 13 tags across three years against 1,030 applicants. Most applicants build 5 or more bonus points before drawing.

How are Nevada Unit 051 antelope tags drawn?

NDOW uses a weighted bonus-point system — one extra entry per point held, straight count. Over the last three years Unit 051 has averaged about 1,264 applicants for 134 tags across all antelope hunt numbers, making it one of the higher-opportunity pronghorn units in the state.

Where do I camp hunting Unit 051?

There are no developed campgrounds inside Unit 051. BLM dispersed camping is permitted on public land throughout the Black Rock / High Rock National Conservation Area and the Pine Forest Range. Most hunters run a self-contained truck camp off Soldier Meadows Road or Kings River Valley Road.

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Sources & Verification

Every fact on this page is tied to a primary source below. Last fact-checked 2026-04-17.

NDOW Big Game Hunting — Nevada Department of Wildlife · supports: Mule deer is legally huntable in Unit 051 · accessed 2026-04-17
NDOW Hunt Information Sheets — Nevada Department of Wildlife · supports: Unit 051 mule deer distribution and access · accessed 2026-04-17
NDOW Hunt Draw — Nevada Department of Wildlife · supports: Unit 051 draw statistics · accessed 2026-04-17
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest — Santa Rosa Ranger District — USDA Forest Service · supports: Santa Rosa Range public land, Trail and road access · accessed 2026-04-17
BLM Winnemucca District — Owyhee canyon country — Bureau of Land Management · supports: BLM rim access north of Paradise Valley · accessed 2026-04-17
NDOW Big Game Draw Results and Statistics — Nevada Department of Wildlife · supports: Weighted bonus-point draw structure, Antelope application and tag counts · accessed 2026-04-17
Black Rock Field Office — Public Lands Management — Bureau of Land Management — Black Rock Field Office · supports: Public land dominance of Unit 051, Pine Forest Range and Black Rock Desert administration · accessed 2026-04-17
Pine Forest Range — Humboldt County, Nevada — Wikipedia (USGS GNIS) · supports: Range high point ~9,400 ft (Duffer Peak), Location in northwestern Humboldt County · accessed 2026-04-17