Unit 152, Nevada

The unit spans a dramatic elevation range from approximately 4,500 ft in the valley floors and Humboldt River corridor to 9,678 ft at the summit of Mount Lewis. Terrain includes steep mountain canyons (Mill Creek, Trout Creek, Horse Creek drainages) in the Shoshone Range core, rolling foothills, broad valley floors (Reese River Valley to the west, Crescent Valley to the east), and scattered granitic outcrops including Granite Mountain. Topography ranges from somewhat steep in the Shoshone Range interior to gentle slopes and flats in the valley benches.

Unit 152 is predominantly public land administered by the BLM and USFS, as confirmed by the NDOW biologist for Management Area 15. Primary highway corridors: Interstate 80 defines the northern boundary; US Highway 50 skirts the southern boundary (Austin area); Nevada State Route 305 runs north-south through the western side of the unit (Battle Mountain to Austin); Nevada State Routes 306 and 278 provide east and southeast access. Key roads: Multiple well-maintained dirt roads branch off NV-305, NV-306, and US-50 into hunting drainages. Four-wheel drive is recommended when dirt roads are wet, and high-clearance/4WD is required for some side roads. Campgrounds: BLM provides a developed campground at Mill Creek approximately 20 miles south of Battle Mountain on NV-305. The USFS provides a fee campground at Bob Scott Summit on US Highway 50 about six miles east of Austin. Dispersed camping is permitted throughout the unit on public lands (check with land management agencies for current fire restrictions). Services: Battle Mountain (northwest of unit) and Austin (south) offer gas, food, and lodging; a small hospital is in Battle Mountain.

Sagebrush (big sagebrush, black sagebrush) is the dominant cover type across the unit's valley bottoms and mid-elevation slopes. Dense pinyon-juniper woodland occupies several faces of the Shoshone Range and Granite Mountain. Aspen groves are present in the upper canyon drainages. Dense willow stands line the canyon bottoms and creek drainages. Four-wing saltbush and greasewood dominate the lower valley flats, with salt flats in the northern Reese River Valley. Cheatgrass and other invasive annual grasses are an ongoing management concern, and habitat restoration work including herbicide treatments, aerial seeding of sagebrush mixes, and pinyon-juniper thinning is active throughout the unit.

Mule deer are the primary big game species, with the highest densities in Management Area 15 occurring in Unit 152, concentrated in the canyons surrounding Mount Lewis — particularly Mill Creek, Trout Creek, and Horse Creek drainages, as confirmed by the NDOW biologist. Deer use the mid- to high-elevation Shoshone Range in summer and move to lower elevations and valley toe-slopes in winter. Pronghorn antelope are present and most often found in valley bottoms and on the toe-slopes of the mountains throughout the unit, as noted by the NDOW biologist for Management Area 15. Feral horses (wild horse Herd Management Areas) overlap portions of the unit and compete with mule deer and pronghorn for forage and water; BLM gathers are ongoing. Mountain lion are present as a predator of deer herds. Chukar partridge and sage grouse are present in suitable habitat patches. The unit does not have an established elk, bighorn sheep, or mountain goat population.