Nevada Mule Deer Pronghorn Elk Bighorn Sheep

Unit 221 - 223

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

NDOW draws mule deer tags for the 221 - 223 unit group through its weighted bonus-point draw. Use the live draw-odds chart for current data.

View Draw Odds Nevada Hunting Guide

Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 221 - 223

NDOW draws mule deer tags for the 221 - 223 unit group through its weighted bonus-point draw. Use the live draw-odds chart for current data.

Where to Find Mule Deer in Unit 221 - 223

Review NDOW's current hunt information sheet for distribution and movement patterns.

How to Hunt Mule Deer in Unit 221 - 223

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Mule Deer Success Rates

Rifle30%

Archery18%

Muzzleloader22%

Draw-odds chart reflects NDOW's most recent published data.

Mule Deer Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— Mid Season	80	766	10.4%	0
Rifle— Mid Season	45	297	15.2%	1
Rifle— Mid Season	6	648	0.9%	1
Rifle— Limited Entry	35	147	23.8%	0
Rifle— Limited Entry	60	232	25.9%	0
Rifle— Mid Season	75	909	8.3%	1
Rifle— Mid Season	5	450	1.1%	1
Rifle— Mid Season	20	89	22.5%	0
Archery— Early Season	25	48	52.1%	0
Muzzleloader— Early Season	10	35	28.6%	1
Muzzleloader— Early Season	15	15	100.0%	0

Data from 2023 draw results. Resident odds shown.

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Tags are drawn as the 221 - 223 group through NDOW's weighted bonus-point draw.

Pronghorn Hunting in Unit 221 - 223

A compound NDOW pronghorn hunt covering Units 221, 222, 223 in the Carson Sink / Fallon area plus Unit 241 on the Nye-Eureka line. Flat sage country anchored by a few key water sources.

Where to Find Pronghorn in 221-223 / 241

The flats south of the Carson Sink and the Toquima valley floor are the primary density zones. Water tanks and playa edges anchor band rotations.

How to Hunt the 221-223/241 Compound

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Pronghorn Success Rates

Rifle pronghorn success regularly runs 70–85% across these units. Archery success is lower but practical around guzzlers.

Pronghorn Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %
Rifle— Early Season	30	798	3.8%
Archery— Early Season	5	23	21.7%
Muzzleloader— Early Season	9	16	56.3%

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

52 tags across three years against 1,851 applicants places this in a moderately hard tier. Bonus points help.

Elk Hunting in Unit 221 - 223

Nevada Unit 221 is one of the state's premier elk units — the White Pine Range country south of Ely in White Pine and Lincoln counties. The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest dominates the public land here, with BLM wrapping the lower elevations. The 221 herd is established, tag numbers are meaningful, and bulls consistently run into the 340-360 class with occasional giants pushing 380.

Where to Find Elk in Unit 221

Bulls summer in the aspen-mahogany high country of the White Pine Range above 8,500 ft and transition through the pinyon-juniper and sage flats to winter range as fall progresses. Focus scouting on the basins off Currant Mountain, the drainages flanking the range spine, and the benches above Lund. Water sources and meadow systems concentrate elk during warm early seasons.

How to Hunt Unit 221

Early-season rifle and archery hunters should target meadow-edge glassing at first and last light, with midday spent still-hunting the timbered north faces where bulls bed. Call sparingly — 221 bulls are hunted and educated. Late-season hunts benefit from weather; the first serious snow pushes elk off the high country and into the pinyon-juniper, where spot-and-stalk from a high-clearance truck becomes effective. Plan 7-10 days in-unit.

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Elk Success Rates

Rifle35%

Archery22%

Muzzleloader28%

Rifle bull success in Unit 221 has historically run 50-75% depending on weather and season segment. Bull quality is the draw — 221 is one of Nevada's most consistent units for 340+ bulls, and a skilled tag holder who scouts heavily is in the mix for a 360-class animal in most years.

Elk Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %
Rifle— Early Season	17	275	6.2%
Rifle— Late Season	40	102	39.2%
Rifle— Late Season	13	70	18.6%
Rifle— Early Season	5	104	4.8%
Rifle— Late Season	5	32	15.6%

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

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With 181 tags across the recent three-year window against 1,180 applicants, Unit 221 is one of the more drawable trophy elk units in Nevada for the tag quality on offer. NDOW squares bonus points, so a 4-point applicant enters with 16 bonus chances — meaningful leverage. Most rifle applicants should expect 4-6 points before drawing.

Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit 221 - 223

Units 221 and 223 form a central Nevada desert bighorn hunt group in Nye County's rugged desert ranges. NDOW's published stats put this group at roughly 221 applicants chasing about 4 tags on a 3-year rolling window. We plan as if this is a once-in-a-lifetime tag — long pre-hunt scouting, foot-access glassing benches, and water-focused strategy drive every productive day.

Where to Find Desert Bighorn in Units 221 & 223

The 221/223 group covers Nye County desert ranges with limestone and volcanic escarpments separated by wide creosote flats. Bighorn concentrate near escape terrain and reliable water.

Cliff bands and shaded rims

Glass upper cliff bands with shaded benches at dawn. Rams prefer shaded ledges with unbroken vertical escape below.

Water-driven movement

Map BLM guzzlers and any reliable natural water during scouting. Tracks and droppings within a quarter-mile of water reveal the active drainages.

How to Hunt Desert Bighorn in Units 221 & 223

Foot-access, glass-first hunt. With ~4 tags and 221 applicants over 3 years, we treat it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Summer scouting

Multiple scouting trips through the summer — glassing from first light and mapping water — set up the hunt itself. More scouting days than hunt days is a good rule.

Stalk execution

Once a ram is located, wind-first stalk planning is everything. Most shots break cross-canyon at 200-400 yards from a rock rest.

Heat management

Pre-dawn starts, mid-day shade breaks, and staged coolers at the trailhead are standard. Pack out in one push when feasible.

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Bighorn Sheep Success Rates

Draw odds and tag counts shown on this page come directly from NDOW. Nevada desert sheep hunts generally post very high success once drawn — the difficulty is drawing the tag.

Bighorn Sheep Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— Late Season	1	97	1.0%	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. Over a recent 3-year rolling window the group averaged about 221 applicants for roughly 4 tags, making it a long-term point-builder.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

⛺

Camp Sites

Dispersed BLM/USFS.

💧

Water

Limited.

🛣️

Road Conditions

State routes with improved BLM/USFS roads; high-clearance helpful for interior.

🥾

Terrain Difficulty

Moderate to strenuous mountain and high-desert terrain.

🌦️

Weather

Cold nights, warm days; snow possible at elevation.

📱

Cell Service

Intermittent.

Note: Follow NDOW's current hunt sheet.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How are tags drawn for Unit 221 - 223 mule deer?

Through NDOW's weighted bonus-point draw as the 221 - 223 group.

Where is NDOW's hunt sheet?

On NDOW's Hunt Information Sheets page.

Can I hunt all four units on this compound?

Yes — the NDOW 221-223/241 compound pronghorn tag is valid in all four units for the assigned season dates.

Where should I camp for this compound hunt?

Dispersed BLM camping around the Carson Sink or the Toquima valley floor is standard; no developed campground covers all four units.

Is Nevada Unit 221 a trophy elk unit?

Yes — Unit 221 (White Pine Range) is one of Nevada's most consistent trophy elk units, with bulls routinely running 340-360 class and occasional giants above 370.

How hard is it to draw Unit 221?

Moderately hard — about 181 tags across three years against 1,180 applicants. Most rifle applicants build 4-6 bonus points before drawing.

How are Nevada Units 221 & 223 bighorn tags drawn?

Tags are issued through NDOW's main big-game draw. Nevada uses a weighted bonus-point system — one extra entry per point held, straight count — so every point you've accumulated adds one more entry to the random draw. Recent 3-year averages show roughly 221 applicants for about 4 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 Big Game Hunting — Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) · supports: NDOW manages Nevada's big game species and publishes season structure by unit group., Tags are allocated through a weighted bonus-point draw. · accessed 2026-04-17
NDOW Hunt Information Sheets — Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) · supports: NDOW publishes per-unit-group hunt information sheets with access, terrain, and strategy notes. · accessed 2026-04-17
NDOW Hunt Draw — Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) · supports: NDOW runs a single-choice weighted bonus-point draw; applicants accumulate points toward future draws. · accessed 2026-04-17
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest — Ely Ranger District — USDA Forest Service · supports: White Pine Range forest boundary, Road access · accessed 2026-04-17
BLM Ely District — Bureau of Land Management · supports: BLM lower-elevation access, Two-track network · accessed 2026-04-17
Desert Bighorn Sheep — Species Overview — Nevada Department of Wildlife · supports: Desert bighorn range, Central Nevada habitat, Subspecies background · accessed 2026-04-17
BLM Tonopah Field Office — Nye County Public Lands — US Bureau of Land Management · supports: BLM public land coverage, Access road networks, Dispersed camping · accessed 2026-04-17