Unit 213, Nevada

The unit encompasses classic Great Basin basin-and-range terrain: broad alluvial valley floors (Fish Lake Valley, Lida Valley, Montezuma Valley) separated by north-south trending volcanic and sedimentary mountain ranges. The Monte Cristo Range is the most prominent feature, with its highest peak, Cristo, at 7,996 ft (confirmed by NDOW). The Silver Peak Range reaches Piper Peak at 9,450 ft (Wikipedia). The Palmetto Mountains top out at Blue Dick Benchmark, approximately 9,288-9,289 ft (Wikipedia). Bighorn sheep habitat in the Monte Cristo Range spans roughly 5,000 ft to 7,996 ft. Overall elevation across the unit ranges from approximately 4,600 ft on the valley floors to over 9,000 ft on high ridgelines. Alluvial fan systems are extensive on valley margins.

Unit 213 is approximately 100% public land, entirely BLM, administered by the BLM Tonopah Field Office. No national forest lands are within unit 213. US Highway 95 is the primary paved corridor running north-south through or along the eastern portion of the unit group, connecting Tonopah (full services) to the north and Goldfield to the south. SR-266 (the Dyer Road) provides paved access westward into Fish Lake Valley and toward the Palmetto Mountains (NDOW mule deer sheet). Access to the Monte Cristo Range bighorn sheep area is via a network of unimproved two-track dirt roads; the terrain itself is the primary limiting factor rather than land ownership (NDOW bighorn sheet). Four-wheel drive vehicles with high clearance are recommended for backcountry roads (NDOW pronghorn sheet). Private alfalfa farms and native pastures exist primarily in Fish Lake Valley but rarely block access to surrounding BLM public lands (NDOW pronghorn sheet). The Monte Cristo North (66,358 acres) and Monte Cristo South (47,120 acres) areas in Esmeralda and Mineral counties are designated Lands with Wilderness Character (LWC) by BLM — they are not formal wilderness or wilderness study areas, and motorized access rules should be verified with the Tonopah Field Office. No campgrounds or lodging exist within 20 miles; hunters must be self-sufficient. Limited services in Dyer and Goldfield; full services in Tonopah.

Lower valley floors and basin floors support shadscale (Atriplex confertifolia), alkali-tolerant saltbrush, native bunchgrasses, and greasewood communities. Mid-elevation mountain slopes in the Monte Cristo Range are dominated by sagebrush scrub (approximately 63% of the range) and shadscale scrub (approximately 37%), per Wikipedia. Higher elevations on north-facing slopes transition to scattered Utah juniper stands and sagebrush grasslands; pinyon-juniper woodland is present in parts of the unit group (units 211-213 collectively), making some areas heavily treed and difficult to glass (NDOW mule deer sheet). Riparian features are limited but include perennial springs (Cottonwood Spring, Trough Spring, Cook Spring, Outlaw Springs, Shovel Springs) and five wildlife water developments in the Monte Cristo Range, with Monte Cristo #1 and #5 (northwest portion) and Shovel Spring Basin receiving the most regular use (NDOW bighorn sheet). The Palmetto Mountains and Tule Canyon/Magruder Mountain area receive more precipitation and have more freestanding water, supporting slightly higher deer densities than the open valley portions of unit 213 (NDOW mule deer sheet).

Mule deer are present throughout all parts of the unit but occur at very low densities due to limited summer habitat. The Tule Canyon/Magruder Mountain area (bordering unit 212) and the southern reaches of the Silver Peak Range and Palmetto Mountains support the highest deer concentrations in the unit group. Deer tend to be near water during archery and muzzleloader seasons; during the November any-legal-weapon season, bucks enter rut and associate closely with doe groups. Snowpack pushing deer off higher elevations on the east slope of the White Mountains in late fall improves hunting conditions (NDOW mule deer sheet). Desert bighorn sheep (Nelson bighorn) inhabit the Monte Cristo Range, with populations using elevations from 5,000 ft to 7,996 ft (Cristo Peak). Five wildlife water developments exist in the range; Monte Cristo #1 and #5 (northwest portion) and Shovel Spring Basin receive the most regular use. In warm, dry conditions leading into November, sheep may concentrate near water sources. More commonly, cooler temperatures and precipitation disperse sheep across the range by the November hunting season (NDOW bighorn sheet). Pronghorn antelope occur at highest densities in Montezuma Valley, Lida Valley, and in and around the Monte Cristo Range; lower numbers are found in Fish Lake Valley and scattered throughout the remainder of the unit group. Animals are generally associated with water during hunting season and move regularly between units 211, 212, and 213 and adjacent units — familiarity with unit boundaries is important (NDOW pronghorn sheet). Mountain lion is present as a huntable species. Wild horses and burros are documented in the Silver Peak Herd Management Area within the unit.