Unit 014 (Granite Range and Hog Ranch Mountains)

Clear Creek to the south tip above Gerlach

NDOW describes California bighorn scattered throughout the Granite Range, generally at low density, which makes this a challenging unit to hunt. On the lower west side of the range, the sheet's focus runs from Clear Creek south to the tip of the range above Gerlach.

Granite Peak, Buckhorn Peak and the forks of Negro Creek

Up on top of the Granites, NDOW points to the Granite Peak area, the major ridge systems at the upper elevations, the country near Buckhorn Peak, and the several forks of Negro Creek in the northeastern part of the range. GNIS also names Granite Mountain, Fox Mountain and The Banjo among the summits inside the unit, and the Hog Ranch Mountains as a second range.

Water early in the season, the rut later

Early in the season, ram groups and ewe groups keep apart but may water at the same sources, so glassing around water can pay off. NDOW suggests using internet mapping services to locate big game guzzlers. Later on, rams start seeking ewes, with the rut running from late October through mid-November. Those two phases call for different days in the field: water and glassing early, then the ewe groups once the rams start to move.

The ground NDOW draws for this tag

A bighorn sheep tag for this group is good in unit 014, about 499 square miles measured on NDOW's own boundary, in Washoe County. The named ranges inside the line are Granite Range and Hog Ranch Mountains. The highest named points are Granite Mountain (8,979 ft), Granite Peak (8,964 ft) and Fox Mountain (8,177 ft), and the lowest named ground sits near 4,035 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 36 springs inside it, Gerlach Spring, Van Norman Springs, Crutcher Springs and Garden Springs among them.

From Cedarville or Alturas via Highways 299 and 447

Unit 014 sits just north of the town of Gerlach. Coming from Alturas or Cedarville, California, NDOW's route is east on Highway 299 and then south on Highway 447. Roads inside the unit range from high-standard dirt like Highway 34 down to small jeep trails, and the higher roads get extremely rocky. Carry extra gas, spare tires, tire chains and water.

Private land on the southeast side

There's no wilderness in the unit, and overall access to public land is good. The exception is the southeast side off Highway 34, where private land blocks access. Plan any route into that corner with a current land-status map, and get permission before crossing.

Services are thin. Gerlach has limited facilities, and there are no developed campgrounds, so hunters usually camp near tree cover or perennial water close to the ground they're hunting. If you're pulling a trailer or driving an RV, you'll be confined to the better roads along the valley floors and will drive farther each day to reach the sheep. Cedarville, California, is the other town in our data for the unit.

No 2025 draw on this group

NDOW's 2025 Big Game Hunt Data lists no bighorn sheep tag drawn for unit 014. NDOW still publishes a Hunt Information Sheet for the group, which is what the advice above comes from, so check the current year's regulations for whether a hunt is offered before you apply. Nothing on this page should be read as a season or a quota for this year.

Roads in and the nearest towns

The longest named roads through the group are CR 34, CR 447, Powerline Road and Old Camp Canyon Road. Our road inventory counts roughly 40 miles of pavement, 25 of gravel and 83 of high-clearance or four-wheel-drive track. The nearest towns are Gerlach (23 mi) and Cedarville (52 mi), measured from the centre of the closest unit in the group.