Units 171–173 Mule Deer Hunting, Nevada
Nevada hunt units drawn together · 2,869 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 171–173 is like
Units 171–173 are drawn together by Nevada's wildlife agency, and the hunts below cover these units together as one region. The country is rolling, with some steeper breaks, running from around 4,600 feet up to nearly 11,800 feet, with most of the ground falling in the gentle-to-moderate range and only a small share qualifying as steep or rugged. At lower elevations cover is almost entirely shrub and brush; moving up, conifer and pinyon-juniper mixes in alongside brush, and the highest country is split fairly evenly between conifer and pinyon-juniper and shrub and brush, with a trace of deciduous forest.
Public land dominates the region, with BLM and National Forest ground making up the large majority of the 2,869 square miles total. That said, ownership on a map is not the same as a clean walk-in: pockets of private land can sit between a road and public ground, so access still takes some planning rather than being a given.
Mule deer hunts in Units 171–173 (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: Good odds 5 points: Good odds | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Fair odds | Summer Range / Bachelor Pattern, Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition |
| Muzzleloader | September 10 – October 4 | Antlered mule deer (bucks) | No points: Fair odds 5 points: Good odds | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Good odds | Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition, Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase |
| Any legal weapon | October 5 – October 16 | Antlered mule deer (bucks) | No points: Long odds 5 points: Good odds | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Long odds | Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase |
| Any legal weapon | October 17 – October 30 | Antlered mule deer (bucks) | No points: Long odds 5 points: Good odds | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Long odds | Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase, Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging |
| Any legal weapon | October 31 – November 8 | Antlered mule deer (bucks) | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Long odds | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Very long odds | 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 hunt bucks are still in velvet and holding in small bachelor groups through the summer pattern, then begin the shift of early fall transition as September wears on. Summer scouting pays off here — glassing shady pockets and north-facing slopes in the morning to find a bedded buck, then working a stalk in the middle of the day while he holds tight, is the most consistent approach. Evenings are often better spent watching a buck until dark and returning for him at first light rather than forcing a stalk. Resident hunters face good odds at zero bonus points and good odds with 5 bonus points, while nonresidents face very long odds at zero bonus points that improve to fair odds with 5 bonus points on this antlered buck hunt.
Muzzleloader · Antlered mule deer (bucks) · September 10 – October 4
This hunt opens as bucks are finishing the shed of their velvet and sliding into the early fall transition, then crosses into the stretch where bucks grow steadily more nocturnal and nocturnal buck behavior defines the back half of the season. Early on, the same glassing-and-stalk routine works — find a buck at first light, watch where he beds, and close the distance in daylight while he holds in shade. By late September and into October, most bucks are still near where they summered, though bucks become more and more nocturnal. Resident odds run fair at zero bonus points and good with 5 bonus points, while nonresident odds run very long at zero bonus points and good with 5 bonus points on this antlered buck muzzleloader hunt.
Any legal weapon · Antlered mule deer (bucks) · October 5 – October 16
This any-legal-weapon hunt 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. Resident hunters see long odds at zero bonus points improving to good odds with 5 bonus points, while nonresidents face very long odds at zero bonus points and long odds with 5 bonus points on this any-legal-weapon buck hunt.
Any legal weapon · Antlered mule deer (bucks) · October 17 – October 30
This hunt still opens under the nocturnal buck pattern but crosses into the early pre-rut as migration corridor staging begins, so deer may begin migrating toward their rutting ground, and glassing the country between where they spent the summer and where they will be during the rut is the approach. Resident odds run long at zero bonus points and good with 5 bonus points, while nonresident odds stay very long at zero bonus points and long with 5 bonus points on this antlered buck hunt open to any legal weapon.
Any legal weapon · Antlered mule deer (bucks) · October 31 – November 8
This late hunt falls in the Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging phase, when deer may be migrating toward their rutting ground. November averages about 2.4 inches of snowfall with lows near 25°F. Resident hunters face very long odds at zero bonus points and long odds with 5 bonus points, while nonresidents face very long odds at both zero and 5 bonus points on this any-legal-weapon buck hunt.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,600–11,800 ft, typically around 6,600 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 62% gentle · 24% moderate · 13% steep · 1% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~2,843 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 brush94%
- Other cover6%
Mid elevations
- Shrub and brush73%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper25%
- Other cover2%
Higher elevations
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper50%
- Shrub and brush48%
- Deciduous forest1%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Land & access
About 99% of Units 171–173 is public land by ownership — BLM and National Forest. Ownership is not the same as legal access: public land can be reachable only across private ground, and some parcels are closed or restricted.
- BLM58%
- National Forest41%
- tribal land<1%
- Private<1%
Private land: permission is the hunter's to get.
Fall weather
- August — highs around 84°F, lows around 52°F
- September — highs around 76°F, lows around 44°F
- October — highs around 63°F, lows around 34°F, about 0.2 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 50°F, lows around 25°F, about 2.4 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 41°F, lows around 18°F, about 3.7 in of snowfall
Units 171–173 mule deer hunting FAQ
How does a hunter get a mule deer tag in Units 171–173?
A hunter applies through Nevada's draw for one of the antlered mule deer hunts offered in this region, choosing a season defined by weapon type and dates. Tags are awarded through the draw rather than sold over the counter, and residents and nonresidents apply into separate quotas.
How hard are the hunts to draw, and does it differ for residents and nonresidents?
Yes, residents and nonresidents draw from separate quotas and the odds differ noticeably between them. For residents, archery runs good odds at zero and with 5 bonus points, the muzzleloader hunt fair to good, and the three any-legal-weapon hunts long or very long at zero improving to good or long with 5. Nonresidents start at very long odds on every hunt, reaching fair with 5 on archery, good on the muzzleloader hunt, long on the first two any-legal-weapon hunts and staying very long on the last. The early-November any-legal-weapon hunt is the toughest draw for both pools.
Can a nonresident hunt here?
Yes, nonresidents can apply for every antlered mule deer hunt listed in this region. Odds for nonresidents are generally longer than for residents, especially at zero bonus points, but a nonresident with no points can still be drawn since every application gets at least one entry.
Does Nevada have bonus points and how do they work?
Nevada uses bonus points rather than preference points, and a hunter earns one by applying unsuccessfully or by purchasing a point instead of applying that year. 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. Points are tracked separately for the mule deer category and are lost if a hunter goes two consecutive years without applying in that category.
How much of the region is public land?
Public land, managed by BLM and the National Forest, makes up almost all of this region's roughly 2,869 square miles. Public ownership does not guarantee easy access, since some public ground can only be reached across private land.
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.