Unit 061, 071 (Copper Mountains, Bruneau River and the Wild Horse Range)
Nevada Hunting Guide — Elk
Units 061, 071 cover about 738 square miles of Elko County, reached off Highway 225 north of Elko and bordered in part by Idaho and the Duck Valley Indian Reservation. NDOW's sheet puts summer and fall elk from Copper Mountain to Bearpaw Mountain and Merritt Mountain to Alder Mountain, with winter movement north down the Bruneau River. Roads are many, and NDOW says to walk away from them.
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Elk Hunting in Unit 061, 071
Units 061, 071 cover about 738 square miles of Elko County, reached off Highway 225 north of Elko and bordered in part by Idaho and the Duck Valley Indian Reservation. NDOW's sheet puts summer and fall elk from Copper Mountain to Bearpaw Mountain and Merritt Mountain to Alder Mountain, with winter movement north down the Bruneau River. Roads are many, and NDOW says to walk away from them.
Where to Find Elk in Units 061, 071: Copper Mountain, Merritt Mountain and the Bruneau River
Copper Mountain to Bearpaw Mountain, Merritt Mountain to Alder Mountain
Through summer and fall, elk concentrate in three stretches. Two are in Unit 071: Copper Mountain to Bearpaw Mountain, and Haystack Mountain to Tennessee Mountain. The third is Merritt Mountain to Alder Mountain in Unit 061. In season most elk sit between about 5,500 and 9,000 feet, in country that runs from gentle hills and benches to steep canyons and high peaks. Look in mixed stands of perennial grass, sagebrush, mountain brush, aspen, subalpine fir and mahogany.
South slopes along the Bruneau River once snow builds
Winter pulls elk north, down the Bruneau River drainage and into Idaho. When snow starts to pile up, NDOW points to these areas:
- South slopes along the Bruneau River between Coon Creek and Trail Gulch (Unit 071)
- Bearpaw Mountain to Taylor Creek (Unit 071)
- Scott Table (Unit 071)
- Cat Creek southeast to Big Table (Unit 061)
In the winter months, elk gather in big groups and use more open habitat.
The ground NDOW draws for this tag
A elk tag for this group is good in units 061 and 071, about 738 square miles measured on NDOW's own boundary, in Elko County. The named ranges inside the line are Wild Horse Range, The Mahoganies, Bruneau Range, Buck Creek Mountains, Copper Mountains and Ichabod Range. The highest named points are Copper Mountain (9,887 ft), Silver Mountain (9,107 ft) and Deer Mountain (8,980 ft), and the lowest named ground sits near 4,874 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 37 springs inside it, Henry Spring, Cold Springs, Big Coffeepot Spring and Bull Spring among them.
Unit 061, 071 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
Named features inside the unit
Glass from: Copper Mountain (9,887 ft), Copper Mountains (9,127 ft), Deer Mountain (8,980 ft), Merritt Mountain (8,779 ft)
Holding ground: Bear Creek Meadows (8,554 ft), Salmon Meadow (7,397 ft), Copper Basin (7,392 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 Elk in Units 061, 071: Highway 225, Gold Creek Road and one ridge farther
Elk Success Rates
Antlerless, any legal weapon: 45 of 141 hunters afield (32%); Antlerless, any legal weapon: 22 of 92 hunters afield (24%); Antlerless, archery: 9 of 60 hunters afield (15%); Antlered, archery: 2 of 20 hunters afield (10%). Figures are NDOW's own, from its 2025 Big Game Hunt Data.
Elk Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts (n/p) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle — Mid Season bull/buck only (resident) | 29 | 1,164 | 2.5% | — |
| Rifle — Mid Season bull/buck only (nonresident) | 3 | 599 | 0.5% | — |
| Rifle — Early Season antlerless (resident) | 140 | 2,001 | 7.0% | — |
| Rifle — Early Season antlerless (nonresident) | 19 | 251 | 7.6% | — |
| Rifle — Late Season antlerless (resident) | 95 | 687 | 13.8% | — |
| Rifle — Late Season antlerless (nonresident) | 18 | 112 | 16.1% | — |
| Rifle — Early Season spike only (resident) | 10 | 379 | 2.6% | — |
| Rifle — Late Season spike only (resident) | 10 | 144 | 6.9% | — |
| Archery — Early Season bull/buck only (resident) | 20 | 61 | 32.8% | — |
| Archery — Early Season bull/buck only (nonresident) | 2 | 102 | 2.0% | — |
| Archery — Early Season antlerless (resident) | 65 | 123 | 52.8% | — |
| Archery — Early Season antlerless (nonresident) | 9 | 13 | 69.2% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Early Season bull/buck only (resident) | 4 | 145 | 2.8% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Early Season bull/buck only (nonresident) | 1 | 133 | 0.8% | — |
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.
- Antlerless, any legal weapon — Residents: 2,001 demand for 140 tags, a 7.0% draw rate; Nonresidents: 251 demand for 19 tags, a 7.6% draw rate.
- Antlerless, any legal weapon — Residents: 687 demand for 95 tags, a 13.8% draw rate; Nonresidents: 112 demand for 18 tags, a 16.1% draw rate.
- Antlerless, archery — Residents: 123 demand for 65 tags, a 52.8% draw rate; Nonresidents: 13 demand for 9 tags, a 69.2% draw rate.
- Antlered, archery — Residents: 61 demand for 20 tags, a 32.8% draw rate; Nonresidents: 102 demand for 2 tags, a 2.0% draw rate.
- Antlered, any legal weapon — Residents: 378 demand for 18 tags, a 4.8% draw rate; Nonresidents: 151 demand for 2 tags, a 1.3% draw rate.
- Antlered, any legal weapon — Residents: 786 demand for 11 tags, a 1.4% draw rate; Nonresidents: 448 demand for 1 tag, a 0.2% 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 elk tag for 061, 071 cover?
What was hunter success for elk on units 061, 071 in 2025?
How hard is the elk draw for units 061, 071?
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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 — Elk, 061, 071 — 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 061, 071, 738 square miles · accessed 2026-10-25
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the group — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Wild Horse Range, The Mahoganies, Bruneau Range, Copper Mountain 9,887 ft, Silver Mountain 9,107 ft · accessed 2026-10-25