Unit 066 (Owyhee Desert and the Snowstorm Mountains)
Nevada Hunting Guide — Antelope
Unit 066 covers about 1,896 square miles of Elko and Humboldt counties, from the Owyhee Desert to the Snowstorm Mountains. NDOW's pronghorn sheet describes mostly flat desert and bench country between 5,000 and 7,000 feet, where antelope stay close to lake beds and guzzlers. Access is good, but the country is isolated, rocky and a long way from any town.
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Antelope Hunting in Unit 066
Unit 066 covers about 1,896 square miles of Elko and Humboldt counties, from the Owyhee Desert to the Snowstorm Mountains. NDOW's pronghorn sheet describes mostly flat desert and bench country between 5,000 and 7,000 feet, where antelope stay close to lake beds and guzzlers. Access is good, but the country is isolated, rocky and a long way from any town.
Where to Find Pronghorn in Unit 066: Owyhee Desert Lake Beds and the Snowstorm Benches
Lake beds and guzzlers on the Owyhee Desert
Across the Owyhee Desert, most antelope are found near lake beds. NDOW names Silver Lake, Desert Ranch Reservoir and Button Lake. Many wildlife water developments, known as guzzlers, are scattered across the desert too, and antelope use them; NDOW sells an atlas of its water developments. The biologist's rule is simple: make distance to water a key factor when you choose where to hunt. Antelope use the grasslands next to lake beds and guzzlers, along with the cover of taller brush.
Much of the desert burned in the 2018 South Sugarloaf Fire, which turned brush into broad grassland. Where invasive annuals haven't taken over, more perennial grass may mean more feed, though drought can cancel those gains.
The Snowstorm Mountains and the YP Desert
In the Snowstorm Mountains, antelope live on both sides of the South Fork of the Little Humboldt River, mostly in bench country but often higher. East of the Owyhee River, the YP Desert around Josephine Reservoir has a reputation for a quality hunt. It's harder to reach because of private land and the Duck Valley Indian Reservation boundary, and reservation land is closed to hunting.
The ground NDOW draws for this tag
A pronghorn tag for this group is good in unit 066, about 1,896 square miles measured on NDOW's own boundary, in Elko County and Humboldt County. The one named range inside the line is Snowstorm Mountains. The highest named points are Kelly Creek Mountain (8,400 ft), Jake Creek Mountain (8,382 ft) and Snowstorm Mountain (7,727 ft), and the lowest named ground sits near 4,821 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 16 springs inside it, Meyers Spring, Kelly Creek Spring, Thousand Springs and Castle Spring among them.
Unit 066 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 5,169–6,898 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 5,563 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 1,896.4 sq mi inside the boundary. Big enough that picking one drainage beats driving three.
Water on the ground
- 34 tanks
- 43 springs
- 142 stream segments
- 19 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: Kelly Creek Mountain (8,400 ft), Jake Creek Mountain (8,382 ft), Snowstorm Mountain (7,727 ft), Castle Ridge (7,250 ft)
Holding ground: First Creek Basin (5,858 ft), Button Lake (5,424 ft), Dobe Doc (5,376 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 Pronghorn in Unit 066: Highway 226, the Midas-Tuscarora Road and the Petan Ranch
Antelope Success Rates
Horns longer than ears, any legal weapon: 26 of 30 hunters afield (87%); Horns shorter than ears, any legal weapon: 7 of 9 hunters afield (78%); Horns longer than ears, archery: 0 of 4 hunters afield (0%); Horns longer than ears, muzzleloader: 1 of 2 hunters afield (50%). Figures are NDOW's own, from its 2025 Big Game Hunt Data.
Antelope Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts (n/p) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle — Early Season buck only (resident) | 30 | 204 | 14.7% | — |
| Rifle — Early Season buck only (nonresident) | 3 | 105 | 2.9% | — |
| Rifle — Early Season doe/fawn (resident) | 10 | 140 | 7.1% | — |
| Archery — Early Season buck only (resident) | 4 | 6 | 66.7% | — |
| Archery — Early Season buck only (nonresident) | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Early Season buck only (resident) | 2 | 3 | 66.7% | — |
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.
- Horns longer than ears, any legal weapon — Residents: 204 demand for 30 tags, a 14.7% draw rate; Nonresidents: 105 demand for 3 tags, a 2.9% draw rate.
- Horns shorter than ears, any legal weapon — Residents: 140 demand for 10 tags, a 7.1% draw rate.
- Horns longer than ears, archery — Residents: 6 demand for 4 tags, a 66.7% draw rate.
- Horns longer than ears, muzzleloader — Residents: 3 demand for 2 tags, a 66.7% 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 pronghorn tag for 066 cover?
What was hunter success for pronghorn on units 066 in 2025?
How hard is the pronghorn draw for units 066?
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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 — Pronghorn antelope, 066 — 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 066, 1,896 square miles · accessed 2026-10-25
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the group — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Snowstorm Mountains, Kelly Creek Mountain 8,400 ft, Jake Creek Mountain 8,382 ft · accessed 2026-10-25