Unit 079, Nevada

Unit 079 spans elevations from approximately 4,600 feet in the salt flat and sagebrush valleys up to 8,037 feet at the highest points within the unit. The Toano Range, the unit's primary mountain feature, reaches 7,913 feet and runs roughly 13 miles SSW-to-NNE covering about 56 square miles (Wikipedia: Toano Range). The terrain transitions from flat basin floors and rolling sagebrush-covered slopes at lower elevations to steeper, rocky ridges and narrow canyons within the Toano Range. The eastern edge of the Pequop Mountains — whose highest unnamed peak reaches 9,249 feet — borders the unit to the west (Wikipedia: Pequop Mountains). Interstate 80 crosses the northern section of the unit at Silver Zone Pass through the Toano Range. The Goshute Valley separates the Toano Range from the Pequop Mountains, and Morgan Pass marks the southern boundary of the Toano Range where it meets the Goshute Mountains.

Unit 079 is administered primarily by the BLM Wells Field Office (Elko District), with approximately 56% public land (BLM). The remaining 44% is private, concentrated near the community of Oasis and along the western edge of the unit; private lands are typically well marked where hunter access is restricted. Interstate 80 defines the northern edge of the unit and provides the primary highway corridor connecting Wells (~25 miles west) and Wendover (~25 miles east) — both offer fuel, supplies, and lodging. A network of BLM two-track and dirt roads provides vehicle access throughout most of the public land; no designated wilderness exists within unit 079 itself. The checkerboard land-ownership pattern through parts of the unit group means public access corridors exist among private sections; hunters should use current maps to verify specific parcels. Silver Zone Pass on I-80 provides a staging point for access into the northern Toano Range. Dispersed camping on BLM land is permitted throughout the unit.

Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) dominates the unit across the majority of its foothill and valley terrain. The lower-lying basin floors support winterfat, saltbrush, salt marshes, and salt flats. Dense stands of pinyon-juniper woodland occupy the upper elevations of the Toano Range above approximately 6,500 feet. Vegetation in portions of the unit is recovering from large-scale fires that burned across the 076-081 unit group area; recovering burns have benefited pronghorn through improved perennial grass and forb cover and provide fresh forage for elk. Riparian corridors along seasonal drainages provide limited but important habitat diversity. Water sources are scattered and limited, with most reliable water found at or above 6,500 feet elevation.

Mule deer are the primary game species; unit 079 functions as a major winter range destination for deer that summer in units 071-075 and migrate south and east as fall progresses — some animals traveling more than 100 miles. Deer numbers in unit 079 increase substantially during October and November as migration occurs. Rocky Mountain elk are present in the northern Toano Mountains portion of unit 079 as part of the 076-077-079-081 unit group; the overall herd was estimated at approximately 2,000 animals in 2024-2025, well above the population objective of 1,195 for the group (NDOW 2025 Elk Quota Recommendation Forms). Pronghorn occupy unit 079 within the 076-077-079-081-091 group, with the herd having benefited from post-fire habitat recovery of perennial grasses. Mountain lion are present as a predator of ungulates throughout the unit. Sage-grouse occur in sagebrush habitats. Chukar partridge are associated with rocky slopes and canyon rims at mid-elevations.