Unit 251, Nevada

The unit spans elevation from roughly 4,500 feet on valley floors to 9,399 feet at Kawich Peak, the highest point in the Kawich Range (Nye County, entirely). The Reveille Range reaches 8,812 feet at Reveille Peak. Terrain transitions from broad, flat sagebrush basins and alluvial fans in the valleys to steep, rocky slopes, cliff faces, and high central plateaus in the ranges. The Kawich Range core includes a high plateau area (Bellehelen Lakes) surrounded by rugged canyon country. The Goblin Knobs volcanic tuff formation lies in the northern Reveille Range. The southern portion of the unit is bordered by the restricted Nellis Air Force Range / Nevada Test and Training Range.

The unit is predominantly BLM (Tonopah Field Office jurisdiction for most access questions) with a small percentage of other federal land. US Highway 6 runs along the northern boundary and is the primary paved access corridor; full services are available in Tonopah. Nevada SR-375 (the Extraterrestrial Highway) runs along the eastern boundary; minimal services are available at Rachel on SR-375. Main access roads exist in Stone Cabin Valley and Reveille Valley. Four-wheel-drive and ATV roads penetrate the interior, but rocky terrain requires preparation. The Kawich Wilderness Study Area (54,320 acres, managed by BLM Battle Mountain Field Office) within the Kawich Range restricts all motorized and mechanized vehicle travel; access there is foot or horseback only. No access is permitted south of the Nellis Air Force Range northern and western boundary — this closure is strictly enforced. Notable interior destinations accessible by foot include Bellehelen Lakes, Kawich Peak, Citadel Mountain, Palisade Mesa, Goblin Knobs, and Fang Ridge.

Valley floors and lower slopes support sagebrush scrub and desert shrub communities. Pinyon-juniper woodland dominates the mid-elevation foothill zone; NDOW biologists note thick pinyon-juniper cover throughout much of the Kawich Range, which makes glassing difficult. Mountain mahogany thickets occur at higher elevations, along with open sagebrush basins on high ridges. Small aspen patches appear near perennial water sources. Riparian zones are limited but support the highest wildlife densities; perennial water (Edan Creek, Cottonwood Creek, Bellehelen Lakes, Twin Springs) is scarce and governs wildlife distribution. The Kawich Range hosts the Kawich Range beardtongue, a rare endemic plant.

Pronghorn antelope inhabit the lower valleys and foothills; most antelope in this unit can regularly be found in Stone Cabin and Reveille Valleys, with Ralston and Railroad Valleys holding animals at typically lower densities and hunter pressure. Small localized pronghorn segments are found at scattered spring sources and livestock ponds throughout the unit; in recent years more antelope have been found near pivots near the entrance of the test site and in Stone Cabin Valley. Mule deer occur at low to moderate densities with the greatest densities in Unit 251 compared to units 252-254; the highest reaches of the Kawich Range support the best deer densities near perennial water. Desert bighorn sheep (Nelson subspecies) occur at low densities within unit 251 proper; recommended areas are Goblin Knobs and Fang Ridge in the Reveille Range, plus Citadel Mountain, The Wall, Black Beauty Mesa, and country north of Twin Springs Slough. Elk are present at very low numbers as a depredation population with an objective to drastically reduce numbers; they concentrate near Edan Creek, Cottonwood Creek, Haws Canyon, Bellehelen Lakes, and Kawich Peak. Mountain lions follow mule deer and bighorn sheep prey. Wild horses roam portions of the valleys. Chukar partridge occupy rocky canyon slopes. Pronghorn movements occur between unit 251 and adjacent units and the Nevada Test and Training Range.

1. Kawich Peak elevation corrected to 9,399 ft per Wikipedia (draft had 9,401 ft). 2. Mule deer quota and harvest reflect unit GROUP 251-254; unit 251 holds highest densities in the group. 2025: 15 ALW quota, 15 tags issued, 14 successful (~93% afield success). 3. Pronghorn harvest is 2024 data: 20 quota ALW, 19 hunters, 16 successful = 84% success. 2025 quota confirmed 20 resident ALW per CR25-13. 4. Bighorn sheep quota is for combined group 134+251, confirmed 2 resident ram tags 2025-2026 per CR25-13. Season Nov 20 – Jan 1 confirmed. 5. Elk are strictly depredation (hunt 4102); unit 251 quota confirmed as 5 resident antlered tags, Aug 1 – Jan 1, per CR25-13. 6. The Kawich WSA (54,320 acres) is managed by BLM Battle Mountain Field Office; broader unit access falls under BLM Tonopah Field Office. 7. Pronghorn population estimate of ~450 animals removed — not confirmed in retrieved NDOW sources. 8. A dedicated pronghorn hunt information sheet exists for unit 251 (not the 251-254 group sheet).