Nevada Bighorn Sheep

Unit 243 (Desert National Wildlife Range)

Nevada Hunting Guide — Bighorn Sheep

Unit 243 sits in northeastern Clark and southeastern Lincoln counties, overlapping a large portion of the Desert National Wildlife Range — the largest NWR in the Lower 48 and a cornerstone of desert bighorn conservation. Per NDOW's desert bighorn hunt information and USFWS range management documents, the terrain includes the Sheep Range, Las Vegas Range, and Pintwater Range: steep limestone faces, pinyon-juniper ridges, and Mojave Desert canyons. Tag allocations are small, but this is one of the most storied desert bighorn hunts in Nevada.

View Draw Odds Nevada Hunting Guide

Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit 243

Where to Find Desert Bighorn in Unit 243

Unit 243 bighorn hold on the limestone crests and pinyon-juniper ridges of the Sheep, Las Vegas, and Pintwater ranges. Rams bed high on the ridgelines and drop to spring and guzzler water on predictable cycles.

Sheep Range high country

The Sheep Range is the signature bighorn country in Unit 243 — steep limestone faces, pinyon-juniper above 6,500 ft, and well-documented guzzler systems that concentrate rams.

Las Vegas Range

The Las Vegas Range on the unit's south edge offers more accessible hunting closer to the valley. Glass the east-facing limestone slopes from the Refuge road system at dawn.

Pintwater Range

The Pintwater Range on the west edge is more remote. Access is longer but hunter pressure is correspondingly lower. USFWS road closures and NTTR boundaries shape where you can and can't go — verify current status before scouting.

How to Hunt Desert Bighorn in Unit 243

A Unit 243 tag is a trophy in itself. We approach it with the same discipline we'd apply to any once-in-a-lifetime hunt — pattern specific rams before the season and build a pack-out plan before opening day.

Scout within Refuge rules

Desert NWR has specific public-use rules. Coordinate with USFWS before your first scouting trip — confirm open roads, restricted areas, and any NTTR boundaries affecting your planned routes.

Glass the limestone

Unit 243 runs heavily to limestone. A high-power spotter on a tripod, from a stable glassing bench, is the right tool for picking rams off the faces and benches of the Sheep Range.

Water development mapping

USFWS and NDOW both maintain bighorn guzzlers in Unit 243. Catalog these before the hunt and cross-check against recent use. A single reliable guzzler can pattern a ram's entire circuit.

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Bighorn Sheep Success Rates

Rifle65%

Unit 243 has historically produced some of Nevada's best desert bighorn. NDOW publishes tag counts and applicant totals each year — the Draw Odds chart on this page tracks those numbers and shows how points-required has trended for this marquee unit.

Bighorn Sheep Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— Late Season	4	291	1.4%	0

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Unit 243 bighorn tags are drawn through NDOW's weighted bonus-point system — each accumulated point adds one additional entry (straight count, no squaring), up to the maximum held per species. Applicant pressure (roughly 374 applicants for 10 tags over a recent 3-year window) is steady, and the Sheep Range's trophy reputation keeps max-point applicants in the pool.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

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Camp Sites

Dispersed camping per USFWS Desert NWR rules — confirm current regulations. Developed lodging in Las Vegas and Alamo.

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Water

Carry all drinking water. Guzzlers inside the unit are bighorn infrastructure, not hunter water sources.

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Road Conditions

USFWS Desert NWR roads plus BLM and county routes. Several interior routes require high-clearance 4WD. Corn Creek Field Station is the primary southern access hub.

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Terrain Difficulty

Strenuous — limestone faces with significant vertical gain; exposure and heat are major factors even on late-season hunts.

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Hunting Pressure

Very low inside the unit itself — strict refuge rules and tag quotas keep hunter density minimal.

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Weather

Mojave Desert — warm during fall sheep seasons; winter tags can bring cold nights and snow on high ridges.

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Cell Service

Coverage near I-15 / US-93 corridors; drops off in the interior ranges.

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Nearest Town

Las Vegas / North Las Vegas for full services on the south edge. Alamo and Ash Springs (north) for limited fuel and food on the north end of the unit.

Note: Unit 243 overlaps the Desert National Wildlife Range and portions of Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) boundaries. Coordinate with USFWS at Corn Creek Field Station and confirm NTTR-related closures before hunting.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a special permit to hunt Desert NWR?

A valid NDOW bighorn tag is required plus compliance with USFWS Desert NWR public-use rules. Confirm current refuge regulations and any permit requirements at Corn Creek Field Station before your hunt.

How does Nevada's bighorn draw work?

Bighorn is once-in-a-lifetime per species in Nevada. Tags are allocated through NDOW's weighted bonus-point draw — each accumulated point adds one additional entry (straight count, no squaring), up to the maximum held per species.

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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 Sheep (Unit 243) — Nevada Department of Wildlife · supports: Unit 243 covers the Sheep Range, Las Vegas Range, and Pintwater Range complex, Substantial overlap with the Desert National Wildlife Range · accessed 2026-04-17
2026 Nevada Big Game Seasons and Applications Booklet — Nevada Department of Wildlife · supports: Bighorn sheep is once-in-a-lifetime per species in Nevada, Tags are allocated through NDOW's weighted bonus-point draw — one extra entry per accumulated point, straight count, max held per species · accessed 2026-04-17
Desert National Wildlife Range — Public Use & Hunting — U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — Desert National Wildlife Range · supports: Desert NWR is the largest National Wildlife Refuge in the Lower 48 (~1.6 million acres), Refuge was established primarily for desert bighorn sheep conservation, Hunter access follows USFWS refuge rules layered on top of NDOW hunt regulations · accessed 2026-04-17