Unit 142, Nevada

The unit spans roughly 224 square miles anchored by a 13-mile north–south limestone backbone ridge (within the 29,915-acre Sulphur Springs LWC area) with craggy outcrops, cliffs, and volcanic intrusions generating nearly 2,000 feet of vertical relief. Valley floors sit at approximately 5,000 feet; the range crests at an unnamed high point of 8,373 feet (Bald Mountain reaches 7,686 feet). BLM inventories describe the terrain as convoluted and trackless, with steep canyons cutting through the limestone core. The broader unit group (141–145) NDOW survey area also encompasses the Cortez, Diamond, Roberts Creek, and Fish Creek Ranges, all exhibiting classic Basin and Range basin-to-ridge topography.

The unit is approximately 97.6% public land (BLM), based on GoHunt unit data; the Wikipedia figure of 80.7% BLM applies to the Sulphur Spring Range landform itself, not the full unit including valley floors. No National Forest land falls within Unit 142. The primary administrative entity is the BLM Battle Mountain District Office (50 Bastian Rd, Battle Mountain, NV 89820). Nevada State Route 278 (Eureka–Carlin Road, 87.6 miles) is the main paved artery, running north from US-50 near Eureka to I-80 at Carlin, passing between the Whistler and Sulphur Springs Ranges through Garden Valley and Pine Valley. BLM two-track and gravel roads branch east and west off NV-278 into the range and flanking valleys; four-wheel drive is recommended for most interior access. The Sulphur Springs area is inventoried by BLM as land with wilderness character (29,915 acres) but carries no formal Wilderness Act designation — motorized access is permitted on existing roads and routes. No designated trailheads exist; hunters typically self-stage off NV-278 pullouts or drive into the range on user-created two-tracks. The towns of Carlin (Elko County) and Eureka (Eureka County) provide nearest services, fuel, and lodging. Seasonal road conditions can deteriorate rapidly after rain or snow.

Lower valley floors and basin benches are dominated by Wyoming big sagebrush and rabbitbrush with understory grasses including squirreltail, Great Basin wildrye, and crested wheatgrass. As elevation rises through the foothills and mid-slopes, scattered and then dense pinyon pine and Utah juniper woodland takes over, with mountain mahogany thickets present on mid- to upper slopes. Limestone springs scattered throughout the unit create small riparian pockets critical to mule deer, pronghorn, and chukar. The upper ridgeline is largely rocky with sparse vegetation. NDOW notes that encroachment of pinyon-juniper into productive shrubland habitat and competition from feral horses above AML are long-term concerns for forage quality throughout Management Area 14.

Mule deer are the primary big game and occur throughout the unit year-round, using mid- to upper-elevation pinyon-juniper and mountain mahogany as summer and transitional range and descending to sagebrush-dominated valleys in winter. NDOW's November 2024 post-season aerial survey for unit group 141–145 classified deer across the Cortez, Diamond, Roberts Creek, Sulfur Springs, and Fish Creek Ranges with a ratio of 32 bucks:100 does:69 fawns — described as the highest fawn ratio recorded since 1999. Population estimate for the group was approximately 4,500 deer as of 2025, up from a low near 3,600 after the severe 2022–2023 winter. Pronghorn antelope are present and hunt-eligible in unit 142 as part of unit group 065/142/144A; GPS-collar research confirmed that antelope summering on the Pinon Range (Unit 065) regularly winter in Unit 142 valley floors and adjacent basins. Mountain lions are confirmed present and documented as a primary mortality source for collared antelope in adjacent management areas. Chukar partridge occupy rocky slopes and canyon rims throughout the limestone terrain. Greater sage-grouse utilize lower sagebrush flats; Nevada has suspended sage-grouse hunting statewide in recent years. No established elk herd exists in Unit 142. Wild horses exist in multiple Herd Management Areas overlapping this unit group and compete with wildlife for limited forage and water.

1. Quota and harvest data apply to unit GROUP 141–145 (mule deer) or 065/142/144A (pronghorn), not unit 142 alone; NDOW does not publish unit-level breakdowns. The 700-tag figure is the approximate combined resident+nonresident quota across all ALW, muzzleloader, and archery seasons for the group for 2025-2026. Hunter success of 47% reflects the early ALW 2024 result for the group. 2. public_land_pct of 98 is sourced from GoHunt unit 142 profile (stated 97.6%, rounded); Wikipedia's 80.7% BLM figure applies to the Sulphur Spring Range landform only. 3. No Wilderness Act designation exists within Unit 142; the Sulphur Springs area is BLM Inventoried Wilderness Character land only. 4. Sage grouse seasons in Nevada have been closed statewide in recent years; inclusion reflects established populations, not an active 2026 season. 5. Pronghorn quota of 45 tags and 91% success reflects combined unit group 065/142/144A for 2024 ALW season. 6. GoHunt unit profile removed from sources — requires subscription and could not be independently verified.