Unit 041, Nevada

The unit is dominated by a series of north-south-trending fault-block mountain ranges rising from broad high-desert valleys and playas. The Nightingale Mountains are the tallest feature, reaching 8,238 ft (2,511 m); the Seven Troughs Range peaks at 7,795 ft (2,376 m). Valley floors lie roughly between 4,000 and 5,000 ft. Terrain within the ranges is steep, rocky, and rugged — particularly in the Sahwave Mountains, which NDOW describes as requiring hiking as the primary means of accessing bighorn use areas. The Lava Beds area provides flatter, volcanic tableland. Intervening valleys include Granite Springs Valley, Kumiva Valley, and the margins of the Smoke Creek Desert and Winnemucca Lake bed.

The unit is almost entirely BLM public land managed by the Winnemucca District Office, with the Black Rock Field Office (western side) and Humboldt River Field Office (eastern Pershing County side) both located at 5100 E Winnemucca Blvd, Winnemucca, NV 89445 (775-623-1500). The Winnemucca District manages approximately 8.2 million acres of public land. Primary highway access is via Nevada State Route 447 on the west (running between Fernley and Gerlach) and Interstate 80 on the east (Toulon Exit for the Sahwave area, Mill City/Unionville and Rye Patch Reservoir exits for the eastern unit margins). Four-wheel-drive vehicles are required for backcountry access. Key named access areas include the Sahwave pass road, Stonehouse Canyon and Tunnel Springs roads in the Nightingale Mountains, Porter Springs and Burnt/Rocky/Egbert/Cow Creek/Mule Canyon roads in the Seven Troughs Range, and the Eagle Pitcher Mine area road in the western Trinity Range margin. Full services (hospitals, motels, fuel) are available in Fernley, Lovelock, and Winnemucca; Gerlach offers gas, limited food, and lodging.

Vegetation follows a classic Great Basin elevational gradient. Valley floors and lower bajadas support salt desert shrub communities transitioning to big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) and bunchgrass at mid-elevations, which is the dominant cover type across the unit. The Sahwave Mountains name derives from a Paiute word. Pinyon-juniper woodland is present on upper slopes of the taller ranges. Riparian corridors and spring-fed areas (Sage Hen Spring, Tunnel Springs, Bob's Spring, Cottonwood Canyon, Rabbit Hole/Barrell Springs, Granite Springs, Bluewing Springs) provide critical water in an otherwise arid landscape. Invasive cheatgrass is present in the unit foothills. There are no developed campgrounds; camping is unrestricted on BLM land throughout the unit.

Mule deer inhabit virtually all mountain ranges in the unit but at extremely low density per NDOW. Deer use the full range of elevations within each mountain range. Pronghorn antelope are the most abundant big game species, present at average to high density throughout; they range from valley floors to upper mountain elevations and concentrate within approximately 2 miles of water sources. California bighorn sheep maintain a small, low-density herd primarily in the Sahwave Mountains, with core use along the east slope from 2 canyons south of Bob's Spring north to Cottonwood Canyon; rams concentrate in Cottonwood Canyon south to Bob's Spring for the mid- to late-October rut, while ewes prefer the Bob's Spring area and the two canyons south. Random bighorn sightings also occur in the south Seven Troughs Range, above Sage Hen Springs in the Nightingale Range, and the south Selenite Range. Mountain lions are present as a predator of deer and bighorn. Chukar partridge are huntable throughout the rocky range foothills.

1. Public land percentage (90%) is an estimate; no unit-specific parcel analysis was performed. 2. Mule deer quota (8) and harvest statistics (2024) are for the combined unit group 041+042; pronghorn quota (60) and success data are for the combined unit group 041+042 from the 2025 season. 3. California Bighorn Sheep hunt is currently closed; no quota, season, or harvest data are available. 4. Season dates for mule deer (archery Aug 10–Sep 9, muzzleloader Sep 10–Oct 4, ALW Oct 5–Nov 5) are confirmed from 2024 NDOW harvest statistics. 5. Consult the official Nevada Hunt Book for current-season dates as these may change year to year.