Unit 034 Mule Deer Hunting, Nevada
Nevada hunt unit · 1,416 sq mi
Draw hunts — squared bonus points
Every hunt here is a draw hunt, named by its weapon, what may be taken and its dates. In Nevada's draw an application is given one random number plus extra random numbers equal to its bonus points squared, and tags go to the lowest numbers first, so more bonus points always improve a hunter's chance but never guarantee a tag. Residents and nonresidents have separate quotas.
What hunting Unit 034 is like
Unit 034 is gentle and rolling country, with the vast majority of its ground classed as gentle slope and only a small sliver of moderate to steep terrain. Elevations run from under 4,000 feet up to nearly 8,800 feet, and cover shifts with that climb: mid elevations mix shrub and brush with grass and meadow openings, while higher country is dominated by shrub and brush with only a little grass mixed in.
Public land dominates here, with BLM managing roughly 99 percent of the unit. That said, public ownership does not mean simple access — some of that public ground can only be reached by crossing private land, so a hunter should plan routes carefully rather than assume a direct walk-in. The Bartlett fire burned about 6,100 acres in the unit, a small share of the overall landscape, and across these seasons it is within its first year after the fire, when deer are likely in different places than they were in the summer.
All three deer seasons here are draw hunts for antlered mule deer only, with resident and nonresident tags drawn from separate quotas and odds that improve with accumulated bonus points but are never guaranteed.
Mule deer hunts in Unit 034 (2026-27)
Each row is a hunt, told apart by its weapon, what may be taken and its dates. Draw difficulty is in words from the 2025 draw results: good, fair, long or very long odds, read for a hunter with no bonus points and for one holding 5 bonus points, in each pool. A hunt that covers only part of a unit says so under its name.
| Hunt | Dates | Legal deer | Resident | Nonresident | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | August 10 – September 9 | Antlered mule deer (bucks) | No points: Fair odds 5 points: Good odds | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Good odds | Summer Range / Bachelor Pattern, Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition |
| Muzzleloader | September 10 – October 4 | Antlered mule deer (bucks) | No points: Long odds 5 points: Good odds | Nonresidents can apply No draw odds shown | Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition, Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase |
| Any legal weapon | October 5 – November 5 | Antlered mule deer (bucks) | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Good odds | Nonresidents can apply No draw odds shown | Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase, Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging |
"No nonresident tags" means a nonresident cannot draw that hunt. "No draw odds shown" means that pool has tags for the hunt but too little draw history to put its odds in words. Odds are per application, never a promise, and a hunter with no bonus points can draw. A hunter needs no particular number of points for any hunt.
Archery · Antlered mule deer (bucks) · August 10 – September 9
Early in this season bucks are still working through summer patterns, bachelored up and carrying velvet, before shedding it as the season runs into early September. The gentle, open terrain of Unit 034 rewards a glassing-heavy approach: find a buck at first light, mark where he beds in shade or on a north-facing slope, then make a midday stalk while he's settled, or watch him into dark and return the next morning. A buck that seems to vanish is often still nearby in a small crevice or draw. Resident hunters face fair odds at zero bonus points and good odds with 5 bonus points, while nonresidents face very long odds at zero bonus points and good odds with 5 bonus points.
Muzzleloader · Antlered mule deer (bucks) · September 10 – October 4
This hunt opens with bucks still settling out of velvet and closes as they start trending nocturnal through October, so mornings and evenings are the productive windows. The same glassing-and-stalk routine carries the season: catch a buck feeding into the morning, watch him bed for the day, then close the distance at midday or wait him out until last light. By the tail end of this season most bucks are still holding near the same ground they used through summer, just harder to catch moving in daylight. Resident hunters face long odds at zero bonus points and good odds with 5 bonus points.
Any legal weapon · Antlered mule deer (bucks) · October 5 – November 5
Through October bucks become more and more nocturnal, and toward the end of October deer may begin migrating toward their rutting ground, so glassing the country between where they spent the summer and where they will be during the rut is the approach late in the season. November averages about 0.6 inch of snowfall with lows near 28°F. Resident hunters face very long odds at zero bonus points and good odds with 5 bonus points.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 3,900–8,800 ft, typically around 4,300 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 81% gentle · 15% moderate · 4% steep · 0% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~1,406 sq mi
Habitat & cover
What grows here, by elevation. Each band adds to 100% on its own — these are shares of that band, not of the region.
Lower elevations
- Other cover72%
- Grass and meadow14%
- Shrub and brush14%
Mid elevations
- Shrub and brush61%
- Grass and meadow20%
- Other cover19%
Higher elevations
- Shrub and brush92%
- Grass and meadow7%
- Other cover2%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Recent fires
Wildfires in the last several seasons that burned a meaningful share of Unit 034. Fire perimeters show how much of the region burned, not how hot — and closures change through the year, so check current fire closures and restrictions before you go.
- Bartlett fire, 2025 — about 6,100 acres in the region.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 99% of Unit 034 is public land by ownership — BLM. Ownership is not the same as legal access: public land can be reachable only across private ground, and some parcels are closed or restricted.
- BLM99%
- Private<1%
Private land: permission is the hunter's to get.
Fall weather
- August — highs around 92°F, lows around 55°F
- September — highs around 82°F, lows around 48°F
- October — highs around 68°F, lows around 37°F
- November — highs around 52°F, lows around 28°F, about 0.6 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 42°F, lows around 22°F, about 2.2 in of snowfall
Unit 034 mule deer hunting FAQ
Can a hunter get a mule deer tag in Unit 034?
Yes, but every deer hunt in Unit 034 is awarded through Nevada's draw rather than sold over the counter. A hunter applies for the weapon season of choice — archery, muzzleloader, or any legal weapon — and tags are allocated separately to resident and nonresident applicant pools.
How hard are the Unit 034 mule deer hunts to draw, and does it differ for residents and nonresidents?
It does differ. Resident odds run from fair to very long at zero bonus points depending on the season, improving to good odds for a hunter holding 5 bonus points, while for nonresidents the archery season runs from very long odds at zero bonus points to good odds with 5 bonus points.
Can a nonresident hunt Unit 034?
A nonresident can apply for the archery antlered mule deer hunt in Unit 034. Nonresidents can also apply for the muzzleloader hunt (September 10 to October 4) and the any-legal-weapon hunt (October 5 to November 5); no draw odds are shown for them.
Does Nevada have bonus points and how do they work for this hunt?
Nevada uses bonus points, not preference points, and antlered mule deer points are tracked separately from points held for any other hunt category. In Nevada's draw an application is given one random number plus extra random numbers equal to its bonus points squared, and tags go to the lowest numbers first, so more bonus points always improve a hunter's chance but never guarantee a tag. A point is only credited if the hunter holds an active hunting or combination license at the time of the draw, and points are lost if a hunter skips applying for two years running.
Which Unit 034 seasons fall in the rut, and how much of the region is public land?
None of the three mule deer seasons in Unit 034 — archery, muzzleloader, or any legal weapon — fall during the rut; all run before it. About 99 percent of the unit is public BLM land, though that land is not always simple to reach since some of it borders or is crossed by private ground.
Data sources & methodology
- Nevada Department of Wildlife — 2026 Big Game Application FAQ — how the draw works, how bonus points are earned, squared and lost, and how many hunt choices an application takes
- Nevada Department of Wildlife — 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 big game hunting seasons (Commission Regulation 25-07) — season dates, weapons and legal animals for each group of units
- Nevada Department of Wildlife — Bonus point and application choice trends — the draw results behind the draw-difficulty words
- USGS / MRLC — National Land Cover Database — habitat and cover classes by elevation band
- USGS PAD-US — Protected Areas Database of the United States — land ownership and access
- PRISM Climate Group — 1991–2020 normals — fall weather
- National Interagency Fire Center — wildfire perimeters — recent fires, their size and where they burned
Draw difficulty is a qualitative reading of the modelled chance from the 2025 draw results for each pool, not published odds. Rut phases are borrowed regional timing, not Nevada-specific dates. Land shares are separate, non-overlapping categories. Confirm every rule with the Nevada Department of Wildlife before you apply.