Unit 043, 044, 046 (Humboldt, East and Sonoma Ranges)
Nevada Hunting Guide — Mule Deer
Units 043, 044, 046 cover about 2,414 square miles of Pershing, Humboldt and Churchill counties east of Interstate 80, taking in the Humboldt Range, the East Range and the Sonoma Range. NDOW rates Unit 046 the best for deer and Unit 043 next, but the herd is declining, and four-wheel drive plus hiking is the norm.
Build your own PDF hunt guide for Unit 043, 044, 046
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Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 043, 044, 046
Units 043, 044, 046 cover about 2,414 square miles of Pershing, Humboldt and Churchill counties east of Interstate 80, taking in the Humboldt Range, the East Range and the Sonoma Range. NDOW rates Unit 046 the best for deer and Unit 043 next, but the herd is declining, and four-wheel drive plus hiking is the norm.
Where to Find Mule Deer in Units 043, 044, 046: Sonoma, Humboldt and East Range canyons
Sonoma Range canyons in Unit 046
NDOW thinks deer densities are highest in Unit 046, the Sonoma Range. Its list there: Kluncy, Harmony, Water, Thomas, Sonoma and Elbow canyons, the area around Sonoma Peak, and Lake and Pole Creek.
Humboldt Range canyons in Unit 043
Unit 043 comes next. In the Humboldt Range the sheet names Indian Canyon, Cottonwood Canyon, the Unionville area, Coyote Canyon south to Star Canyon, and Santa Clara, Prince Royal, Humboldt, Eldorado and Rocky canyons.
The East Range in Unit 044
Unit 044 carries fewer deer, about the same density as Unit 045. For the East Range, NDOW lists Rose Creek Mountain, Raspberry Creek, Dun Glen Peak and Canyon, Inskip and Leach canyons, Willow Creek, Table Mountain, French Boy Canyon, Organ Peak and Rockhill Mountain.
Temper your expectations. The deer population across these units continues to decline, and the sheet warns hunters they may have a hard time finding deer. With three ranges on one tag, the sheet's density ranking is the best guide to where to start: the Sonoma Range first, then the Humboldt Range.
The ground NDOW draws for this tag
A mule deer tag for this group is good in units 043, 044 and 046, about 2,414 square miles measured on NDOW's own boundary, in Pershing County, Humboldt County and Churchill County. The named ranges inside the line are Humboldt Range, East Range, West Humboldt Range, Goldbanks Hills, Granite Hills and Sonoma Range. The highest named points are Star Peak (9,822 ft), Sonoma Peak (9,336 ft) and Van Zant Peak (9,258 ft), and the lowest named ground sits near 3,891 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 58 springs inside it, Summit Spring, McElhany Spring, Black Knob Spring and Giants Grave Spring among them.
Unit 043, 044, 046 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
Named features inside the unit
Glass from: Sonoma Peak (9,336 ft), Van Zant Peak (9,258 ft), Indian Peak (8,919 ft), Granite Mountain (8,384 ft)
Holding ground: Fourth of July Flat (7,520 ft), Clear Valley (6,965 ft), Weaver Saddle (6,810 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 Mule Deer in Units 043, 044, 046: four-wheel drive, hiking and trout streams
Mule Deer Success Rates
Antlered, any legal weapon: 55 of 70 hunters afield (79%); Antlered, archery: 8 of 49 hunters afield (16%); Junior, seasonal weapon restriction: 17 of 24 hunters afield (71%); Antlered, muzzleloader: 11 of 20 hunters afield (55%). Figures are NDOW's own, from its 2025 Big Game Hunt Data.
Mule Deer Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts (n/p) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle — Mid Season bull/buck only (resident) | 70 | 594 | 11.8% | — |
| Rifle — Mid Season bull/buck only (nonresident) | 5 | 98 | 5.1% | — |
| Rifle — Limited Entry either sex (resident) | 25 | 60 | 41.7% | — |
| Rifle — Early Season either sex (resident) | 25 | 65 | 38.5% | — |
| Archery — Early Season bull/buck only (resident) | 50 | 53 | 94.3% | — |
| Archery — Early Season bull/buck only (nonresident) | 5 | 20 | 25.0% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Early Season bull/buck only (resident) | 20 | 38 | 52.6% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Early Season bull/buck only (nonresident) | 2 | 5 | 40.0% | — |
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.
- Antlered, any legal weapon — Residents: 594 demand for 70 tags, a 11.8% draw rate; Nonresidents: 98 demand for 5 tags, a 5.1% draw rate.
- Antlered, archery — Residents: 53 demand for 50 tags, a 94.3% draw rate; Nonresidents: 20 demand for 5 tags, a 25.0% draw rate.
- Junior, seasonal weapon restriction — Residents: 65 demand for 25 tags, a 38.5% draw rate.
- Antlered, muzzleloader — Residents: 38 demand for 20 tags, a 52.6% draw rate; Nonresidents: 5 demand for 2 tags, a 40.0% draw rate.
- Guided antlered, any legal weapon — Nonresidents: 4 demand for 3 tags, a 75.0% 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 mule deer tag for 043, 044, 046 cover?
What was hunter success for mule deer on units 043, 044, 046 in 2025?
How hard is the mule deer draw for units 043, 044, 046?
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Every fact on this page is tied to a primary source below. Last fact-checked 2026-10-25.
- Hunt Information Sheet — Mule deer, 043-046 — 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 043, 044, 046, 2,414 square miles · accessed 2026-10-25
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the group — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Humboldt Range, East Range, West Humboldt Range, Star Peak 9,822 ft, Sonoma Peak 9,336 ft · accessed 2026-10-25