Unit 032, Nevada

Elevation ranges from approximately 4,100 feet on the desert flats, Alkali Flat valley floors, and playas to approximately 9,432 feet at Duffer Peak in the Pine Forest Range (sources vary between 9,377 ft and 9,432 ft; the BLM and Nevada Wilderness sites describe the summit as "nearly 9,500 feet"). The lower unit features flat to gently rolling sagebrush steppe with shallow swales and playas. Upper-elevation terrain in the Pine Forest Range is steep and rugged, with glacially carved slopes averaging 60% grade, cirque basins, moraines, and subalpine lakes including Blue Lake, Onion Valley Reservoir, and Knott Creek Reservoir. The Pueblo Mountains at the unit's southern edge reach approximately 8,600 feet. The McGee Mountain area in the western portion of the unit rises to about 6,667 feet.

Unit 032 is over 91% public land managed by the BLM Winnemucca Field Office (775-623-1500). The Pine Forest Range Wilderness (23,260 acres, designated 2014) is non-motorized and non-mechanized; only hiking and equestrian use are permitted within the wilderness boundary. Primary access route: US Highway 95 north from Winnemucca approximately 30 miles to State Route 140, then west approximately 50 miles, then south on Alta Creek Road to reach the Blue Lake trailhead area (approximately 15 miles from SR-140). High-clearance 4WD vehicles required on dirt roads; trailers not recommended at upper elevations. Alder Creek Road provides access to Onion Valley Reservoir, Blue Lake, and Knott Creek Reservoir. Knott Creek Road offers faster access from Winnemucca when dry but becomes impassable on steep clay sections when wet. Primitive roads from the Alkali Flat Road access the western slopes and drainages of the Pine Forest Range. Private land blocks some access at the base of the range near Lenard Creek, Alder Creek, Knott Creek, Big Creek, and Bishop Canyon. No designated public campsites; dispersed camping is allowed on federal land. Nearest services are at Denio Junction and Winnemucca.

Sagebrush-bitterbrush steppe dominates lower elevations and valley floors and provides the primary pronghorn and sage grouse habitat. Mountain mahogany covers exposed mid-elevation ridgelines. Extensive aspen groves and riparian corridors occupy mid-elevation drainages. At the highest elevations near Duffer Peak, limber pine and whitebark pine form a rare remnant subalpine forest. The 23,260-acre Pine Forest Range Wilderness contains subalpine meadows, granite outcrops, and cascading ravines. Quaking aspen provides fall color in the mountain drainages. Rocky, steep-slope habitat throughout the Pine Forest Range supports chukar populations.

Mule deer occupy mid- to upper-elevation mountain slopes seasonally, using the Pine Forest Range and Pueblo Mountains in summer and descending to lower sagebrush flats and valley floors in winter; the unit-group (031-035) population is monitored by NDOW via fall and spring aerial surveys. Pronghorn are present year-round on lower sagebrush flats and benches throughout the unit; the unit group 031-035 combined population showed approximately 4% growth in 2023-2024 NDOW post-season surveys with improving fawn and buck ratios. California bighorn sheep inhabit the Pine Forest Range (approximately 160 animals observed on the August 2023 NDOW aerial survey) and portions of the Pueblo Mountains; the 2023 survey showed a strong younger age class with good lamb recruitment but reduced mature ram numbers. Mountain lions are present as predators throughout the range. Chukar inhabit the rocky slopes and canyons of the Pine Forest Range. Greater sage grouse utilize sagebrush steppe habitats at lower elevations. Wild burros (McGee Mountain Herd Management Area) occupy portions of the western unit.

1. Duffer Peak elevation: Wikipedia's dedicated article states 9,432 ft (2,875 m); the Pine Forest Range Wikipedia article states 9,377 ft (2,858 m); the Nevada Wilderness site states 'nearly 9,500 feet.' Draft's 9,458 ft figure not corroborated by any checked source; terrain section updated to ~9,432 ft with note. 2. Pronghorn population: draft claimed '~1,000 animals for 032-034 combined' — this specific figure was not found in the NDOW 2023-24 Status Book, which covers units 031-035 as a group and notes 774 animals observed on survey with 4% growth trend. Individual unit estimates not published. Claim removed and replaced with supported language. 3. Bighorn sheep population range '160-191': status book reports exactly 160 observed in August 2023 survey; the 191 figure is not supported in checked sources and has been removed. 4. California bighorn hunter success 66% and harvested ram age 4.5 years: the status book notes quality decline; the 2023 statewide CA bighorn success was 80% (not 66%), and unit-specific success is not separately published — these figures removed from species_data. 5. Pronghorn quotas are managed jointly for units 032 and 034 combined; the 40-tag ALW quota represents the combined unit group. 6. Mule deer tag_quota of 45 reflects the 2024 approved quota from CR24-12; the 2025 recommended quota per CR25-13 is 35. 7. Mule deer reported_harvest of 27 is 2024 resident harvest only (ALW 20 + archery 6 + muzzleloader 1). 8. No elk, no black bear hunting established in unit 032.