Unit 241, Nevada

The Delamar Mountains run approximately 50 miles NNE-SSW and 11 miles wide. Elevations range from roughly 2,600 ft on the southern bajadas to 8,035 ft at Chokecherry Mountain (the range high point). The Kane Springs Wash Caldera (14.5 Ma) underlies much of the southern range. Terrain includes deep sinuous canyons with spectacular cliffs, sandy washes and rocky ridges in the south, rolling desert flats in intervening valleys (Delamar Valley to the west, Kane Springs Valley to the east, Coyote Springs Valley to the south), and steep mountain cores with open high-elevation basins. The Delamar Mountains Wilderness (111,328 acres) covers the southern section of the range (elevations 2,600–6,300 ft within the wilderness boundary).

Unit 241 is nearly entirely BLM land (approximately 99.6% public), administered by the BLM Caliente Field Office (P.O. Box 237, 1400 S. Front St., Caliente NV 89008; 775-251-5250), a sub-office of the Ely District. No National Forest is present. Primary highway access: U.S. Highway 93 traverses the western and northern edge of the unit and crosses Oak Springs Summit (6,243 ft) between Crystal Springs and Caliente; it provides multiple BLM road access points throughout the unit group. State Route 317 (Rainbow Canyon Road) runs along the northeastern margin of the Delamar Mountains between Caliente and Elgin, providing access to the eastern slopes of the range. Internal access: the Delamar power line road crosses the northwest side of the range; the Kane Springs Road heads northeast from US 93 toward Elgin along the southern wilderness boundary. Both are bladed dirt roads. Many unmaintained two-track roads exist throughout the unit and allow OHV travel in non-wilderness areas. The Delamar Mountains Wilderness (111,328 acres in the southern unit) prohibits all motorized and mechanized travel including wheeled game carts — access is by foot or stock only. Nearest full services: Alamo (approx. 15–30 miles northwest), Caliente, Pioche, and Panaca to the north. Dispersed camping is permitted on BLM land (14-day limit, no fee). State parks with camping nearby include Beaver Dam State Park, Kershaw-Ryan State Park, and Echo Canyon State Park.

The unit spans two major ecological zones. The southern portion is Mojave Desert — creosote bush, Joshua trees, various cacti, sandy wash vegetation. The central and northern portions transition to Great Basin high desert — big sagebrush, various bunchgrasses, and pervasive pinyon-juniper woodland on slopes and benches. Pockets of ponderosa pine, quaking aspen, and Gambel oak occur at higher elevations in the upper Delamar massif. Riparian corridors along perennial and intermittent streams support ash, cottonwood, and willow. The Delamar Mountains Wilderness contains sensitive species including the white bearpoppy. Gila monsters (banded) are present at lower elevations.

Mule deer are the primary big game, with the highest densities in the Delamar Mountains. Deer summer in high-elevation basins near reliable water sources; as temperatures cool in late October they migrate to winter range on the northeastern slopes of the Delamar range. Desert bighorn sheep inhabit the Delamar Range and adjacent Pahroc and Hiko ranges; this metapopulation (units 221, 223, and 241 combined) numbered approximately 201 animals in a 2024 aerial survey at 35 rams:100 ewes:28 lambs. Rocky Mountain elk are present in units 241 and 242 combined; the population is small and managed conservatively with limited tags. In 2024, ALW bull success was 100% and 100% of harvested bulls were 6-point or better. Pronghorn share the unit with adjacent units 221–223, with 124 antelope classified in October 2024 at 59 bucks:100 does:34 fawns. Mountain lion are present and preying on ungulates; NDOW conducted predator management (coyote removal) in unit 241 during FY2024. Additional wildlife: bobcat, badger, coyote, prairie falcon, golden eagle, desert tortoise (BLM Area of Critical Environmental Concern), Gila monster, Gambel's quail, chukar, and sage grouse.

1. Tag quotas shown for Mule Deer are RESIDENT Any Legal Weapon (45 tags, 2025-2026 approved). Total quota including NR = 47 ALW, plus 15 res/2 NR archery, 6 res/1 NR muzzleloader. The 40% hunter success rate and 16 reported harvest refer to the resident ALW hunt for unit group 241-245 in 2024. 2. Elk tags (3) are resident antlered archery for units 241-242 combined (2025-2026); resident antlered ALW is also 3 tags; antlerless tags are additional. 3. Pronghorn quota (30 res ALW) applies to unit group 221-223, 241 combined — not unit 241 alone. 4. Bighorn sheep quota (4 tags, unit 241) is resident Any Ram ALW, Nov 20–Jan 1, 2025-2026; 2024 hunt success was 100% per NDOW report. 5. Wilderness acreage: 111,328 acres per BLM/Armchair Explorer (Wikipedia gives 111,066 — different rounding). 6. BLM Caliente Field Office phone corrected to 775-251-5250 per BLM website (draft had 775-726-8100). Caliente FO is a sub-office of the Ely District. 7. NDOW PDF sources cited are authoritative but FlateDecode-compressed and could not be parsed directly by automated fetch; quantitative hunting stats pass through as provided from draft citing these primary sources.