Unit 043, Nevada

The unit encompasses two main mountain ranges — the Humboldt Range and West Humboldt Range — rising steeply from surrounding valley floors. Elevations span roughly 3,800 ft on the valley floors (Carson Sink/Humboldt Sink fringe, Buena Vista Valley) to 9,840 ft at Star Peak, the highest point in the Humboldt Range and Pershing County. Basin-and-range topography dominates: mountain flanks transition from broad alluvial fans to rocky ridgelines with steep canyons. Lower elevations include playa flats and desert piedmont; mid-elevations feature dissected canyons and benches; upper elevations offer defined ridgelines and peaks. Four-wheel-drive access reaches the range foothills, while upper canyons and peaks require hiking.

Unit 043 is located east of Interstate 80; the freeway forms the western boundary with access points at the Lovelock interchange, the Rye Patch Reservoir exit, and the Mill City/Unionville exit. Nevada State Route 400 departs I-80 at the Mill City interchange and runs south through Buena Vista Valley toward Unionville — this is the primary paved corridor into the eastern approach of the unit. From Unionville, primitive roads fan into the Humboldt Range canyons (Indian Canyon, Cottonwood Canyon, Coyote Canyon, Santa Clara Canyon, Prince Royal Canyon, Humboldt Canyon, Eldorado Canyon, Rocky Canyon). On the western flank, access routes skirt the edge of the Carson Sink area. The Relief Canyon Mine area and Buffalo Spring are referenced access landmarks on the west side. All public land within the unit is administered by the BLM Winnemucca District Office. Camping on public BLM land is unrestricted. Checkerboard private/BLM ownership exists in portions of both ranges — hunters should verify land status before entering. Services (motels, fuel, hospitals) are available in Lovelock and Winnemucca.

Lower valley floors and foothills are dominated by Wyoming sagebrush, salt-desert shrub, and annual grassland (cheatgrass following past wildfires). Mid-elevation slopes in the Humboldt Range support pinyon-juniper woodland. Upper elevations carry intermittent stands of quaking aspen and mountain mahogany. Canyon bottoms with perennial streams support riparian shrub and willow communities; NDOW notes that units 043, 044, and 046 contain fishable trout streams. Much of the lower-elevation winter range in the Humboldt Range has been degraded by repeated wildfires and annual grasslands replacing shrubland. High-quality summer mule deer habitat persists at upper elevations; overall habitat conditions are considered marginal or poor for mule deer and ideal for pronghorn.

Mule deer occupy all mountain ranges in the unit, with the highest densities in the Humboldt Range — second in the unit group only to Unit 046. The combined unit group 043-046 population was estimated at approximately 1,000 animals (2024-2025 QR form), significantly below its historical highs. Deer use upper-elevation summer range in canyons and ridgelines and migrate to lower foothills in winter; lower-elevation winter range has been substantially degraded by past wildfires. NDOW notes the mule deer population continues to decline and hunters should be prepared for a challenging time finding deer. Pronghorn antelope are a thriving and expanding population: the 2024 estimate for unit group 043-046 is 2,500 animals, up every year and exceeding management expectations. Units 043 and 044 have the highest antelope densities in the group; animals concentrate near water sources within roughly 2 miles and range from valley floors to upper mountain elevations. Key unit 043 antelope areas include the Relief Canyon Mine area, Buffalo Spring, Limerick Canyon, and Coyote Canyon north to Creek Hill. Chukar partridge are present throughout the rocky canyon terrain and are explicitly noted by NDOW as a concurrent hunting opportunity. Mountain lions are confirmed present in the broader region and are a noted predator affecting ungulate populations. Wild horses and burros occupy the unit in numbers exceeding BLM Appropriate Management Level and compete with wildlife for forage and water.