Unit 109, Nevada

Unit covers mostly gentle relief — rolling swales, benches, and broad flats — punctuated by the steeper slopes of Valley Mountain and the West Buttes. Elevations range from roughly 5,800 ft in the lowest valley floors to approximately 7,600 ft at the West Buttes summit. Water sources are extremely limited and scattered across the unit.

Unit 109 has excellent public access with extensive BLM road networks and very little private land (~99% public). Private parcels are concentrated in southeastern Butte Valley. Primary access corridors: State Route 229 reaches the northern portion; US Highway 93 provides eastern access; the CCC Road and Butte Valley Road serve western and southern portions. Wells, Nevada (I-80) to the north provides the closest services — lodging, fuel, groceries. Elko, Ely, Spring Creek, and Wendover are secondary service centers. Dispersed camping is available throughout on BLM lands. USFS improved campgrounds (Angel Creek, Angel Lake, Thomas Canyon, South Ruby) are in neighboring units 101-103, bookable via recreation.gov. The BLM Elko District — Wells Field Office administers federal lands in this area. The South Pequop Wilderness Study Area lies in adjacent Unit 105, not Unit 109.

Sagebrush dominates the vast majority of the unit. Dense pinyon-juniper woodland grows on Valley Mountain and the northern hill systems. Low-lying valley floors support winterfat, saltbush, and intermittent salt flats. Riparian features are minimal. Wild horse overutilization above AML is documented across much of this unit group and degrades forage and water availability.

Mule deer are present as a small resident herd; Units 104-109 function primarily as transition and winter range with deer moving through from higher-elevation summer ranges in units 101-103 (Ruby Mountains, East Humboldt Range). Elk seasonally reach high densities, most notably in winter. Elk regularly move back and forth from Hunt Unit 105 (Spruce Mountain) to Hunt Unit 109; Valley Mountain and its associated canyons are the primary focal area. Pronghorn antelope are widely scattered and well distributed across open sagebrush flats and valleys including Butte Valley and Long Valley, associating with wildlife water developments (guzzlers) and agricultural field edges. Mountain lion are present as a non-quota, continuous hunting species. Chukar partridge occupy rocky slopes associated with pinyon-juniper. Sage grouse inhabit the extensive sagebrush flats. Wild horse herds compete with wildlife for limited forage and water throughout the unit group.

All quota and harvest data apply to the unit group, not Unit 109 alone. Mule deer tag_quota (2,259) is the sum of resident ALW quotas across three periods (early 976 + mid 842 + late 441) for unit group 101-109; hunter success (~47%) is a weighted average across periods from 2025 preliminary statistics. Elk quota (40) is resident antlered ALW (early 20 + late 20) for unit group 078, 105-107, 109; success (~69%) averaged from 2024 antlered ALW early (84%) and late (55%) hunts. Pronghorn success not confirmed from sourced data. No bighorn sheep population confirmed in unit 109. South Pequop Wilderness Study Area is in adjacent Unit 105, not Unit 109.