Unit 221, Nevada

The unit spans a dramatic elevation gradient from approximately 5,480 ft on the valley floors of Steptoe Valley and Cave Valley to 10,936 ft at Ward Mountain, the highest peak in the Egan Range. The eastern flank drops into Steptoe Valley via open, gentle foothills; the western face above Cave Valley is steep, cliff-lined, and canyon-cut. The northern portion contains expansive backcountry with deep canyons and drainages (e.g., Bullwhack Summit to Long Canyon); the southern end transitions into milder terrain toward the Lincoln County line. Shingle Pass divides upper and lower elk-use zones.

The unit is surrounded by paved highway access: US Highway 6/50 provides access from Ely to the north; State Route 318 runs along the western boundary; US Highway 93 traces the eastern boundary from Ely south to Crystal Springs. The Cave Valley Road (county-maintained dirt/gravel) runs along the east side of the unit and is a primary access corridor. Numerous two-track roads branch throughout the unit with varying roughness — high-clearance vehicles and extra spare tires are recommended. Paved access to staging near Ely (city services) or Lund (small community, western side). The unit contains two BLM wilderness areas where motorized vehicles and mechanized equipment (including wheeled game carriers and mountain bikes) are prohibited: South Egan Range Wilderness (67,214 acres, established 2006, elevations 5,480–9,450 ft) and Far South Egans Wilderness (36,299 acres, established 2004, elevations 5,800–9,823 ft). The Mt. Grafton Wilderness (Schell Creek Range, primarily in unit 222) also borders the unit group. The BLM Ely District Field Office manages the public lands. Weather can drastically alter road conditions — summer thunderstorms and fall/winter snowstorms can close two-track routes without warning.

Lower and mid elevations (5,500–7,500 ft) are dominated by big sagebrush, low sagebrush, and greasewood in valley bottoms transitioning into mountain mahogany and pinyon-juniper woodlands on foothill slopes. Mid-to-upper elevations (7,500–9,500 ft) support mountain mahogany, aspen, and grassy meadows with reliable springs. The highest ridgelines above 9,000 ft feature bristlecone pine, ponderosa pine, and spruce. Riparian corridors thread through springs and creek bottoms throughout the range. The shrub-steppe valley floors (Steptoe Valley, Cave Valley) provide key pronghorn habitat. Portions of the south Egan Range contain old fire scars that support elk forage.

Mule deer use the Schell Creek and Egan Ranges as summer range, concentrating at higher elevations near basins with reliable water sources. They migrate south and to lower elevations in fall, with wintering populations concentrating on benches at the south end of the Schell Range, Mule Shoe Valley, the Fairview Range, West Range, Ely Springs Range, and North Pahroc Range. Rocky Mountain elk maintain good densities in unit 221, especially around Ward Mountain, Upper Terrace, Lion Springs, Blue Springs, Lowry Springs, and Williams Creek. Elk scatter along the east bench of Ward Mountain in Steptoe Valley and are found from Bullwhack Summit to Long Canyon; densities are lower south of Shingle Pass. A 2024 postseason composition survey sampled 713 elk yielding 24 bulls:100 cows:49 calves; the MA 22 herd is within population objectives and trending upward. Elk will use agricultural fields near the town of Lund. Pronghorn occupy the lower elevation valley bottoms and shrub-steppe in Steptoe Valley and Cave Valley year-round; antelope rarely move to higher elevation or dense tree cover. A 2023 ground survey classified 238 antelope at 34 bucks:100 does:35 fawns. Desert bighorn sheep inhabit the southern Egan Range; an aerial survey in September 2022 covering units 221, 223, and 241 classified 194 sheep at 28 rams:100 ewes:28 lambs. Mountain lion are year-round residents. Upland game birds including chukar and sage grouse are present in appropriate habitat throughout the unit.

Tag quotas and harvest data for Mule Deer, Pronghorn, and Elk are reported at the unit GROUP level (221-223 for deer/elk; 221-223-241 for pronghorn) — unit 221 alone is not broken out in official NDOW publications. The tag_quota for Mule Deer shows the 2025 early ALW resident quota (75 tags, Oct 5-20); muzzleloader quota is 10 and archery is 25. Elk tag_quota shows the early ALW (Nov 6-20) resident antlered quota (60 tags) for 2025; hunter_success_pct and reported_harvest are from the 2024 season (most recent available). Pronghorn quota and harvest cover the combined 221-223-241 unit group; general season success 79% and 23 harvest from 2025 season data. Desert Bighorn Sheep (units 223/221 combined, 1 tag); 2022 aerial survey of 194 sheep covered units 221, 223, and 241. Mountain Lion are resident year-round; tags are OTC in Nevada. Chukar and Sage Grouse are present but no unit-specific upland data was sourced. Public land pct (96%) sourced from GoHunt profile. The unverified claim of a 2022 NDOW land purchase on Ward Mountain was removed — not confirmed in primary NDOW sources.