Unit 021, Nevada

The unit is composed of five narrow, north-south oriented single-ridge ranges rising steeply — as much as 3,000 feet per mile — from surrounding valley floors. Elevations span from roughly 4,500 feet in valley bottoms to approximately 8,000 feet at Stateline Peak in the northern portion of the unit. Terrain is generally open and lends itself to glassing; ridges are steep and rocky but not technical.

Unit 021 is predominantly public land, administered by the BLM Sierra Front Field Office of the Carson City District (5665 Morgan Mill Rd, Carson City, NV 89701; 775-885-6000). There is no designated National Forest within the unit. Primary access: the western edge is reached by traveling north on US-395 from Reno and turning east on any of several dirt roads that penetrate the unit. The eastern portion is reached via Pyramid Lake Highway (NV-445) north from Reno, then turning west on Winnemucca Ranch Road. The northern boundary follows the Doyle–Fish Springs Road. Road conditions are generally good, but late-season hunters must be prepared for snow, ice, and muddy conditions; formal road closures are in effect during the late-season deer hunt (Dec 21–Jan 1) in the Peterson Range and Sand Hills areas. No developed campgrounds exist within the unit; hunters typically commute from Reno (~1 hour) or disperse-camp on public land. The Washoe County Shooting Ordinance applies in the southern portions of the unit. Campfire burn restrictions have been in effect in recent years — contact the BLM/USFS prior to the hunt. Private land holdings (including Winnemucca Ranch) restrict access in certain northern portions. No wilderness areas exist within unit 021 itself.

Upper elevations are characterized by mountain mahogany, bitterbrush, and big sagebrush — the primary browse species for mule deer. Portions of the unit burned in wildfires in 1983, 1984, 1994, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2020; those burned areas have converted largely to crested wheatgrass, rabbitbrush, Mormon tea, big sagebrush, and annual forbs rather than recovering to native shrub communities. Lower elevation slopes include scattered western juniper. There is limited aspen in upper drainages. The relatively open, fire-influenced landscape provides good visibility for glassing but has reduced the carrying capacity for mule deer on winter range.

Mule deer are the primary big game species; the unit supports part of an interstate herd shared with California (Sierra Nevada foothills east slope). Deer migration timing into Nevada is driven by early-winter snowfall — in mild winters, many deer remain on the California side. Fall deer surveys have found animals distributed throughout Petersen Mountain, Dogskin Mountain, Fort Sage, and Seven Lakes Mountain; population estimate for the unit was approximately 500 animals (fall 2024-2025 model). Pronghorn antelope occupy upper-elevation flats and open sagebrush areas in the combined 021/022 unit grouping; preferred summer areas include Seven Lakes Mountain, Fort Sage Mountain, north end of Sand Hills, and Spanish Flat. California bighorn sheep are concentrated in the northern Virginia Mountains, primarily within adjacent unit 022; unit 021 does not have a separate bighorn sheep tag allocation. Mountain lions are present. Feral horses and burros occupy multiple BLM HMAs within the unit group at numbers above Appropriate Management Level, competing with wildlife for forage and water. Chukar, California quail, and sage-grouse are also present in the unit's sagebrush and rocky terrain.