Unit 075 Elk Hunting, Nevada
Nevada hunt unit · 859 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. 5 hunts here have no nonresident tags; a nonresident cannot draw them.
What hunting Unit 075 is like
Unit 075 is gentle and rolling country, with the vast majority of its ground classed as gentle or moderate slope and only a sliver of steep terrain anywhere in the unit. At lower elevations shrub and brush dominates with pockets of grass, meadow and riparian cover; mid and higher elevations stay mostly shrub and brush with more grass and meadow mixed in, and a small amount of conifer and pinyon-juniper and deciduous forest up high. It is largely foot country, and the open, rolling character means a hunter can cover a lot of ground glassing before committing to a stalk.
About 61 percent of the region is public land under BLM and State Wildlife Management Area management, with the remaining 39 percent in private hands. Ownership is not the same as access here: public ground can sit behind private land, so reaching it is not always straightforward, and permission on private ground is on the hunter to arrange. The Oxley fire burned about 11,000 acres (roughly 2 percent of the region) and is in its first year after burning, while the Wildcat fire burned about 6,300 acres (about 1 percent of the region) and sits two to four years out, now offering some of the better glassing and feed in the unit as timber loss opens sightlines and new growth comes in.
Seasons here run from early-August archery through mid-November any-legal-weapon rifle, covering antlerless and antlered elk, each weapon window a separate hunt drawn on its own terms, with bonus points tracked by category: antlered, antlerless and spike each accumulate separately regardless of which weapon season a hunter applies for within that category.
Elk hunts in Unit 075 (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 elk | Resident | Nonresident | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | August 1 – August 24 | Antlerless elk (cows and calves) | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Good odds | No nonresident tags | Late Summer / Velvet, Pre-Rut Transition |
| Archery | August 25 – September 16 | Antlered elk (bulls) | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Long odds | No nonresident tags | Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| Muzzleloader | September 17 – September 26 | Antlerless elk (cows and calves) | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Long odds | No nonresident tags | Primary Rut |
| Any legal weapon | September 27 – October 4 | Antlerless elk (cows and calves) | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Fair odds | No nonresident tags | Primary Rut, Late Rut / Early Post-Rut |
| Muzzleloader | October 5 – October 21 | Antlered elk (bulls) | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Long odds | No nonresident tags | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery |
| Any legal weapon | October 22 – November 5 | Antlered elk (bulls) | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Long odds | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Very long odds | Post-Rut Recovery, Migration Transition |
| Any legal weapon | November 6 – November 20 | Antlered elk (bulls) | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Long odds | Nonresidents can apply No draw odds shown | Migration 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 this unit together with other units, so they have their own guides. Check them too:
Archery · Antlerless elk (cows and calves) · August 1 – August 24
This early-season archery hunt falls in the Late Summer / Velvet and Pre-Rut Transition phases, outside the rut. For residents the draw runs from very long odds at zero bonus points to good odds with 5 bonus points, and there are no nonresident tags for this hunt.
Archery · Antlered elk (bulls) · August 25 – September 16
Archery hunters chasing a bull here work the Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset and Primary Rut phases, and early on bulls are still shedding velvet and holding close to summer ground, so sitting water or glassing for spot-and-stalk opportunities can be effective. The resident draw runs very long odds at zero bonus points, long odds with 5 bonus points, and no nonresident tags are offered.
Muzzleloader · Antlerless elk (cows and calves) · September 17 – September 26
Falling entirely in the Primary Rut phase, this short muzzleloader hunt for cows and calves falls in the rut. The resident draw goes from very long odds at zero bonus points to long odds with 5 bonus points, and nonresidents cannot draw this tag.
Any legal weapon · Antlerless elk (cows and calves) · September 27 – October 4
Spanning the tail of the Primary Rut into the Late Rut / Early Post-Rut phase, this any-legal-weapon antlerless hunt falls in the rut. Residents see odds improve from very long at zero bonus points to fair with 5 bonus points, while nonresidents are not eligible for this hunt.
Muzzleloader · Antlered elk (bulls) · October 5 – October 21
This muzzleloader bull hunt covers the Late Rut / Early Post-Rut and Post-Rut Recovery phases, when mature bulls start pulling away from cow groups to isolate while smaller satellite bulls may linger behind. Bulls coming off the rut can be worn and battered, and they may settle into secluded pockets where feed, bedding and water sit close together, which can make hunting them similar to hunting mule deer. Glassing openings early and late, then walking for fresh sign during the slow hours, pays off. Residents face very long odds at zero bonus points and long odds with 5 bonus points, with no nonresident tags available.
Any legal weapon · Antlered elk (bulls) · October 22 – November 5
Running through Post-Rut Recovery into the Migration Transition phase, this any-legal-weapon rifle hunt finds bulls that may still be settled in secluded areas early, which can make hunting them similar to hunting mule deer, so glassing feeding openings at the edges of daylight and checking for tracks and droppings through the day is the approach. By November, with snowfall averaging around 4.4 inches and lows near 22°F, bulls may regroup into bachelor bunches and elk generally begin drifting toward wintering ground, so fresh sign along that shift is worth more than old sign. Residents run from very long odds at zero bonus points to long odds with 5 bonus points, and nonresidents face very long odds at zero bonus points and very long odds even with 5 bonus points.
Any legal weapon · Antlered elk (bulls) · November 6 – November 20
The latest hunt of the year sits entirely in the Migration Transition phase, with November snowfall averaging about 4.4 inches and lows near 22°F, as elk begin transitioning toward wintering areas. Bulls may form bachelor groups again, and large cow groups may become less concentrated, so hunters should look for current sign rather than relying on sign from past years. Residents see very long odds at zero bonus points improving to long odds with 5 bonus points.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,400–8,800 ft, typically around 6,100 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 72% gentle · 25% moderate · 3% steep · 0% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~521 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 brush83%
- Grass and meadow6%
- Riparian5%
- Other cover5%
Mid elevations
- Shrub and brush90%
- Grass and meadow9%
- Other cover1%
Higher elevations
- Shrub and brush85%
- Grass and meadow12%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper1%
- Deciduous forest1%
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 075. 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.
- Oxley fire, 2026 — about 11,000 acres in the region (2%).
- Wildcat fire, 2022 — about 6,300 acres in the region (1%).
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 61% of Unit 075 is public land by ownership — BLM 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.
- BLM61%
- State Wildlife Management Area<1%
- Private39%
Private land: permission is the hunter's to get.
Fall weather
- August — highs around 84°F, lows around 48°F
- September — highs around 74°F, lows around 40°F
- October — highs around 61°F, lows around 31°F, about 0.2 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 46°F, lows around 22°F, about 4.4 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 37°F, lows around 15°F, about 8.2 in of snowfall
Unit 075 elk hunting FAQ
Can a hunter get an elk tag in Unit 075?
Every elk hunt in Unit 075 is filled through Nevada's draw; there is no over-the-counter option. A hunter applies for a specific weapon and animal combination, such as archery antlerless or any-legal-weapon antlered, and if drawn receives a tag for that hunt's dates.
How hard are the Unit 075 hunts to draw, and does it differ for residents and nonresidents?
Draw difficulty varies by hunt and by bonus points held, running from very long odds at zero bonus points to better odds with 5 bonus points on most hunts. Residents have access to every hunt listed for this unit, while nonresidents can apply for the two any-legal-weapon antlered elk hunts on this page and for the late antlerless hunt that Unit 075 shares with Units 072–074 (it has its own guide); several other hunts carry no nonresident tags at all.
Can a nonresident hunt every season in Unit 075?
No. Nonresidents can apply for the two any-legal-weapon antlered elk (bull) hunts in October and November, and for the late antlerless hunt that Unit 075 shares with Units 072–074, which runs from late November into January and has its own guide with the exact dates. The archery, muzzleloader and early antlerless hunts in this unit carry no nonresident tags.
Does Nevada have bonus points, and how do they work for Unit 075?
Nevada uses bonus points rather than preference points, and antlered, antlerless and spike elk each keep their own separate point tally. A point is earned by applying unsuccessfully or by purchasing one instead of applying, but only 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 in that category for two years running.
Which Unit 075 seasons fall in the rut?
The archery bull hunt (August 25–September 16), the muzzleloader antlerless hunt (September 17–26), the any-legal-weapon antlerless hunt (September 27–October 4), and the muzzleloader bull hunt (October 5–21) all fall within rut-related phases. The August antlerless archery hunt and the two any-legal-weapon bull hunts, which begin October 22 and November 6, fall outside the rut.
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.