Units 131–134 Mule Deer Hunting, Nevada
Nevada hunt units drawn together · 5,985 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 Units 131–134 is like
Units 131–134 are drawn together for these mule deer hunts, and the country across them is gentle and rolling rather than rugged: the bulk of the ground is gentle terrain with only small slivers of steep or rugged slope, and elevations run from about 3,800 feet up to about 11,500 feet. At lower and mid elevations the land is dominated by shrub and brush, with pockets of grass and meadow, while the highest ground mixes shrub and brush with conifer and pinyon-juniper in roughly equal measure.
Public land covers essentially all of Units 131–134, managed across BLM, National Forest and State Wildlife Management Area ground, but that ownership does not mean access is simple; some of this public land can only be reached by crossing private property, so a hunter should plan routes rather than assume open gates. Two recent fires touch the region: the Broom Canyon fire burned about 8,100 acres in 2024, and the Mount Irish fire burned roughly 6,300 acres in 2025. Both are under 1 percent of the region. Across these seasons the Broom Canyon burn is two to four years out, when a burn can offer some of the best hunting on a unit: it is far easier to glass, and deer use it to feed early in the morning and right before dark, moving in and out of the unburned timber around it. The Mount Irish burn is in its first year, when deer are likely in different places than they were in the summer.
Across the four seasons here, residents and nonresidents are drawn from separate quotas. For a resident holding 5 bonus points, the archery and muzzleloader hunts reach fair odds, while the any-legal-weapon hunts stay long to very long.
Mule deer hunts in Units 131–134 (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: Very long odds 5 points: Fair odds | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Very long odds | Summer Range / Bachelor Pattern, Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition |
| Muzzleloader | September 10 – October 4 | Antlered mule deer (bucks) | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Fair odds | Nonresidents can apply No draw odds shown | Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition, Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase |
| Any legal weapon | October 5 – October 20 | Antlered mule deer (bucks) | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Long odds | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Very long odds | Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase |
| Any legal weapon | October 21 – November 5 | Antlered mule deer (bucks) | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Very long odds | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Very long odds | 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 the archery season bucks are still in velvet and bachelored up on their summer range, feeding heavily on forbs and browse before bedding in shade through the heat of the day; by the back half of the season into early September they have shed velvet but keep similar patterns, often bedding earlier and staying put until after dark. The shrub and brush country here rewards patient glassing at first light to locate a buck and mark his bed, then a midday stalk while he is down, with evening glassing used either to set up a stalk or simply to pattern him for the next morning. A buck that seems to vanish is often still there, tucked into a small crevice or draw nearby. This hunt is archery only for antlered mule deer, and for residents it runs from very long odds at zero bonus points to fair odds with 5 bonus points, while nonresidents face very long odds at both levels.
Muzzleloader · Antlered mule deer (bucks) · September 10 – October 4
By the muzzleloader season bucks have finished shedding velvet and hold to the same bedding and feeding rhythm early on, bedding in shade through the day and feeding at the margins of morning and evening, which keeps glassing shady pockets and north-facing slopes productive. As the season runs into October, though, bucks grow increasingly nocturnal and most are still near where they spent the summer. This is a muzzleloader hunt for antlered mule deer only, and for residents it moves from very long odds at zero bonus points to fair odds with 5 bonus points.
Any legal weapon · Antlered mule deer (bucks) · October 5 – October 20
This any-legal-weapon season falls in the Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase, when bucks become more and more nocturnal and most are still near where they spent the summer. The hunt is open to any legal weapon for antlered mule deer, and odds run long for both pools — residents see very long odds at zero bonus points improving to long odds with 5 bonus points, while nonresidents face very long odds at both levels.
Any legal weapon · Antlered mule deer (bucks) · October 21 – November 5
By the final any-legal-weapon season bucks are still largely nocturnal early on, 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. November averages about 1.2 inches of snowfall with lows near 25°F. This hunt covers any legal weapon for antlered mule deer, and it is the toughest draw of the four — both residents and nonresidents sit at very long odds whether they hold zero or 5 bonus points.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 3,800–11,500 ft, typically around 5,900 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 73% gentle · 20% moderate · 7% steep · 1% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~5,979 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
- Shrub and brush88%
- Other cover9%
- Grass and meadow3%
Mid elevations
- Shrub and brush92%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper5%
- Other cover1%
- Grass and meadow1%
Higher elevations
- Shrub and brush51%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper48%
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 Units 131–134. 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.
- Broom Canyon fire, 2024 — about 8,100 acres in the region.
- Mount Irish fire, 2025 — about 6,300 acres in the region.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 100% of Units 131–134 is public land by ownership — BLM, National Forest and State Wildlife Management Area. Ownership is not the same as legal access: public land can be reachable only across private ground, and some parcels are closed or restricted.
- BLM85%
- National Forest15%
- State Wildlife Management Area<1%
- Private<1%
Private land: permission is the hunter's to get.
Fall weather
- August — highs around 88°F, lows around 54°F
- September — highs around 80°F, lows around 46°F
- October — highs around 67°F, lows around 35°F, about 0.1 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 53°F, lows around 25°F, about 1.2 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 43°F, lows around 18°F, about 2.6 in of snowfall
Units 131–134 mule deer hunting FAQ
How does a hunter get a mule deer tag in Units 131–134?
A hunter applies through Nevada's draw for one of the four mule deer hunts offered across Units 131–134, choosing a season by weapon type and dates. Tags are awarded by the draw rather than sold over the counter, and residents and nonresidents are drawn from separate quotas.
How hard are these hunts to draw, and does it differ for residents and nonresidents?
It differs sharply. Residents see their best chances in the archery and muzzleloader seasons, especially once they hold bonus points, while nonresidents face very long odds at both zero and 5 bonus points on every hunt that lists nonresident odds. The latest any-legal-weapon season is difficult for everyone, resident and nonresident alike, even with bonus points in hand.
Can a nonresident hunt here?
A nonresident can apply for the archery hunt and both any-legal-weapon hunts, which carry nonresident draw odds, though those odds run very long at both zero and 5 bonus points. Nonresidents can also apply for the muzzleloader hunt (September 10 to October 4); no draw odds are shown for it.
Does Nevada have points, and how do they work here?
Nevada uses bonus points rather than preference points, and antlered mule deer points are tracked separately from points for any other hunt category. A point is earned by applying unsuccessfully or by purchasing one in place of applying, but only if the hunter holds an active hunting or combination license at draw time, and points are lost if a hunter skips applying for two years running. 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.
Which seasons fall in the rut, and how much of the region is public land?
None of the four seasons offered in Units 131–134 fall during the rut; all run through summer range, early fall transition, or early migration and staging phases beforehand. Public land covers essentially all of the region's roughly 5,985 square miles, spread across BLM, National Forest and State Wildlife Management Area ownership, though reaching some of it can require crossing private ground first.
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.