Units 161–164, 171–173 Elk Hunting, Nevada
Nevada hunt units drawn together · 8,655 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 161–164, 171–173 is like
Units 161–164, 171–173 together form a large block of rolling country with some steeper breaks, running from valley floors up into higher benches and slopes. The hunts described below cover these units together as a single draw group. Lower ground is dominated by shrub and brush, mid elevations stay mostly shrub and brush with a growing share of conifer and pinyon-juniper, and the higher country shifts to a near-even mix of conifer and pinyon-juniper and shrub and brush. Most of the ground is gentle to moderate, with only a modest share of steep terrain, so the walking is manageable but still demands sustained foot effort to get away from roads and into elk.
Public land dominates the region, with BLM and National Forest ground making up almost all of it. That said, ownership on a map is not the same as a clean approach: a block of public land here can still sit behind private ground, so access should never be assumed to be straightforward just because the land is technically open to hunting.
Every hunt in this group is a draw hunt, and each applicant can apply by weapon and legal animal, with draw bands given separately for residents and nonresidents and separately for a hunter with no bonus points versus one holding several. Archery and muzzleloader hunts fall inside the rut window, while the two any-legal-weapon hunts in November and early December come after it, when elk are shifting toward wintering ground.
Elk hunts in Units 161–164, 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 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 | September 17 – September 30 | Antlered elk (bulls) | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Very long odds | No points: Very long odds 5 points: Very long odds | Primary Rut |
| 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: 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 right as bulls are finishing up stripping velvet, spanning the pre-rut transition, rut onset, and into the primary rut phase, which makes this the long rut-season option for bow hunters willing to put in the time. Early on, bulls are often still close to the areas where they spent summer, so sitting over water sources or glassing from a vantage for a spot-and-stalk opportunity can pay off in this shrub-and-brush and conifer mix. Only antlered elk (bulls) are legal. Draw odds here run very long for a resident at zero bonus points and long odds with 5 bonus points, while a nonresident faces very long odds at either level, so this is a hunt built around patience in the application process as much as in the field.
Muzzleloader · Antlered elk (bulls) · September 17 – September 30
Muzzleloader season runs entirely inside the primary rut phase, a tight two-week window in late September when bulls are fully engaged in rutting activity across the region's mix of gentle rolling ground and steeper breaks. The terrain's shrub-and-brush lower and mid elevations give way to conifer and pinyon-juniper higher up, offering a range of cover types to work through as a muzzleloader hunter closes distance on a legal bull. Draw odds sit at very long for both residents and nonresidents at zero bonus points and at 5 bonus points.
Any legal weapon · Antlered elk (bulls) · November 6 – November 20
By the time the first November any-legal-weapon season opens, the rut has passed and elk are in the migration transition phase, drifting toward wintering areas and no longer holding in the large, concentrated cow groups seen earlier in the fall. Bulls may begin regrouping into bachelor bands during this stretch, and hunters do best reading current sign along likely travel routes rather than leaning on sign from past seasons alone. Snowfall in November averages around two inches with lows near 24°F, worth watching if accumulation builds. Only antlered elk (bulls) are legal, and draw odds are 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 late November to early December season pushes further into the migration transition phase and into the start of the winter range phase, when bulls may again be found grouped with other bulls and elk are settling into wintering country that often sees repeated use year after year. Early winter weather is heavier here, with November snowfall near two inches and December averaging about 3.3 inches alongside lows around 17°F, conditions that can help concentrate elk into more predictable wintering areas. Hunters willing to use historical sign to narrow a search area, then confirm it with fresh tracks, droppings, or sightings, have the best shot at connecting on a bull. Draw odds for residents run very long at zero bonus points but improve to long odds with 5 bonus points, while nonresidents face very long odds either way.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,600–11,900 ft, typically around 6,700 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 64% gentle · 25% moderate · 10% steep · 0% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~8,603 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 brush93%
- Other cover6%
Mid elevations
- Shrub and brush81%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper18%
Higher elevations
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper55%
- Shrub and brush44%
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 161–164, 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.
- BLM62%
- National Forest37%
- tribal land<1%
- Private<1%
Private land: permission is the hunter's to get.
Fall weather
- August — highs around 84°F, lows around 53°F
- September — highs around 75°F, lows around 45°F
- October — highs around 63°F, lows around 34°F, about 0.1 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 50°F, lows around 24°F, about 2 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 41°F, lows around 17°F, about 3.3 in of snowfall
Units 161–164, 171–173 elk hunting FAQ
How does a hunter get an elk tag in Units 161–164, 171–173?
A hunter applies through Nevada's draw for a specific weapon and legal animal combination, such as archery bull or any-legal-weapon bull, within this unit group. Tags are awarded through the draw rather than sold over the counter, and residents and nonresidents apply against separate quotas for each hunt.
How hard are these hunts to draw, and does it differ for residents and nonresidents?
Draw difficulty is shown in words rather than numbers, ranging from long odds to very long odds depending on the hunt and how many bonus points an applicant holds. Residents generally see somewhat better odds than nonresidents in several of these hunts, though every hunt listed here draws from both pools.
Can a nonresident hunt in this region?
Yes, a nonresident can apply for every elk hunt listed in this unit group, since none of them are marked as closed to nonresident applicants. Nonresident odds are generally longer than resident odds at the same bonus point level, but the opportunity to apply exists across the board.
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, with antlered, antlerless, and spike elk tracked as separate point categories. 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 during the rut, and how much of the region is public land?
The archery season and the muzzleloader season both fall within the rut window, while the two any-legal-weapon seasons in November and December come after it, during the migration toward wintering ground. Public land, managed by the BLM and National Forest, makes up nearly all of the region, though reaching some of it can still require crossing private ground.
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.