Unit 045 (Tobin Range and Pleasant Valley)
Nevada Hunting Guide — Bighorn Sheep, Mule Deer
Unit 045 is the Tobin Range in Pershing County, about 400 square miles crowned by Mount Tobin. NDOW's sheet sends desert bighorn hunters up a string of west-side canyons and along the crest north of Mount Tobin, reached from Grass Valley Road or Pleasant Valley and then on foot through steep, rocky ground.
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Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit 045
Unit 045 is the Tobin Range in Pershing County, about 400 square miles crowned by Mount Tobin. NDOW's sheet sends desert bighorn hunters up a string of west-side canyons and along the crest north of Mount Tobin, reached from Grass Valley Road or Pleasant Valley and then on foot through steep, rocky ground.
Where to Find Desert Bighorn in Unit 045: the west-side canyons of the Tobin Range
The west face of the Tobin Range, north to south
NDOW shares this sheet with Unit 153 in the Fish Creek Mountains, but its notes for Unit 045 are specific. Read them as a route down the west side of the Tobin Range, starting in the north. Pollard Canyon and Jim Creek come first, then Cottonwood Canyon and Bushee Creek. Rim Peak is next. From Golconda Canyon the list runs south to Miller Basin, and it ends at the Indian Caves, south of Pleasant Valley.
The crest from Mount Tobin to Wood Canyon
Sheep use the high ground too. According to the sheet, bighorns range from Mount Tobin north along the ridge to Wood Canyon, which gives you a second line to work if the west-side canyons come up empty. China Mountain and Needle Peak are other named summits inside the unit, though NDOW doesn't tie sheep to either one.
The sheet says nothing about water or seasonal movement in this range. The canyon list and the ridge are the whole of the agency's guidance, so learn each of those drainages on a map, and the crest that links their heads, before you arrive. Several named roads, including Pollard Canyon Road and Golconda Canyon Road, reach toward the same canyons.
The ground NDOW draws for this tag
A bighorn sheep tag for this group is good in unit 045, about 400 square miles measured on NDOW's own boundary, in Pershing County. The one named range inside the line is Tobin Range. The highest named points are Mount Tobin (9,760 ft), China Mountain (8,828 ft) and Needle Peak (7,670 ft), and the lowest named ground sits near 3,934 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 7 springs inside it, Mud Spring, Upper Cottonwood Spring, Summit Spring and Indian Springs among them.
Unit 045 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 4,367–8,224 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 5,736 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 399.7 sq mi inside the boundary.
Water on the ground
- 149 springs
- 23 stream segments
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: Mount Tobin (9,760 ft), China Mountain (8,828 ft), Needle Peak (7,670 ft), Rim Peak (6,142 ft)
Holding ground: Golconda Pass (5,846 ft), Lee Canyon (5,788 ft), Dry Canyon (5,714 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 Desert Bighorn in Unit 045: Grass Valley Road, McKinney Pass and long hikes
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) | 2 | 160 | 1.3% | — |
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: 160 demand for 2 tags, a 1.3% 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 045 cover?
What was hunter success for bighorn sheep on units 045 in 2025?
How hard is the bighorn sheep draw for units 045?
Which units does a Nevada mule deer tag for 045 cover?
What was hunter success for mule deer on units 045 in 2025?
How hard is the mule deer draw for units 045?
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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 — Desert bighorn sheep, 045, 153 — 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 045, 400 square miles · accessed 2026-10-25
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the group — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Tobin Range, Mount Tobin 9,760 ft, China Mountain 8,828 ft · accessed 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