Unit 266, Nevada

Mostly Mojave Desert terrain with rugged, steep volcanic and granitic mountain slopes and rocky ridgelines. Sheer vertical cliffs characterize Black Canyon on the eastern edge; the Eldorado Mountains interior features tight side canyons, dry washes, and bajada slopes. Elevation spans from approximately 700 feet at Lake Mohave up to roughly 3,858 feet at the highest points in the Eldorado Range. Broken decomposed granite in many areas creates unstable footing. The unit's eastern boundary follows the Colorado River/Lake Mohave shoreline.

Unit 266 is accessed via U.S. Highway 95 south from Las Vegas/Henderson and State Route 165 east toward Nelson (approximately 40 miles south of Las Vegas). From Boulder City, Buchanan Boulevard heading east crosses into Lake Mead NRA. A network of NPS roads, BLM two-track roads, and powerline service roads provides good vehicle access throughout most of the unit. Boat access from Lake Mohave is also practical, particularly to reach canyon bottoms otherwise difficult on foot. Key drainages and hunting areas include Boy Scout Canyon, Burro Wash, White Rock Wash, Pipe Spring Canyon, Keyhole Canyon, and Ireteba Peaks. Full services are available in Henderson, Boulder City, and Las Vegas; limited services in Searchlight, NV and Laughlin, NV / Bullhead City, AZ. Backcountry camping is generally permitted on public land; no permit required. Two wilderness areas within or adjacent to the unit prohibit all motorized equipment, mechanized transport, wheeled game carriers, and chainsaws: Black Canyon Wilderness (approximately 17,220 acres, NPS/Lake Mead NRA, along the Colorado River) and Eldorado Wilderness (approximately 31,950 acres, BLM Southern Nevada District, managed partly within Avi Kwa Ame National Monument since 2023). Contact NPS Lake Mead at (702) 293-8908 for rules and regulations inside LMNRA. BLM Southern Nevada District Office: 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV.

Lower elevations (below approximately 2,000 ft) are dominated by creosote bush, white bursage, cactus (prickly pear, cholla), yucca, and desert willow. Mountain mahogany woodlands appear in the higher elevation bands. Riparian corridors along Lake Mohave support desert willow and other wash vegetation. There is no pinyon-juniper, aspen, or alpine vegetation at these latitudes and elevations.

Desert bighorn sheep (Nelson/desert subspecies) are the primary big game species, with rams found concentrated in Boy Scout Canyon and Burro Wash areas, as well as Ireteba Peaks and the rugged faces of the Eldorado Range. Resident mule deer numbers are low throughout the unit, using desert wash and mountain terrain. Mountain lions are present and huntable. The Colorado River and Lake Mohave shoreline provide habitat for migratory and resident waterfowl and other birds. Desert tortoise and Townsend's big-eared bats also inhabit the unit. No elk or pronghorn are present in this far-southern desert unit.

1. Bighorn sheep quota of 3 tags covers units 264, 265, and 266 combined for the primary any-ram season (Hunt 3151, Nov 20-Jan 1), per CR 25-13. The draft cited 2 tags — corrected to 3 per the official quota table. 2. Management ram hunt (Hunt 3171) covers units 262-266 combined, Jan 5-Feb 20, 3 tags (2025 quota). 3. Mule deer ALW resident quota for unit group 261-268 is 30 tags (Nov 5-Nov 30); muzzleloader resident quota is 15 tags (Sept 10-Oct 4); archery quota for this group was not separately enumerated in pages reviewed — tag_quota shown as 45 is ALW+muzz combined pending archery confirmation. Success rate and harvest data not reported at the individual unit level by NDOW for this group. 4. Public land percentage: GoHunt reports 95.1% public land, used here. 5. Mountain lion is huntable OTC in Nevada; no unit-specific data available.