Units 201, 202, 204–208 Mule Deer Hunting, Nevada
Nevada hunt units drawn together · 4,597 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 201, 202, 204–208 is like
Units 201, 202, 204–208 together make up a large, rolling expanse of country with some steeper breaks, running from about 3,900 feet up to about 11,300 feet. Most of the region is gentle to moderate ground. Cover shifts with elevation: lower ground is dominated by shrub and brush with small pockets of grass, meadow and riparian growth, mid elevations stay heavy in shrub and brush with a belt of conifer and pinyon-juniper, and the highest country becomes a mix of shrub and brush with substantial conifer and pinyon-juniper stands. The hunts described below cover these units together as one draw grouping.
About 83 percent of the region is public land under BLM and National Forest management, but ownership does not guarantee easy access — some of that public ground can only be reached by crossing private land. Roughly 9 percent of the region is tribal land, which is closed to public hunting and not open to a state tag, and about 5 percent is a military range that is likewise closed to the public. Private land makes up a small remaining share, around 3.3 percent, and hunting it requires the hunter's own arrangement with the landowner.
Mule deer hunts in Units 201, 202, 204–208 (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 | Nonresidents can apply No draw odds shown | Summer Range / Bachelor Pattern, Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition |
"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.
Some hunts take in these units together with other units, so they have their own guides. Check them too:
Archery · Antlered mule deer (bucks) · August 10 – September 9
Early-season archery hunting here means chasing bucks that are still in velvet and holding to summer patterns through the Summer Range and Bachelor Pattern phase, then adjusting as bucks move into the Velvet Shed and Early Fall Transition phase later in September. Summer scouting and glassing matter more than anything else — deer are often near water, but a mature buck needs very little: a small seep or an occasional rainstorm can be enough. Expect bucks to feed into the morning and then bed in shade for most of the day, so glassing shady draws and north-facing slopes is the way to locate one, then stalking him at midday while he's bedded, or marking him in the evening to return at first light. Once velvet sheds, habits stay much the same, though bucks may bed earlier and stay down later. For resident hunters, this hunt runs very long odds at zero bonus points but turns to fair odds for a hunter holding 5 bonus points in the antlered mule deer category.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 3,900–11,300 ft, typically around 5,900 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 59% gentle · 30% moderate · 11% steep · 0% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~3,824 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 brush78%
- Other cover20%
- Grass and meadow1%
- Riparian1%
Mid elevations
- Shrub and brush87%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper8%
- Other cover4%
Higher elevations
- Shrub and brush65%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper34%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Land & access
About 83% of Units 201, 202, 204–208 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.
- BLM60%
- National Forest23%
- tribal land9%
- military land5%
- Private3%
About 9% of this unit is tribal land, which is closed to public hunting and is not counted as huntable. Your tag does not open it. About 5% is a military range, closed to the public and not counted as huntable.
Private land: permission is the hunter's to get.
Fall weather
- August — highs around 88°F, lows around 53°F
- September — highs around 80°F, lows around 45°F
- October — highs around 67°F, lows around 35°F, about 0 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 54°F, lows around 26°F, about 0.8 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 44°F, lows around 20°F, about 2 in of snowfall
Units 201, 202, 204–208 mule deer hunting FAQ
Can a hunter get a mule deer tag in Units 201, 202, 204–208?
A hunter applies through Nevada's draw for the archery buck season offered across these units, since there is no over-the-counter option for deer here. Residents and nonresidents apply into separate quotas, and success depends on the draw rather than on showing up with a license in hand.
How hard are the hunts to draw, and does it differ for residents and nonresidents?
For the archery buck hunt, a resident with zero bonus points faces very long odds, while a resident holding 5 bonus points in the antlered mule deer category sees those odds improve to fair. Residents and nonresidents are drawn from separate pools, so one pool's odds do not describe the other.
Does Nevada use points, and how do they work here?
Nevada uses bonus points rather than preference points, and a hunter earns one by applying unsuccessfully or by purchasing a point instead of applying in a given year. Points are tracked separately by hunt category — antlered mule deer points are their own total — and a hunter only earns a point if they hold an active hunting or combination license at the time of the draw. Missing two consecutive years of applying in a category causes those points to be lost. 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 here fall in the rut?
None of the seasons offered in Units 201, 202, 204–208 fall during the rut. The archery buck season runs entirely within the Summer Range and Bachelor Pattern phase and the Velvet Shed and Early Fall Transition phase, well before rutting activity begins.
How much of the region is public land, and is any of it closed to a state tag?
About 83 percent of the region is public land managed by the BLM and National Forest Service, though reaching some of it can mean crossing private ground first. Roughly 9 percent is tribal land and about 5 percent is a military range, and both are closed to public hunting regardless of what tag a hunter holds.
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.