Unit 164, Nevada

The Pancake Range is the dominant topographic feature, reaching 9,240 ft at Portuguese Mountain, with the northern end crossed by US-50 at Pancake Summit (6,521 ft). The unit spans roughly 4,600–8,800 ft in elevation. Terrain ranges from broad, flat desert valleys and playas to rolling hills, benches, and steep mountain slopes within the range itself. The surrounding basins include Railroad Valley to the east, Duckwater Valley to the northeast, and Big Sand Springs and Hot Creek valleys to the west. The unit is extremely isolated, with hunting areas often many miles from paved roads and services.

The unit is administered almost entirely by the BLM Ely District Office. US Highway 6 provides the primary southern access. Nevada State Route 379 provides access to the eastern portions, running northwest from Currant through Railroad Valley and up to Duckwater. Hot Creek Road and other primitive 2-track roads branch off main corridors onto BLM land; off-road vehicles and 4WD are recommended for travel away from main county roads. The Duckwater Shoshone Reservation in Duckwater Valley is private/tribal land where hunting is prohibited. No wilderness designations restrict motorized access within Unit 164. Nearest full services are available in Tonopah (west), Eureka (north), and Ely (northeast); primitive dispersed camping is allowed on BLM land throughout the unit.

Desert brush dominated by big sagebrush covers most of the unit at lower elevations, with saltbrush and desert scrub species in valley bottoms and playas. Utah juniper and single-leaf pinyon pine form mid-elevation woodland belts across the range. Above approximately 7,500 ft, cliff rose, bitterbrush, and mountain mahogany occur on ridges and slopes. Riparian corridors are limited and water sources are scattered throughout the unit. No designated wilderness falls within Unit 164 itself; Alta Toquima and Table Mountain Wilderness areas are in adjacent Units 161 and 162.

Mule deer are present throughout the unit from valley foothills to upper elevations. Per NDOW biologist notes, once measurable snow occurs in the unit, many deer begin migrating into adjacent Hunt Unit 163. Deer densities in Unit 164 (Pancake Range) are lower than in Units 161 and 162 (Toquima and Monitor ranges). Desert bighorn sheep occupy three sub-populations in Unit 164 — the North Pancakes, Duckwater Hills, and Currant Mountain areas — but all have experienced significant disease-related (Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae) declines since 2011; total unit population was estimated below 60 animals in recent years. Pronghorn antelope are present in Big Sand Springs Valley and the Railroad Valley portions of the unit; this population shares range with units 131, 145, and 163 and concentrates near valley water sources. Rocky Mountain elk are rare in Unit 164; aerial surveys in 2024 found elk concentrated in Units 162 and 163 (Monitor Range), not Unit 164. Mountain lion prey on deer and bighorn. Sage grouse and chukar are present at lower elevations. Feral horses from the Pancake Herd Management Area (AML 361–638) compete with wildlife for forage and water throughout the unit.