Unit 081, Nevada

Rolling to moderately rugged mountain terrain with long draws, ridges, and open hillsides. Elevation ranges from approximately 4,900 feet in the Montello valley to the higher ridges of the Delano Mountains. The unit is remote; late-season snow is common and may require chains or snowmobiles. Major drainages include Goose Creek and Bluff Creek. The Delano Mountains form the prominent high-elevation spine in the unit interior.

Primary vehicle access is via Nevada State Route 233 (Montello Road), running northeast from I-80 near Oasis through the town of Montello to the Utah state line. The Fall Creek Road marks the western boundary of the unit's elk depredation area. The Signboard Pass–Thousand Springs Road and SR 233 define the southern boundary of that depredation area. Most public land is BLM administered through the Elko District Wells Field Office. The unit has a checkerboard land pattern throughout much of its center, where alternating sections are privately owned; most checkerboard private land allows public access, with private meadows typically well posted. Crittenden Reservoir is a private reservoir, but access through the surrounding private land is allowed. The Winecup Ranch and Trout Creek Ranch restrict motorized access on their private holdings. Access is limited in the northwest portion of the Pequop Mountains. Hunters should consult the BLM Wells Field Office for current road status. Nearest services are in Montello (very limited) and Wells (~50 miles southwest via I-80).

Sagebrush steppe dominates across most of the unit, from valley floors to mid-elevation slopes. Pinyon-juniper and mountain mahogany woodlands appear at mid to upper elevations. Aspen patches occur near the highest ridges. Desert shrub characterizes lower valley bottoms. Multiple recent wildfires have created extensive burned areas that now provide improved grass and forb forage, actively used by deer and elk. Riparian corridors along Goose Creek and perennial springs provide scattered water sources.

Mule deer in unit 081 are primarily migratory animals that move into the unit from Utah, Idaho, and the adjacent Nevada unit group 071–079 as the season progresses, with the largest influxes typically arriving after snowfall. Resident deer occupy the full elevation range from lower foothills to upper peaks during archery and muzzleloader seasons, with highest densities in the northern two-thirds of the unit. Recent fires have shifted deer use of winter range; significant snow accumulations may force deer to the more southern end of the unit, as far south as Jackson Mine. Deer also concentrate in the Delano Mountain area. Elk are present year-round, with concentrations around Bluff Creek, Cedar Mountain, Cedar Mountain Draw, and the Delano Mountains; later in the season, some elk shift to the northern Toano Mountains or to valley agricultural areas. Elk are closely associated with water sources in late summer. A separate depredation elk hunt targets animals using private hay meadows on the Old Winecup Ranch, Trout Creek Ranch, and Niles Spring areas; many elk enter meadows after sunset and leave before daylight, so hunters should locate trails elk use to enter and exit fields during legal shooting hours. Pronghorn antelope use Pilot Valley and the Granite Range (including the north slopes of Gollaher Mountain), closely associated with water sources during the August season. Moose are present in very low numbers and are listed in the statewide any-open-unit hunt. Mountain lion and other predators occur throughout the unit.

Elk quota and harvest figures are reported at the unit group level (076, 077, 079, 081 combined) and cannot be disaggregated to unit 081 alone; the 61% hunter success reflects the early ALW season for the full unit group. The elk tag_quota field is null because group-level quotas vary by hunt type (archery 45, muzzleloader 25, early ALW 70, late ALW 75) and are not unit-081-specific. In 2025, only 30 mule deer tags were actually issued against a draw quota of 522 (2,377 applicants, roughly 6% draw odds). The reported_harvest of 20 is from the 2025 season (Dec 11, 2025 – Jan 1, 2026). Pronghorn data is unit-group-level (076, 077, 079, 081, 091 combined). Moose included per statewide NDOW regulation listing unit 081. Public land percentage (76%) sourced from GoHunt unit profile; no USFS national forest land is present in unit 081, all public land is BLM-administered. Specific elevation figure for Delano Peak removed as not confirmed in NDOW sources.