Unit 012, Nevada

Unit 012 presents two distinct landforms: vast, nearly flat playa (the Black Rock Desert) at roughly 3,900–4,000 feet elevation, and the broken, volcanic Calico Mountains rising to approximately 8,491 feet at Donnelly Peak. The Calico Hills and High Rock Canyon corridor feature steep slopes, rhyolite rock formations with numerous overhangs, and deeply incised canyons (High Rock Canyon, Little High Rock Canyon). The Vya Rim and Hays Canyon area provide additional elevated terrain. Overall relief across the unit exceeds 4,500 feet.

Unit 012 is approximately 95% public land (primarily BLM) with less than 5% private; a significant portion of the unit falls within designated wilderness where motorized equipment and mechanized transport (including wheeled game carriers) are prohibited. The managing office is the BLM Black Rock Field Office, a sub-unit of the BLM Winnemucca District Office, located at 5100 E. Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca, NV 89445, (775) 623-1500. A seasonal visitor center is in Gerlach, NV. Primary highway access: Highway 447 north from Reno or Gerlach provides south/west entry; Highway 299 east from Alturas/Cedarville, CA provides north entry. Roads in the unit range from high-standard dirt to jeep trails; many areas are accessible only by four-wheel drive or ATV. Forty-nine Mountain and the Coleman Canyon area (northeast end of the Vya Rim) represent the primary access problem areas. The unit contains portions of designated wilderness areas within the Black Rock Desert–High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails NCA, including the Black Rock Desert Wilderness, Calico Mountains Wilderness, High Rock Canyon Wilderness, and others. High Rock Canyon Road closes annually from approximately February 1 through the second weekend in May for raptor nesting and bighorn lambing. No developed campgrounds exist within the unit. Fuel, food, and services are available in Cedarville, CA and Gerlach, NV. Hunters must haul drinking water. Burn restrictions are common in the unit; check with the local BLM office before hunting.

Lower desert and playa fringes support saltbush, greasewood, and limited playa annual plants. Mid-elevation slopes (5,000–7,000 ft) are dominated by big sagebrush, bitterbrush, and rabbitbrush, with scattered stands of mountain mahogany that are key forage for mule deer. Higher elevations in the Calico Mountains transition to Wyoming big sagebrush and limited riparian willow-aspen stringers near springs and seasonal drainages. Canyon walls support raptor nesting habitat. Invasive annual grasses (cheatgrass) are present following historic wildfires. Pinyon-juniper is minimal compared to neighboring units to the east and south.

Mule deer are widely distributed across the unit at lower densities than some other Nevada hunt units. Deer are most concentrated near the limited water sources early in the season; once temperatures drop, they disperse to mahogany and bitterbrush stands at upper elevations. Productive areas include Hays Canyon Peak south to Packsaddle Spring, Boulder Mountain, the Vya Rim north of Highway 8A (including Crooks Lake and Holy Lake areas), and Cherry Mountain east of Wall Canyon Reservoir. NDOW biologists note that hunter success is largely dictated by the amount of time and effort spent glassing mahogany stands and bitterbrush. California bighorn sheep inhabit the Calico Mountains. Unit 012 is a dedicated bighorn unit; only 3 resident any-legal-weapon ram tags are offered annually. Significant wilderness travel on foot is required to reach sheep habitat. Hunters should be prepared for extended backcountry trips with no motorized access. Pronghorn antelope occupy lower to mid-elevation sagebrush flats throughout the unit (quota group 012–014). Buck-to-doe ratios are tracked by NDOW; any-legal-weapon season in late August yields the highest resident success. Chukar partridge occur in rocky canyon terrain (High Rock Canyon and Calico Hills). Greater sage-grouse are present in sagebrush flats; a limited sage-grouse season is held in the unit. Mountain lion are present as part of the statewide huntable North subpopulation. Golden eagles and other raptors nest extensively along canyon walls. Wild horses and burros also inhabit the unit and are an ongoing management concern; BLM feral horse removal in units 012–015 is ongoing.