Nevada Bighorn Sheep Antelope

Unit 211 (Quinn Canyon / Grant Range)

Nevada Hunting Guide — Bighorn Sheep, Antelope

Nevada Unit 211 is a desert bighorn sheep unit in the Grant Range and Quinn Canyon Range country of Nye and Lincoln counties. The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest manages much of the high country, with BLM wrapping the benches. Rams here live in classic limestone-and-volcanic escape terrain, and tags are drawn through NDOW's big-game application.

View Draw Odds Nevada Hunting Guide

Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit 211

Where to Find Bighorn Sheep in Unit 211

Focus on the broken limestone faces of the Grant Range — the cirques and escarpments flanking Troy Peak (11,298 ft) — and the Quinn Canyon Range country to the south. Rams sun on south and east-facing rims at first light, then move to shaded benches as temperatures climb. Water sources in the surrounding desert concentrate animals during dry late summer and early fall.

How to Hunt Unit 211

Long-range glassing from vantage points. Set up a tripod with a spotting scope on a high ridge, pick apart the opposite faces for hours, and plan a careful stalk when a shootable ram is located. Winds in this canyon country swirl hard — budget a full day for the approach after the ram is found. Plan 7-10 days minimum; most tag holders find that days 5-10 produce the shooter.

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Bighorn Sheep Success Rates

Rifle65%

Archery40%

Desert bighorn rifle success in Nevada's central-south units historically runs 60-85%. With 22 tags across three years in Unit 211 the recent sample is larger than some desert units, and success rates have held near the upper end of that band for dedicated tag holders.

Bighorn Sheep Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %
Rifle— Late Season	3	148	2.0%
Archery— Mid Season	1	9	11.1%
Archery— Mid Season	1	11	9.1%

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Unit 211 is a tough desert bighorn draw — 22 tags across three years against 1,009 applicants. NDOW squares bonus points before the draw, so max-point applicants carry meaningful leverage, but even they face low-single-digit odds most years. Treat this as a long-term point-building application.

Antelope Hunting in Unit 211

Units 211-213 form a central Nevada pronghorn hunt group in classic Great Basin antelope country — wide sagebrush flats, scattered PJ rims, and alkali playas. Per NDOW's published draw stats, the group averages roughly 224 applicants for about 17 tags on a 3-year rolling window. It's a drawable hunt for residents with a few points and a realistic nonresident target with patience. We hunt it as a pure glassing-and-stalking unit — flat-plain fundamentals at long range.

Where to Find Pronghorn in Units 211-213

The 211-213 group covers broad sage-steppe country north and east of Austin and Eureka. Pronghorn key on open sage flats near reliable water, with PJ rims serving as bedding and escape cover.

Flat-country feeding zones

Morning and evening, bucks are feeding on sage and forbs in the open. Use high ridges and rim points to scan miles of country through a spotter.

Water tanks and stock ponds

In hot early seasons, water dictates movement. Glass every stock tank and reliable spring at first and last light.

How to Hunt Pronghorn in Units 211-213

This is a classic central Nevada antelope hunt. The country is huge and the animals can see forever — we let optics do the work.

Glass-first approach

We pick a rim that looks over 2-3 sage basins and glass for an hour before moving. One long session usually tells us where the best bucks are for the day.

Terrain-hidden stalks

Once we have a buck, the stalk is all about dry washes, coulees, and sage rollers that keep us out of sight. Keep low and stay patient.

Shot setup

Typical shots are 250-450 yards from a prone rest. Carry a bipod and a drop chart — open country means zero chance to sneak closer if the wind shifts.

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Antelope Success Rates

Use the draw odds chart on this page for the latest NDOW tag and applicant data. Nevada pronghorn success in central Great Basin units has historically run well above 60%, especially in early-season any-legal hunts.

Antelope Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %
Rifle— Early Season	7	88	8.0%
Archery— Early Season	1	3	33.3%
Muzzleloader— Early Season	1	1	100.0%

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Nevada uses a weighted bonus-point system — one extra entry per point held, straight count — with no squaring. With ~224 applicants and ~17 tags on a 3-year rolling window, this is a drawable group for residents with a few points, and a realistic nonresident target for patient point-builders.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

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Water

Limited — plan 2 gal/person/day

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Road Conditions

US-6 paved; SR-318 paved; forest and BLM roads high-clearance

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Terrain Difficulty

Steep — high canyons, exposed rims, loose rock

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Weather

Snow possible above 9,000 ft from mid-October

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Cell Service

None across most of the unit

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Nearest Town

Ely, NV / Tonopah, NV

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Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Nevada Unit 211?

Unit 211 covers the Grant Range and Quinn Canyon Range country in Nye and Lincoln counties of central Nevada.

What subspecies of bighorn lives in Unit 211?

Unit 211 holds desert bighorn sheep, managed by NDOW within the statewide desert bighorn framework.

How are Nevada Units 211-213 pronghorn tags drawn?

Tags are issued through NDOW's standard big-game draw. Nevada uses a weighted bonus-point system — one extra entry per point held, straight count — so every point you've built adds one more entry to the random draw. Recent 3-year averages show roughly 224 applicants for about 17 tags.

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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 Hunt Information Sheets — Desert Bighorn Unit 211 — Nevada Department of Wildlife · supports: Grant / Quinn Canyon herd context, Season framework · accessed 2026-04-17
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest — Ely Ranger District — USDA Forest Service · supports: Grant Range Wilderness, Forest access · accessed 2026-04-17
BLM Ely District — Bureau of Land Management · supports: BLM benches surrounding the ranges, Road network · accessed 2026-04-17
NDOW Hunt Draw — Bighorn Application — Nevada Department of Wildlife · supports: Bighorn draw formula, Bonus points · accessed 2026-04-17
Pronghorn Antelope — Nevada Species Overview — Nevada Department of Wildlife · supports: Statewide pronghorn trend, Habitat description, Management context · accessed 2026-04-17
BLM Battle Mountain District — Central Nevada Public Lands — US Bureau of Land Management · supports: BLM public land coverage, Access road networks, Dispersed camping · accessed 2026-04-17