Units 111–115 Elk Hunting, Nevada
Nevada hunt units drawn together · 3,341 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 111–115 is like
Units 111–115 are managed together as one group for elk, and the hunts described below cover these units together. The country is rolling, with some steeper breaks, running from around 5,000 feet up to over 12,000 feet at its highest points. At lower elevations it is dominated by shrub and brush with pockets of grass and meadow, while mid elevations mix shrub and brush with conifer and pinyon-juniper, and the higher country turns mostly to conifer and pinyon-juniper with some shrub and brush and grass and meadow mixed in. Most of the ground is gentle to moderate, so it hunts largely on foot with enough steeper breaks to test legs and lungs in spots.
Public land makes up the large majority of the region, roughly 96 percent, managed across BLM, National Forest and State Wildlife Management Area ground. That ownership does not mean easy access, since public parcels can sit behind private ground that controls the routes in. About 3 percent of the region is tribal land, which is closed to public hunting and does not open with a state tag. The Becky Peak fire burned about 5,400 acres here in 2022, a small share of the overall region, and in the seasons covered below that burn is two to four years old, a stage when it can still offer some of the better glassing and feed in the unit.
Every hunt in Units 111–115 is awarded through Nevada's draw, and residents and nonresidents are tracked in separate quotas with their own draw odds for each hunt.
Elk hunts in Units 111–115 (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 25 – September 16 | Antlered elk (bulls) | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Long odds | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Very long odds | Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| Muzzleloader | 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: Very long odds | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Very long odds | Migration Transition |
| Any legal weapon | November 21 – December 4 | Antlered elk (bulls) | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Very long odds | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Very long odds | Migration Transition, Winter Range |
"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 elk (bulls) · August 25 – September 16
Archery season opens while bulls are still shedding velvet and holding close to the ground they used through summer, spanning the Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset and Primary Rut phases. Sitting over water sources or glassing open country for a spot-and-stalk works well before and through the rut's onset. This hunt is for antlered elk only, and draw odds run very long for both residents and nonresidents at zero bonus points, improving to long odds for a resident holding 5 bonus points while nonresidents still face very long odds even then.
Muzzleloader · Antlered elk (bulls) · October 22 – November 5
By the time the muzzleloader hunt opens, bulls are recovering from the rut and settling into secluded pockets where they can meet their needs without moving far, making them behave more like mule deer and harder to catch in the open. Glassing feeding openings early and late, then walking likely ground for tracks and droppings during the slow hours, pays off, and persistence in an area with fresh sign beats moving on too soon. Later in this stretch bulls may regroup into bachelor bunches as the Migration Transition phase begins and animals start drifting toward wintering ground; November brings about 2 inches of snowfall and lows near 24°F, which can hasten that movement. This is an antlered elk hunt, with very long odds for both pools at zero bonus points and a resident's odds improving to long while a nonresident's stay very long even with 5 bonus points.
Any legal weapon · Antlered elk (bulls) · November 6 – November 20
This any-legal-weapon hunt falls entirely in the Migration Transition phase, when bachelor groups of bulls may reform and large groups of cows start to break up and move toward winter range. Fresh sign along travel routes into wintering country is the key, since old sign only points to where elk have been in past years, not where they are now. November's snow, averaging around 2 inches with lows near 24°F, can push that movement along. Draw odds for this antlered elk hunt run very long for both residents and nonresidents, at zero bonus points and at 5 bonus points.
Any legal weapon · Antlered elk (bulls) · November 21 – December 4
The latest any-legal-weapon hunt spans the tail of the Migration Transition phase into the Winter Range phase, when bulls may be grouped with other bulls and wintering areas start seeing the kind of repeated use that carries over year to year. Historical sign can help narrow down where to look, but patience and current tracks, droppings or sightings are what confirm elk are actually there. December adds more snow, around 3.8 inches, with lows near 16°F, on top of November's colder, snowier pattern, both of which can concentrate elk on known winter ground. This antlered elk hunt carries very long draw odds for both residents and nonresidents, even at 5 bonus points.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,000–12,100 ft, typically around 6,800 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 59% gentle · 29% moderate · 11% steep · 1% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~3,209 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 brush92%
- Other cover6%
- Grass and meadow2%
Mid elevations
- Shrub and brush74%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper23%
- Grass and meadow1%
- Other cover1%
Higher elevations
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper67%
- Shrub and brush31%
- Grass and meadow1%
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 111–115. 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.
- Becky Peak fire, 2022 — about 5,400 acres in the region.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 96% of Units 111–115 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.
- BLM77%
- National Forest19%
- State Wildlife Management Area<1%
- tribal land3%
- Private<1%
About 3% of this unit is tribal land, which is closed to public hunting and is not counted as huntable. Your tag does not open it.
Private land: permission is the hunter's to get.
Fall weather
- August — highs around 85°F, lows around 53°F
- September — highs around 76°F, lows around 44°F
- October — highs around 63°F, lows around 33°F, about 0.2 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 49°F, lows around 24°F, about 2 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 40°F, lows around 16°F, about 3.8 in of snowfall
Units 111–115 elk hunting FAQ
How does a hunter get an elk tag in Units 111–115?
A hunter applies through Nevada's draw for one of the antlered elk hunts listed for the region, choosing a weapon and date range to apply for. 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?
Draw odds are described in words rather than numbers, and every hunt listed here runs very long odds for a resident starting with zero bonus points. Nonresidents also face very long odds at zero points, and at 5 bonus points on every hunt listed, while a resident's odds improve to long odds at 5 points on the archery and muzzleloader hunts.
Can a nonresident hunt here?
Yes, a nonresident can apply for and draw any of the antlered elk hunts offered in Units 111–115, since none of them are closed to nonresidents. Nonresidents draw from their own separate quota alongside residents, though their draw odds can differ from a resident's at the same bonus point level.
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, provided they hold an active hunting or combination license at the time of the draw. 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. Antlered, antlerless and spike elk each keep their own separate point tally, and points are lost if a hunter skips applying for that category two years running.
Which seasons here fall in the rut?
The archery hunt running August 25 to September 16 is the one season that falls within the rut, spanning the Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset and Primary Rut phases. The muzzleloader hunt and both any-legal-weapon hunts that follow all occur after the rut, during the Post-Rut Recovery, Migration Transition and Winter Range phases instead.
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.