Nevada Mule Deer

Unit 211 - 213 (Quinn Canyon / Grant Range)

Nevada Hunting Guide — Mule Deer

Units 211-213 span the Quinn Canyon Range, Grant Range, and connecting basin country in Nye and Lincoln Counties — home to the Quinn Canyon Wilderness and Grant Range Wilderness, two large non-motorized zones in central-east Nevada. NDOW three-year data show 98 tags issued against 778 applicants (~33/yr). The unit group's combination of wilderness aspens at 9,000+ ft and long roadless canyons makes it a backpack/horse-pack specialty.

View Draw Odds Nevada Hunting Guide

Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 211 - 213

Where to Find Mule Deer in Units 211-213

The 211-213 complex is two linked wilderness ranges with sage/PJ benches around the perimeter. Mule deer use all of it, with mature bucks concentrating in the high aspen basins.

Quinn Canyon Wilderness Interior

The 26,997-acre Quinn Canyon Wilderness is a trophy pocket. Aspen benches and spring-fed creeks at 8,000-10,000 ft support older-age-class bucks that see no motorized pressure. Foot or horse access only.

Grant Range Crest

The Grant Range rises to 11,298 ft at Troy Peak. The 50,770-acre Grant Range Wilderness covers the core crest — aspen and bristlecone zones above 9,000 ft hold summer bucks that drop into mid-slope mountain-brush as snow accumulates.

White River / Nyala Benches

The perimeter benches along the White River Valley and Nyala area hold transition deer and early-season opportunities for hunters working the motorized BLM roads before committing to wilderness access.

How to Hunt Mule Deer in Units 211-213

Successful 211-213 hunters plan for wilderness access from day one. The big bucks live where vehicles cannot reach.

Horse-Pack or Backpack into Wilderness

A 3-5 day horse-pack or backpack trip into the Quinn Canyon or Grant Range wilderness interior reaches aspen basins that no day-hunter can access. This is the difference between 150-class bucks and 180-class bucks on this unit group.

Use USFS Ranger-District Intelligence

Call the Ely Ranger District before the hunt — biologists and district rangers know which basins were hit by snow/burn conditions in recent years and can point to the currently productive drainages.

Perimeter Hunts for Transition Deer

Late in the season, set up on the White River / Nyala perimeter benches. As snow pushes deer off the Grant Range crest, mature bucks filter through these benches on their way to lower winter range.

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Mule Deer Success Rates

Rifle30%

Archery18%

Muzzleloader22%

NDOW three-year data: 98 tags issued against 778 applicants — roughly 33/yr. This is a moderate-opportunity unit group with excellent trophy potential in the wilderness interiors. See the draw-odds chart on this page for the current trend.

Mule Deer Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— Late Season	20	135	14.8%	0
Rifle— Limited Entry	10	18	55.6%	0
Rifle— Limited Entry	15	35	42.9%	0
Rifle— Early Season	10	11	90.9%	1
Archery— Early Season	5	6	83.3%	0
Muzzleloader— Early Season	5	8	62.5%	0

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Units 211-213 are drawn as a combined hunt group. Nevada uses a weighted bonus-point system — applicants with more accumulated bonus points have more entries in the random draw, with each point earning one additional entry.

Three-year totals: 778 applicants / 98 tags ~ 12.6% raw-odds success. Residents draw at a higher rate than nonresidents due to the nonresident quota cap.

The live chart on this page reflects the current NDOW dataset.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

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RV Sites

Ely offers the nearest full-hookup RV parks. Tonopah has RV parking on US-95. Rural unit perimeter is dispersed-only for large rigs.

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Camp Sites

USFS dispersed camping throughout. USFS Timber Mountain and Currant Creek campgrounds near the Grant Range perimeter. No developed sites in the wilderness interiors.

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Water

Good by central Nevada standards. Multiple permanent springs and seasonal creeks in both wildernesses. Filter or treat all water.

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Road Conditions

US-6, US-93, and SR-318/375 are paved. From those arteries, USFS and BLM roads access the range perimeters — generally high-clearance gravel and two-track. Wilderness interiors are foot/horse only.

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Terrain Difficulty

Strenuous. Troy Peak (Grant Range) 11,298 ft. Quinn Canyon crest over 9,500 ft. Wilderness hunts require multi-day backcountry fitness and route-finding.

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Hunting Pressure

Moderate. ~33 tags across three units keeps pressure low per square mile. Perimeter hunters see more company than wilderness hunters.

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Weather

October rifle: 35-60 °F highs at mid-elevation, 15-30 °F nights above 8,000 ft. Snow above 9,000 ft routine by mid-October. Grant Range crest often snowed-in by late October.

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Cell Service

None in the wilderness interiors. Verizon covers US-6 and US-93. Satellite messenger required for multi-day wilderness hunts.

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Nearest Town

Ely (full services on US-93, ~1.5 hr northeast). Tonopah (full services, ~2 hr west). Rachel (SR-375, basic services). Pioche (north on US-93).

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Permit Notes

Quinn Canyon Wilderness and Grant Range Wilderness are foot/horse access only. No mechanized equipment inside boundaries.

Note: 211-213 is one of Nevada's best horse-pack mule-deer opportunities. Outfitters in Ely run horse trips into the Grant Range regularly. Budget for the additional logistics if you want the wilderness trophy potential.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which wilderness in 211-213 produces the biggest bucks?

The Grant Range Wilderness (50,770 acres, crest to 11,298 ft) has the largest protected area and the highest elevation. The Quinn Canyon Wilderness (26,997 acres) is smaller but sees less human traffic. Both produce mature-age-class bucks; the choice often comes down to which side of the unit cluster your scouting identifies as most productive.

Can I use an OHV inside Quinn Canyon or Grant Range Wilderness?

No. Both wildernesses are foot or horse access only. Motorized and mechanized equipment (including mountain bikes and e-bikes) is prohibited inside the wilderness boundaries.

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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 Mule Deer — Central-East Herd — Nevada Department of Wildlife · supports: Quinn Canyon / Grant Range mule-deer herd distribution · accessed 2026-04-17
Humboldt-Toiyabe NF — Ely and Tonopah Ranger Districts — USDA Forest Service · supports: Quinn Canyon Wilderness 26,997 acres, Grant Range Wilderness 50,770 acres, Access roads from US-6 and SR-318 · accessed 2026-04-17
BLM Ely District — Quinn Canyon / Grant Range public lands — US Bureau of Land Management · supports: BLM perimeter lands and road access · accessed 2026-04-17
NDOW Draw Statistics — Mule Deer Units 211-213 — Nevada Department of Wildlife · supports: Three-year applicants 778 / tags 98 (~33/yr) · accessed 2026-04-17