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Nevada Mule Deer Mountain Goat Pronghorn

Unit 101 (East Humboldt)

Nevada Hunting Guide — Mule Deer, Mountain Goat, Pronghorn

Nevada Unit 101 covers the East Humboldt Range in Elko County — a compact alpine range immediately east of the Ruby Mountains (Unit 102). NDOW identifies Units 101–103 as holding the vast majority of the region's mule deer herd. Access is constrained by private-land bench surrounding the range and by the 32,364-acre East Humboldt Wilderness, which is foot-access only through four NDOW-listed trailheads: Lizzies Basin, Secret-Starr, Smith Lake, and Winchell Lake. The range rises to 11,306 ft at Hole in the Mountain Peak with alpine basins, aspen benches, and canyon drainages.

View Draw Odds Nevada Hunting Guide
🏔️
31%
Public Land
⛰️
5,200–11,306 ft
Elevation
🌲
Alpine mountain range with steep ridges, cirques, and mixed conifer forest
Terrain

Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 101

Nevada Unit 101 covers the East Humboldt Range in Elko County — a compact alpine range immediately east of the Ruby Mountains (Unit 102). NDOW identifies Units 101–103 as holding the vast majority of the region's mule deer herd. Access is constrained by private-land bench surrounding the range and by the 32,364-acre East Humboldt Wilderness, which is foot-access only through four NDOW-listed trailheads: Lizzies Basin, Secret-Starr, Smith Lake, and Winchell Lake. The range rises to 11,306 ft at Hole in the Mountain Peak with alpine basins, aspen benches, and canyon drainages.

Where to Find Mule Deer in Unit 101

Per NDOW's hunt info sheet for mule deer unit group 101-109: "the vast majority of the deer are found in the highly productive East Humboldt and Ruby Mountain ranges of Units 101, 102 and 103," with Units 104-109 serving mostly as transition and winter range.

NDOW adds: "as hunting season progresses deer will seek refuge in areas away from human disturbance and will be found away from roads and trailheads. Hunters should seek out those areas outside of the view from vehicle access, often only a canyon away."

NDOW-highlighted Unit 101 points of interest

  • The First Boulder through Fourth Boulder Creek drainages on the east side of the range
  • The southeastern extension of the East Humboldts between Pole Canyon / Wiseman Creek and State Route 229

Private-land bench surrounds much of the range, so hunting the interior typically means walking in from one of the four wilderness trailheads or working the SR-229 / SR-232 corridors.

How to Hunt Mule Deer in Unit 101

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Mule Deer Draw Odds

SeasonTagsApplicantsDraw %Pts Req
Rifle— Mid Season60097661.5% 0
Rifle— Mid Season60084271.3% 0
Rifle— Mid Season12044127.2% 0
Rifle— Limited Entry40043492.2% 0
Rifle— Limited Entry60047699.6% 0
Rifle— Mid Season350309100.0% 0
Archery— Early Season51626698.5% 0
Archery— Late Season305455.6% 1
Muzzleloader— Early Season24321998.6% 0
Muzzleloader— Early Season1905100.0% 0

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Unit 101 mule deer tags are drawn as part of NDOW's Unit Group 101-109, not as a standalone Unit 101 tag. Nevada uses a weighted bonus-point system — accumulated points give you additional entries in the random draw.

In the 2025 rifle mid-season bull/buck-only draw for Unit Group 101-109:

  • Resident: 976 applicants → 600 tags → 61.5% odds, 0 points required
  • Nonresident: 183 applicants → 45 tags → 24.6% odds, 0 points required

These are among Nevada's more accessible mule deer opportunities — particularly for residents. The live draw-odds chart above pulls from the full NDOW dataset for this unit group.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

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Frequently Asked Questions

How are Nevada Unit 101 mule deer tags drawn?
Tags are issued through NDOW's Unit Group 101-109 draw, not as a standalone Unit 101 tag. In 2025, the rifle mid-season bull/buck-only hunt drew 976 resident applicants for 600 tags (61.5% odds, 0 points required) and 183 nonresident applicants for 45 tags (24.6% odds, 0 points required). Nevada uses a weighted bonus-point system where accumulated points give you additional entries in the random draw.
What trailheads access the East Humboldt Wilderness?
Per NDOW's Unit 101 hunt info sheet, foot access to the 32,364-acre East Humboldt Wilderness is available at the Lizzies Basin (via SR-232), Secret-Starr (via SR-229), Smith Lake (from Angel Lake Campground), and Winchell Lake (off Angel Lake Road) trailheads.
Where can I camp in Unit 101?
USFS operates two improved campgrounds in Unit 101: Angel Lake Campground (8,400 ft, reservable May–Sep via Recreation.gov) and Angel Creek Campground (6,200 ft, reservable). Dispersed camping is permitted on surrounding Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest land. Note that Angel Lake typically closes before fall rifle seasons, so most hunters rely on dispersed camping or base out of Wells.
What's the difference between Unit 101 (East Humboldt) and Unit 102 (Ruby Mountains)?
Unit 101 is the East Humboldt Range with the 32,364-acre East Humboldt Wilderness (4 listed trailheads). Unit 102 is the Ruby Mountains with the much larger 92,652-acre Ruby Mountain Wilderness (including Lamoille Canyon and 11+ listed trailheads). Both ranges sit in Elko County and share the same mule deer unit group (101-109) for draw purposes.
Where else can I hunt goats in Nevada?
NDOW permits mountain goat hunting only in Units 101, 102, and 103 — all in the Ruby Mountains / East Humboldt complex.
How long are the draw odds?
Goat tags in Nevada have extremely low draw percentages; applicants accumulate many points before drawing.
When is the best time to hunt pronghorn in this unit group?
Early-season hunts catch bucks defending territories and still predictable on water. Late-season hunts can be excellent once groups re-form post-rut.
Do I need a 4x4 vehicle?
High-clearance is strongly recommended; 4x4 is helpful after rain on clay-bottomed 2-tracks. Carry recovery gear and extra water.

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Sources & Verification

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

  1. Hunt Info Sheet — Mule Deer Unit Group 101-109 — Nevada Department of Wildlife · supports: Herd distribution 101-103 vs 104-109, Hunter strategy (canyon refuge), Access notes · accessed 2026-04-16
  2. Hunt Info Sheet — Elk Unit Group 101-103 — Nevada Department of Wildlife · supports: Wilderness acreage, Named trailheads, Points of interest, Private-land bench constraint · accessed 2026-04-16
  3. NDOW 2025 Draw Statistics (Unit Group 101-109) — Nevada Department of Wildlife · supports: 2025 rifle mid-season draw odds (61.5% resident / 24.6% nonresident, 0 pts required) · accessed 2026-04-16
  4. Angel Lake Campground — Humboldt-Toiyabe NF — USDA Forest Service / Recreation.gov · supports: Location 41.0328, -115.0919, 8,400 ft elevation, Reservable via Rec.gov, Phone 775-752-3357 · accessed 2026-04-16
  5. Angel Creek Campground — Humboldt-Toiyabe NF — USDA Forest Service / Recreation.gov · supports: Location 41.0328, -115.0533, 6,200 ft elevation, Reservable via Rec.gov · accessed 2026-04-16
  6. Monthly Climate Normals 1991–2020 — Elko Regional Airport (USW00024121) — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · supports: Annual avg high 63.3 °F, Annual avg low 32.2 °F, Annual precipitation 9.99 in · accessed 2026-04-16
  7. Nevada Big Game Unit 101 Profile — GOHunt · supports: Unit size 163 sq mi, Elevation 5,200–11,300 ft, Public land 31.3% · accessed 2026-04-16
  8. East Humboldt Range — named peaks and lakes — Wikipedia (US Board on Geographic Names) · supports: Hole in the Mountain Peak 11,306 ft, Named lakes: Angel, Smith, Greys, Winchell, Boulder, Steele · accessed 2026-04-16
  9. East Humboldt Wilderness — trailhead access descriptions — Friends of Nevada Wilderness · supports: Lizzies Basin via SR-232, Secret-Starr via SR-229, Smith Lake from Angel Lake Campground · accessed 2026-04-16
  10. Wells, Nevada — 2020 Census — US Census Bureau (via Wikipedia) · supports: Population 1,237 (2020), Location 41.1200, -114.9672 · accessed 2026-04-16
  11. Elko, Nevada — 2020 Census — US Census Bureau (via Wikipedia) · supports: Population 20,564 (2020) · accessed 2026-04-16
  12. Spring Creek, Nevada CDP — 2020 Census — US Census Bureau (via Wikipedia) · supports: Population 14,967 (2020) · accessed 2026-04-16
  13. Lamoille, Nevada CDP — 2020 Census — US Census Bureau (via Wikipedia) · supports: Population 130 (2020) · accessed 2026-04-16
  14. NDOW Big Game Hunting — Nevada Department of Wildlife · supports: Mountain goat is legally huntable in Unit 101 · accessed 2026-04-17
  15. NDOW Hunt Draw — Nevada Department of Wildlife · supports: Mountain goat tags are draw-only and extremely limited · accessed 2026-04-17