Unit 014, Nevada

Elevations span from approximately 3,920 ft on the Black Rock Desert floor to 9,056 ft at Granite Peak (confirmed by BLM Granite Range HMA page). The southern half of the range is dominated by rugged, steep canyons and rimrock; the northern half transitions to large rolling plateaus and gentler ridgelines. Total area is approximately 499 square miles. The unit presents challenging, physically demanding terrain particularly in the southern Granite Range.

The unit is bounded by State Route 447 on the west (Gerlach north to the Lost Creek/Grass Valley Road junction), Nevada State Route 34 (County Road 34) on the east, the Lost Creek-Grass Valley Road on the north, and the town of Gerlach on the south. Both SR 447 and SR 34 are paved primary access routes. Interior access ranges from improved dirt roads to rough 4WD jeep trails, with many hunting areas requiring four-wheel drive especially in wet conditions. Granite Mountain Reservoir on the southern Granite Range provides a key staging and camping area. Public land (~95%) is managed by the BLM Black Rock Field Office (Winnemucca District; 5100 E Winnemucca Blvd, Winnemucca, NV, 775-623-1500; seasonal station in Gerlach). A BLM Granite Range Herd Management Area covers approximately 103,804 acres within the unit; OHV use is restricted to designated trails. The BLM has identified approximately 42,700 acres in the Granite Peak unit and 23,400 acres in the Buckhorn Peak unit as having wilderness character (not congressionally designated as of 2026). There are no designated wilderness areas in the unit.

The northern and eastern portions of the unit are characterized by big sagebrush and scattered bitterbrush stands. The southern Granite Range offers more diverse mid- and upper-elevation cover including mountain mahogany, pinyon pine, juniper, and aspen groves. High-elevation drainages — Cottonwood, Rock, Granite, and Negro Creeks — support riparian corridors with springs and wet meadows. East-side lower-elevation winter ranges have been degraded by cheat grass encroachment following the Poodle Fire and Rock Fire; NDOW and BLM have conducted herbicide treatments and seeding to restore mule deer winter range in those burn scars.

Mule deer occupy the unit year-round, using higher Granite Range elevations for summer range and lower-elevation east-side terrain for winter range. The population has shown a declining trend due to cheat-grass habitat degradation, competition from BLM-managed wild horses, drought, and mountain lion predation; NDOW has GPS-collared deer to study movement and survival. California bighorn sheep maintain a herd in the Granite Range, with the primary subpopulation concentrated in the Negro Creek drainage in the northeastern Granite Range; a 2013 survey estimated approximately 160 animals (current population status not available from public sources). Pronghorn antelope are present in the sage flats and adjacent valleys. Mountain lions are present and actively managed. Wild horses (BLM Granite Range HMA, AML 155-258) compete for forage and water. Chukar partridge, sage grouse, and mountain quail inhabit appropriate elevation zones. Water sources include natural springs and developed wildlife water catchments; water is scattered in the northern range.