Unit 222, Nevada

Unit 222 straddles the mountain spine of the southern Schell Creek Range and the southern Egan Range, with surrounding valley floors at roughly 5,800–6,200 ft. The mountains rise steeply to 10,990 ft at Mount Grafton (the highest point in the southern Schell Creek Range) and to approximately 9,450 ft along the South Egan crest. The terrain runs predominantly north–south, with steep limestone cliffs on eastern and western flanks of both ranges, open foothills, and high-country basins with reliable water sources. Cave Valley lies to the west of the Egan Range and Steptoe Valley to the east of the Schell Creek Range, both serving as key low-elevation travel corridors.

Unit 222 is approximately 99% public land managed by the BLM Ely District Office (White Pine and Lincoln counties). Private land is minimal and generally does not restrict through-access; hunters should verify boundaries and obtain permission before crossing any private parcels. Primary highway access: US-93 forms the eastern and southern boundary (Ely to Crystal Springs/Caliente corridor). State Route 318 provides access on the western side. The Cave Valley Road is a county-maintained road on the west side connecting north-south along Cave Valley. Numerous maintained and unmaintained dirt and two-track roads branch off these main routes with varying surface quality; high-clearance vehicles and extra spare tires are recommended. Snowstorms and summer thunderstorms can dramatically alter road conditions. The unit group (221-223) contains three BLM-administered wilderness areas where motorized transportation (including wheeled game carriers and mountain bikes) is prohibited: the Mount Grafton Wilderness (78,754 acres, centered on 10,990-ft Mount Grafton in the Schell Creek Range), the South Egan Range Wilderness (67,214 acres, 5,480–9,450 ft along the southern Egan crest), and the Far South Egans Wilderness (36,299 acres, Lincoln/Nye counties). Ely (approximately 30 miles north) serves as the primary staging town for the northern part of the unit; Pioche is the best option for the southern portion. Dispersed camping is permitted on BLM land throughout the unit.

Lower elevations (5,800–7,000 ft) are dominated by Wyoming big sagebrush and low sagebrush steppe with scattered grasses and forbs — prime pronghorn and wintering mule deer habitat. Mid-slopes (7,000–9,000 ft) transition to mountain mahogany, pinyon pine, and Utah juniper with bitterbrush understory, providing classic mule deer summer range. Higher elevation zones (9,000–11,000 ft) include aspen groves, white fir, limber pine, and bristlecone pine, with small subalpine meadows. The South Egan Range Wilderness is noted for bristlecone pine-covered ridges and riparian vegetation in deep limestone canyons. The Mount Grafton Wilderness contains pinyon-juniper foothills on the southern edge that serve as classic winter range for mule deer. All vegetated terrain within the unit is BLM-administered.

Mule deer are the most abundant big game; the herd occupies the Schell Creek and Egan Range summits in summer (typically above 8,000 ft, congregating around reliable water sources and basins), migrating to lower elevations and southern portions of the unit group as temperatures drop and snow arrives in October–November. Wintering areas include Mule Shoe Valley, benches on the southern Schell Creek Range, the Fairview Range, and the West, Ely Springs, and North Pahroc Ranges. Rocky Mountain elk are present, with unit 222 holding higher densities than neighboring unit 223. Early-season elk concentrate in the Horse and Cattle Camp Loop, Cold Springs, John Henry Wash, Robbers Roost Basin, and the Cave Valley side of Mount Grafton. Later in the year, cow elk winter on the Cave Valley side of Mount Grafton and in smaller groups in Steptoe Valley and Mule Shoe Valley. Population is estimated at approximately 1,700 animals (August 2024) against a management objective of 1,750 (±20%). Pronghorn antelope occupy valley bottoms and lower shrub-steppe habitats year-round; Steptoe Valley, Cave Valley, and Lake Valley within unit 222 support pronghorn throughout the year. Mountain lion inhabit the unit following deer and elk prey. Upland game birds include chukar partridge in rocky slopes and canyon breaks, and sage grouse in sagebrush valley flats. Golden eagles, prairie falcons, and other raptors are also present.

1. MULE DEER QUOTA — tag_quota of 75 is the 2025 resident ALW Early quota (Oct 5–Oct 20) as confirmed by the 2025 Big Game Hunt Statistics (75 tags issued) and CR 25-13 recommended quota. hunter_success_pct of 44% and reported_harvest of 27 are 2025 resident ALW Early figures. 2. ELK QUOTA — tag_quota of 135 represents resident antlered ALW Early (60) + ALW Late (75) tags per CR 25-13; total resident antlered across all weapons is higher. hunter_success_pct 56% and harvest 38 are 2024 resident ALW Early (Nov 6–20) figures from 2024 Elk Harvest by Unit Group. Elk population estimate 1,700 (August 2024) and objective 1,750 ±20% per 2025 Elk Quota Rec Form (Menghini, 3/31/2025). 3. PRONGHORN QUOTA — tag_quota of 30 is the 2025-2026 recommended resident ALW quota (Aug 22–Sep 7) per CR 25-13; 2024 approved was 25. hunter_success_pct 79% and harvest 23 are from 2025 resident ALW hunt. 4. BIGHORN SHEEP — not listed in species; no unit-222-specific quota or population data found; bighorn are confirmed in the wider Egan Range area. 5. UNIT SCOPE — NDOW manages units 221-223 as a combined unit group for most statistics; unit-222-specific data is not always separated. 6. SEASONS — All dates are 2025-2026 per CR 25-07; 2026-2027 seasons are identical. 7. FAR SOUTH EGANS WILDERNESS — official mule deer hunt info sheet for unit group 221-223 lists this wilderness as part of the unit group; it spans Lincoln and Nye counties.