Unit 065, Nevada

The unit ranges from lower elevations near Carlin on the northern edge to the upper Piñon Range, with the highest point at Bunker Hill. The core of the range is characterized by steep, rugged terrain from Bunker Hill south through Robinson Mountain, Coffin Mountain, Bailey Mountain, and Spring Canyon Mountain. Outside the main range, the unit transitions to rolling hills, benches, and valley flats. Cedar Ridge and Grindstone Mountain form lower-relief terrain at the southern and western margins. Drainages of the South Fork of the Humboldt River and Huntington Creek cut through the lower elevations.

Unit 065 is approximately 69 percent public land, predominantly BLM administered by the Elko District Tuscarora Field Office. There is no National Forest within this unit. Primary highway access is via State Route 228 on the eastern side and State Route 278 on the western side. Interstate 80 provides northern access near Carlin. Southern reaches are accessed via roads through the North Diamond Valley area. South Fork State Recreation Area (fee camping, along SR 228) offers an established camping option; otherwise dispersed camping on BLM land is available. Private lands and mining activity limit access on the northwest portion of the unit. Significant private land blocks also restrict access along SR 228 and SR 278 corridors and near the communities of Elko, Carlin, and Spring Creek. No designated wilderness areas are present in this unit.

Sagebrush scrub dominates lower elevations and valley floors. Mid-elevation slopes support pinyon-juniper woodland, mountain mahogany, and serviceberry. Aspen stands occupy drainages and north-facing slopes at higher elevations. Riparian corridors along Huntington Creek and South Fork Reservoir support willows and cottonwood. Past fires have converted portions of the range to native grasslands and resprouting shrub communities that support elevated wildlife densities in places. Cedar Ridge at the southern end is lower in elevation and supports sparse shrub cover at lower densities for wildlife.

Mule deer are the primary big game species, with the highest densities concentrated in the upper Piñon Range from Bunker Hill south toward Robinson Mountain and between Coffin Mountain and Bailey Mountain. GPS collar studies initiated in August 2021 confirmed that most deer migrate out of the Piñon Range in winter to lower-elevation ranges in Management Area 14 to the south and east. Pronghorn antelope occupy the unit seasonally as part of the 065/142/144 (Eureka Co. portion) unit group, using Piñon Range summer range and transitioning to wintering areas in Huntington Valley and Diamond Valley. Mountain lions are resident and confirmed predators documented in GPS collar mortality data from both deer and antelope collaring studies; coyotes are also confirmed predators. Feral horses and burros are present on BLM lands (Diamond Complex HMA). Sage grouse habitat is present in sagebrush communities; the 2022 Wildcat Fire burned approximately 21,423 acres of combined sage grouse and mule deer habitat in this management area. Chukar partridge occupy rocky canyon and ridge terrain. No elk hunt tags are allocated to unit 065; neighboring units 061 and 071 support huntable elk herds. Mineral exploration, including the proposed South Railroad Mine project, has been an ongoing land-use concern that NDOW has been monitoring via GPS collar studies on both deer and antelope.

1. Public land percentage (69%) sourced from GoHunt and corroborated by HuntScore. 2. Pronghorn quota and harvest figures represent the entire unit group 065/142/144 (Eureka Co. portion); unit-065-specific share cannot be disaggregated from available NDOW data. 3. Elk are not allocated hunt tags in unit 065 per 2025-2026 NDOW quota documents. 4. Mule deer herd described by NDOW (2023-2024) as below population objectives following severe 2022-2023 winter mortality; quota constrained to encourage recovery. 5. The 521 antelope figure from the 2024 survey is a classified survey count for the unit group, not a full population estimate. 6. Draft claim of 100% ALW hunter success corrected to 89% per verified 2025 hunt statistics (17/19 hunters successful).