Unit 153, Nevada

The unit spans an elevation range from roughly 4,100 feet on the valley floors to 8,649 feet at the summit of Mount Moses, the high point of the Fish Creek Mountains. Terrain varies considerably: the area around Mount Moses and the southwestern face of the Fish Creek Mountains features steep, rocky, volcanic terrain with lava-capped mesas and deep canyons; the surrounding valley floors and lower flanks are gentler, with rolling hills, shallow swales, benches, and flats. The Mount Moses area (approximately 92,892 acres) has been inventoried by the BLM for wilderness character due to its dramatic and remote topography.

Virtually all land is public and managed by the BLM Mount Lewis Field Office (Battle Mountain District). Private inholdings are limited to some agricultural fields in the northeast and southeast corners and a few areas near Daisy and Cottonwood Pass. Primary access routes include: State Route 305 along the eastern boundary; NV-121 west through Buffalo Valley then over Jersey Summit into Jersey Valley on the west side of the Fish Creek Mountains; the Jersey Valley dirt road running along the western flank; Copper Basin Road to the north; and Brides Wells Road and Home Station Wash roads to the south. I-80 provides access from the west via the Coal Canyon exit (NV-396) through the Humboldt Range. Primitive roads branch off all primary routes throughout the unit. Four-wheel drive may be necessary when dirt roads are wet; high-clearance four-wheel drive is required for some side roads. No developed campgrounds exist within the unit; dispersed camping is permitted throughout public lands. The nearest full-service communities are Battle Mountain (gas, food, lodging, hospital) and Austin. A BLM developed campground at Mill Creek is located approximately 20 miles south of Battle Mountain. A USFS fee campground at Bob Scott Summit on US-50 is about 6 miles east of Austin. Hunters should check with BLM for seasonal closures from prescribed burns, wild horse gathers, or fire restrictions. Note: in units 151, 153, and 156 most pronghorn congregate on private agricultural fields; hunters must determine land ownership and obtain permission before accessing or hunting on private property.

Sagebrush is the dominant cover type across most of the unit. Land below approximately 6,000 feet transitions to a mix of sagebrush, fourwing saltbush, and greasewood. Pinyon pine and juniper are present but typically scattered and sparse. Willows grow densely in creek bottoms. Aspen stands occur at Cottonwood Pass and in drainages on the west face of the Fish Creek Mountains at higher elevations. The area around Mount Moses supports a pristine sagebrush-steppe ecosystem with numerous springs, seasonal creeks, and several perennial streams including Fish Creek, which support riparian corridors of willows and some aspen. The volcanic geology (rhyolite, andesite, and lava flows interspersed with volcanic tuffs) contributes to the rugged canyon topography.

Mule deer are the primary big game species, with the highest densities concentrated around the Fish Creek Mountains and Mount Moses area (specifically cited as a recommended hunting area by NDOW within the broader unit group 151-156). Pronghorn antelope inhabit the lower sagebrush valleys and flats within unit 153 and neighboring units 151 and 156, with animals tending to congregate on agricultural fields in the valley bottoms and toe-slopes. A small population of desert bighorn sheep occupies the rugged, rocky terrain around Mount Moses and the ridges and canyons of the Fish Creek Mountains (managed jointly with unit 045, the Tobin Range). Mountain lions are present as a predator species. The Fish Creek Herd Management Area (HMA), administered by the BLM Mount Lewis Field Office, also supports a population of wild horses. Upland bird habitat (sagebrush steppe and rocky canyon slopes) is consistent with chukar partridge and sage grouse presence.