Unit 081 (Delano Mountains and Goose Creek Mountains)
Nevada Hunting Guide — Mule Deer
Unit 081 covers about 662 square miles of Elko County, a remote checkerboard of private and public land reached by gravel roads. NDOW's sheet says resident deer use the whole unit, with the most in its northern two-thirds early, and that more deer move in from Idaho, Utah and the 071 - 079 units. Snow usually covers the ground for the rifle hunt, and hunting generally improves later.
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Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 081
Unit 081 covers about 662 square miles of Elko County, a remote checkerboard of private and public land reached by gravel roads. NDOW's sheet says resident deer use the whole unit, with the most in its northern two-thirds early, and that more deer move in from Idaho, Utah and the 071 - 079 units. Snow usually covers the ground for the rifle hunt, and hunting generally improves later.
Where to Find Mule Deer in Unit 081: the northern two-thirds, the Delanos and Jackson Mine
The northern two-thirds of Unit 081
Resident deer live everywhere in the unit, from low foothills to high peaks. During the archery and muzzleloader seasons, the highest densities are in the northern two-thirds of the unit. A good number of deer also use the Delano Mountain portion, so don't overlook it.
Winter range south toward Jackson Mine
Recent fires have changed how deer use the winter range here. If snow piles up deep, deer may be forced onto the more southern end of the unit, as far south as Jackson Mine.
Deer from Idaho, Utah and the 071 - 079 units
Not every deer you'll see lives here year-round. NDOW says deer move into Unit 081 from Idaho, from Utah and from the 071 - 079 unit group, and that migration in and out of the unit depends on hunting pressure and on the weather. NDOW also says hunting is generally better later in the season.
The 2025 schedule leaned late as well. Besides the August archery hunt, there was a second archery hunt in November and an any-legal-weapon hunt that ran from mid-December into the new year.
The ground NDOW draws for this tag
A mule deer tag for this group is good in unit 081, about 662 square miles measured on NDOW's own boundary, in Elko County. The named ranges inside the line are Delano Mountains and Goose Creek Mountains. The highest named points are Delano Peak (7,812 ft), Round Top (7,687 ft) and White Rock Mountain (7,577 ft), and the lowest named ground sits near 5,083 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 31 springs inside it, Sand Spring, Nile Spring, Buck Spring and Bull Spring among them.
Unit 081 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 4,898–6,569 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 5,828 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 662.2 sq mi inside the boundary.
Water on the ground
- 38 tanks
- 1 springs
- 45 stream segments
- 5 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: Delano Peak (7,812 ft), White Rock Mountain (7,577 ft), Grassy Hill (7,221 ft), Bald Mountain (7,187 ft)
Holding ground: Nevada Gulch (6,338 ft), Wagon Box Pass (6,282 ft), Signboard Pass (6,208 ft), Dairy Valley Springs, Buck Springs
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 Unit 081: checkerboard land, gravel roads and winter conditions
Mule Deer Success Rates
Antlered, any legal weapon: 21 of 31 hunters afield (68%); Junior, any legal weapon: 6 of 7 hunters afield (86%); Antlered, archery: 2 of 4 hunters afield (50%); Antlered, archery: 1 of 5 hunters afield (20%). Figures are NDOW's own, from its 2025 Big Game Hunt Data.
Mule Deer Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts (n/p) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle — Late Season bull/buck only (resident) | 30 | 522 | 5.7% | — |
| Rifle — Late Season bull/buck only (nonresident) | 2 | 746 | 0.3% | — |
| Rifle — Limited Entry either sex (resident) | 15 | 59 | 25.4% | — |
| Rifle — Limited Entry either sex (nonresident) | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
| Rifle — Limited Entry antlerless (resident) | 20 | 134 | 14.9% | — |
| Rifle — Late Season either sex (resident) | 7 | 40 | 17.5% | — |
| Archery — Late Season bull/buck only (resident) | 4 | 31 | 12.9% | — |
| Archery — Late Season bull/buck only (nonresident) | 1 | 77 | 1.3% | — |
| Archery — Early Season bull/buck only (resident) | 4 | 13 | 30.8% | — |
| Archery — Early Season bull/buck only (nonresident) | 1 | 33 | 3.0% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Late Season bull/buck only (resident) | 4 | 135 | 3.0% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Late Season bull/buck only (nonresident) | 1 | 226 | 0.4% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Limited Entry either sex (resident) | 7 | 9 | 77.8% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Late Season either sex (resident) | 2 | 6 | 33.3% | — |
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.
- Antlered, any legal weapon — Residents: 522 demand for 30 tags, a 5.7% draw rate; Nonresidents: 746 demand for 2 tags, a 0.3% draw rate.
- Junior, any legal weapon — Residents: 40 demand for 7 tags, a 17.5% draw rate.
- Antlered, archery — Residents: 13 demand for 4 tags, a 30.8% draw rate; Nonresidents: 33 demand for 1 tag, a 3.0% draw rate.
- Antlered, archery — Residents: 31 demand for 4 tags, a 12.9% draw rate; Nonresidents: 77 demand for 1 tag, a 1.3% draw rate.
- Antlered, muzzleloader — Residents: 135 demand for 4 tags, a 3.0% draw rate; Nonresidents: 226 demand for 1 tag, a 0.4% draw rate.
- Junior, SWR-Prmtve — Residents: 6 demand for 2 tags, a 33.3% 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 mule deer tag for 081 cover?
What was hunter success for mule deer on units 081 in 2025?
How hard is the mule deer draw for units 081?
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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 — Mule deer, 081 — 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 081, 662 square miles · accessed 2026-10-25
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the group — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Delano Mountains, Goose Creek Mountains, Delano Peak 7,812 ft, Round Top 7,687 ft · accessed 2026-10-25