Unit 012 (Calico Mountains and High Rock Canyon)
Nevada Hunting Guide — Bighorn Sheep
Unit 012 covers about 1,100 square miles of remote Washoe and Humboldt county country north of Gerlach. California bighorns use the Calico Mountains from Division Peak to Donnelly Peak and the rims and side canyons of High Rock and Little High Rock canyons. Most of the unit is designated wilderness, so anything with wheels stays on the few roads between wilderness areas.
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Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit 012
Unit 012 covers about 1,100 square miles of remote Washoe and Humboldt county country north of Gerlach. California bighorns use the Calico Mountains from Division Peak to Donnelly Peak and the rims and side canyons of High Rock and Little High Rock canyons. Most of the unit is designated wilderness, so anything with wheels stays on the few roads between wilderness areas.
Where to Find California Bighorn Sheep in Unit 012: the Calicos and High Rock Canyon Rims
The Calico Mountains, Division Peak to Donnelly Peak
NDOW names the southern half of Calico Mountain, Box Canyon, and Willow Canyon on the north end of the Calicos as good places to focus. The sheet also suggests spending time glassing the main body of the Calico Mountains from Division Peak north to Donnelly Peak.
High Rock Canyon and its side canyons
The second area is rim country. NDOW lists the rims west and southwest of Chukar Gulch and east of the Buck Spring area, plus Warm Spring Canyon and High Rock and Little High Rock canyons. The eastern rim from McConnel Canyon north to Little High Rock Canyon should hold sheep, and so should Yellow Rock, Pole and Mahogany canyons, which all drain into High Rock Canyon.
Timing changes the approach. Early in the season, rams and ewes run in separate groups but may use the same water, so glassing around water sources can pay off. NDOW suggests using online mapping services to find the big game guzzlers. Later, rams start looking for ewes as the rut begins, from late October through mid-November, which puts the ewe groups back into the picture.
The ground NDOW draws for this tag
A bighorn sheep tag for this group is good in unit 012, about 1,076 square miles measured on NDOW's own boundary, in Washoe County and Humboldt County. The named ranges inside the line are Calico Hills, Division Range, Massacre Range, Little High Rock Mountains and High Rock Canyon Hills. The highest named points are Donnelly Peak (8,525 ft), South Donnelly Peak (7,711 ft) and Sheep Buttes (7,313 ft), and the lowest named ground sits near 3,990 feet. We don't print a land-status split for Nevada groups, because the figures we held didn't come from BLM's surface-management data; check BLM's current map for private parcels before you cross a fence or a cattle guard. GNIS names 65 springs inside it, Butte Spring, Lone Juniper Spring, Lone Spring and Miller and Lux Spring among them.
Unit 012 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 4,087–6,689 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 5,639 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 1,075.7 sq mi inside the boundary. Big enough that picking one drainage beats driving three.
Water on the ground
- 188 tanks
- 96 springs
- 2,727 stream segments
- 13 lakes
Counts from mapping data, so this is how many exist, not how many hold water in a dry year. Sitting water only pays where you find fresh tracks.
Named features inside the unit
Glass from: Donnelly Peak (8,525 ft), South Donnelly Peak (7,711 ft), Sheep Buttes (7,313 ft), Division Peak (7,259 ft)
Holding ground: Black Canyon (6,152 ft), Upper High Rock Canyon (5,939 ft), Fivemile Flat (5,850 ft)
Every one of these was tested against the unit polygon before it went on the map. They are starting points, not agency recommendations.
How to Hunt California Bighorn Sheep in Unit 012: Highway 34, Soldier Meadows Road and wilderness rules
Bighorn Sheep Success Rates
Any ram, any legal weapon: 1 of 2 hunters afield (50%). Figures are NDOW's own, from its 2025 Big Game Hunt Data.
Bighorn Sheep Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts (n/p) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle — Early Season ram only (resident) | 3 | 512 | 0.6% | — |
| Rifle — Early Season ram only (nonresident) | 1 | 1,525 | 0.1% | — |
Data from 2025 draw results. Each row is one residency pool — read the label before the number. This agency publishes no point thresholds, so the Pts column stays blank and these are pool odds, not what a point total draws.
Open in Draw Odds EngineFrom NDOW's 2025 Big Game Hunt Data. Demand is NDOW's count of tags awarded plus first-choice applicants who did not draw; its draw rate is tags over demand.
- Any ram, any legal weapon — Residents: 512 demand for 3 tags, a 0.6% draw rate.
NDOW's hunt data publishes no points-required figure, so none is given here.
Unit Logistics & Expectations
Frequently Asked Questions
Which units does a Nevada bighorn sheep tag for 012 cover?
What was hunter success for bighorn sheep on units 012 in 2025?
How hard is the bighorn sheep draw for units 012?
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Upgrade to Pro — $49/yrSources & Verification
Every fact on this page is tied to a primary source below. Last fact-checked 2026-10-25.
- Hunt Information Sheet — California bighorn sheep, 012 — Nevada Department of Wildlife · supports: Access, Recommended hunting areas, Biologist comments · accessed 2026-10-25
- 2025 Nevada Big Game Hunt Data — Nevada Department of Wildlife · supports: Seasons, quotas and tags issued, Demand and draw rate by residency, Hunters afield, successful hunters and hunter success, Days hunted · accessed 2026-10-25
- NDOW Hunt Unit Boundaries — unit groups (ArcGIS) — Nevada Department of Wildlife · supports: Units 012, 1,076 square miles · accessed 2026-10-25
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the group — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Calico Hills, Division Range, Massacre Range, Donnelly Peak 8,525 ft, South Donnelly Peak 7,711 ft · accessed 2026-10-25