Unit 076, Nevada

The unit spans rolling sagebrush uplands, broad valleys, and steep mountain terrain at elevations from approximately 5,200 to over 8,700 feet. Major landmarks include Knoll Mountain, the Granite Range, and Gollaher Mountain. The Pequop Mountains — whose high point is an unnamed peak at 9,249 feet — run north-south for approximately 51 miles and divide Independence Valley to the west from Goshute Valley to the east. Thousand Springs Valley lies to the north of the unit. Lower elevations grade into the broad basins typical of the northern Great Basin.

The majority of unit 076 is public land administered by the BLM Wells Field Office (Elko District Office). A substantial checkerboard pattern of alternating public and private sections runs through portions of the unit; private parcels are typically well-marked, and most are associated with private meadows or ranchland. Road access is generally good throughout most of the public land portions. Primary access routes include US Highway 93 (the main north-south artery providing access to the west side of Knoll Mountain and the Granite Range), County Road 765 (serves the east side of Knoll Mountain and Gollaher Mountain), the Trout Creek drainage road (accesses the east side of the Granite Range and northern portions of the unit), and the California Trail National Back Country Byway near Jackpot (reaches the north side of Gollaher Mountain). The Jarbidge Wilderness (110,000 acres, non-motorized) is in adjacent unit 072 to the west. The South Pequop Wilderness Study Area is located in the southern Pequop Mountains. Lodging is available in Jackpot (northwest corner of the unit) and Wells (south of the unit). Cell phone service is limited throughout most of the unit. Access is limited in the northwest portion of the Pequop Mountains.

Sagebrush dominates lower and mid-elevation terrain across most of the unit. Aspen stands occupy many drainages in the Granite Range, Knoll Mountain, and Gollaher Mountain areas. Mountain mahogany occurs at the highest elevations of the Granite Range. Dense juniper stands are found east of Knoll Mountain and throughout the Trout Creek drainage. Large portions of the unit were impacted by major wildfires in 2007; by 2013 those burns had transitioned to recovering perennial grass and forb cover beneficial to elk and antelope, with sagebrush beginning to regenerate. Riparian corridors and spring-fed drainages provide water and cover. The habitat mosaic ranges from mountain mahogany and aspen near peaks down through open sagebrush steppe and semi-arid valley floors.

Mule deer occupy all elevations from sagebrush foothills to upper peaks. Unit 076 supports a mixture of resident deer and wintering animals that migrate from summer ranges in units 071, 072, and 073, moving through unit 075 and congregating in units 077, 078, and 079 for winter; the largest concentrations during any-legal-weapon seasons are in the southeast portion of the Jarbidge Mountains and throughout the Snake Mountains. Major migration movements occur in late September and throughout October. Rocky Mountain elk are well established in the unit group (076/077/079/081); NDOW surveys estimated roughly 2,000 elk in the group, well above the population objective of 1,195, and management has shifted to aggressive harvest. Elk are distributed throughout the unit group and associated with water sources; storm events and hunting pressure can shift distribution from high elevations to valley floors. Elk continue to exploit recovering grasslands in areas burned in 2007. Pronghorn antelope are primarily found in Pilot Valley and the Granite Range within the unit group; animals in Pilot Valley are generally found on either side of the town of Montello, and the north slopes of Gollaher Mountain may provide quality animals. Mountain lion are present throughout. Sage grouse occur in sagebrush habitats. Chukar partridge are found in rocky drainages and canyon terrain.