Unit 145, Nevada

Unit 145 sits within the Central Basin and Range ecoregion spanning Eureka and Nye counties. Valley floors range from approximately 7,000 to 7,250 feet, while the Fish Creek Range, Mahogany Hills, and Mountain Boy Range rise to peaks exceeding 8,000 feet (Fish Creek Range high point ~8,127 ft). The broader Management Area 14 ranges from 4,700 feet in Crescent Valley to 10,631 feet at Diamond Peak (Unit 144). Terrain in the mid-elevations is a mosaic of gradual ridges and open basins; the upper Fish Creek Range features steep, rugged terrain with vertical ridges, rock outcroppings, and few roads. The unit encompasses approximately 288,749 acres (451 sq mi).

Unit 145 is approximately 97% BLM public land (Battle Mountain District, Eureka area) with only scattered private parcels. The town of Eureka sits in the northeastern corner and provides lodging (private RV parks), fuel, restaurants, and supplies; Carlin and Elko to the north offer full services. U.S. Highway 50 serves as the main northern access corridor. Numerous county and BLM roads — ranging from maintained gravel to 4WD-only tracks — penetrate the unit. The majority of roads are passable with a standard pickup truck, but some Fish Creek Range drainages require 4WD or ATV. There are no developed public campgrounds; primitive dispersed camping is allowed on BLM lands throughout the unit. No designated wilderness areas are within Unit 145 itself. Access to upper Fish Creek Range terrain involves longer road approaches with limited tracks; horse packing is an option in the steepest drainages.

The dominant cover type is pinyon-juniper woodland on slopes and upper terrain, transitioning to large sagebrush valleys and basins at lower elevations. Open sagebrush basins from roughly 7,500 to 8,500 feet contain scattered aspen pockets along water sources. Ridgelines are lined with mountain mahogany and rock outcroppings. Lower flats support saltbush-greasewood communities and cool-season grasses. Riparian zones are limited and concentrated around perennial springs, which are under significant pressure from feral horse overpopulation. Pinyon-juniper encroachment is an ongoing management challenge throughout the unit.

Mule deer are the primary big-game species. Deer use all major ranges in Management Area 14 in summer, and winter on lower ranges. Migration into Unit 145's Fish Creek Range improves later in October as deer push down from adjacent high-country following snowstorms in bordering units. The 2024 post-season survey classified 1,738 deer across the unit group with ratios of 32 bucks:100 does:69 fawns — the highest fawn ratio since 1999. Pronghorn antelope occupy the unit's lower open valleys as part of the unit group 131/145/163/164 herd; the 2024 survey classified 381 animals across that group. Rocky Mountain elk are present only as a low-density seasonal population; Units 144 and 145 are classified as transition zones, and depredation hunts since 2012 have intentionally suppressed elk numbers to prevent herd establishment. Mountain lions are documented within the Central Nevada Mountain Lion Population. Feral horses above appropriate management levels compete with wildlife for limited springs and forage throughout the unit.

1. Harvest and quota data are reported at the unit GROUP level (141-145) rather than for Unit 145 alone; NDOW aggregates this group. 2. The 2025 mule deer ALW early tag quota of 410 is from CR 25-13 recommended quota; 2024 approved was 297. 3. Pronghorn tag quota of 15 covers the combined unit group 131/145/163/164. 4. Elk tags are depredation-only; Unit 145 is not managed for a sustainable elk herd. Reported harvest of 4 elk in 2024 covers unit group 144-145. 5. Unit spans Eureka and Nye counties per HuntScore; NDOW management places it primarily in Eureka County. 6. Diamond Peak elevation corrected to 10,631 ft per Wikipedia (Diamond Mountains, Nevada).