Unit 113 (Kern Mountains and Pleasant Valley)
Nevada Hunting Guide — Elk
Unit 113 covers about 673 square miles of White Pine and Juab counties around the Kern Mountains, near the Goshute Indian Reservation. NDOW's sheet is written for the 113 North hunt, which exists to take elk migrating off the reservation, and every 2025 hunt here was for antlerless elk. It's remote country with no paved roads, and winter storms can cut access late in the season.
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Elk Hunting in Unit 113
Unit 113 covers about 673 square miles of White Pine and Juab counties around the Kern Mountains, near the Goshute Indian Reservation. NDOW's sheet is written for the 113 North hunt, which exists to take elk migrating off the reservation, and every 2025 hunt here was for antlerless elk. It's remote country with no paved roads, and winter storms can cut access late in the season.
Where to Find Elk in Unit 113: Sanford Springs, Mormon Canyon and Pleasant Valley
Elk off the Goshute Reservation
NDOW's sheet for this group is written for the 113 North hunt area, and it states the hunt's purpose plainly: it's designed to harvest elk migrating out of the Goshute Indian Reservation. That shapes everything about where elk are. Densities in the unit rise and fall with seasonal migration, and the places that hold elk can see sudden influxes.
Sanford Springs, Mormon Canyon, Rye Grass and Gravel Wash
Four places typically hold elk: Sanford Springs, Mormon Canyon, Rye Grass and Gravel Wash. NDOW says each also has the potential for large influxes as animals move. Those are the first spots to check on any trip.
The Badlands regularly hold small numbers of elk, and late in the year they can carry large wintering groups. Pleasant Valley, north of County Road 35, is where wintering elk are often found. County Road 35 is also the southern boundary of the 113 North hunt area the sheet describes, so check which hunt your tag is for before you work country south of it.
Timing matters on a migration hunt. The early antlerless hunts fall in late September and early October, and the later ones run from early December through January, the stretch when NDOW expects wintering groups.
The ground NDOW draws for this tag
A elk tag for this group is good in unit 113, about 673 square miles measured on NDOW's own boundary, in White Pine County. The named ranges inside the line are Kern Mountains and Red Hills. The highest named points are Tin Springs Mountain (7,448 ft) and Twelvemile Summit (6,607 ft), and the lowest named ground sits near 5,613 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 25 springs inside it, Ayarbe Spring, Chokecherry Springs, Cedar Spring and Mill Spring among them.
Unit 113 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 5,675–9,413 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 6,548 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 672.9 sq mi inside the boundary.
Water on the ground
- 72 springs
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: Kern Mountains (9,623 ft), Tin Springs Mountain (7,448 ft), Red Hills (6,911 ft), Twelvemile Summit (6,607 ft)
Holding ground: Dutchman Summit (7,700 ft), Felt Robison Canyon (7,697 ft), Lunch Valley (7,536 ft), Upper Sanford Springs, Chokecherry 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 Elk in Unit 113: County Roads 31, 32 and 35 and Winter Access
Elk Success Rates
Antlerless, any legal weapon: 7 of 16 hunters afield (44%); Antlerless, any legal weapon (113 North): 1 of 5 hunters afield (20%); Antlerless, any legal weapon: 3 of 7 hunters afield (43%); Antlerless, muzzleloader: 1 of 4 hunters afield (25%). Figures are NDOW's own, from its 2025 Big Game Hunt Data.
Elk Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts (n/p) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle — Early Season antlerless (resident) | 8 | 77 | 10.4% | — |
| Rifle — Early Season antlerless (nonresident) | 1 | 11 | 9.1% | — |
| Rifle — Late Season antlerless (resident) | 16 | 45 | 35.6% | — |
| Rifle — Late Season antlerless (nonresident) | 2 | 13 | 15.4% | — |
| Rifle — Early Season spike only (resident) | 5 | 33 | 15.2% | — |
| Rifle — Late Season spike only (resident) | 5 | 15 | 33.3% | — |
| Archery — Early Season antlerless (resident) | 3 | 9 | 33.3% | — |
| Archery — Early Season antlerless (nonresident) | 1 | 3 | 33.3% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Early Season antlerless (resident) | 4 | 15 | 26.7% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Early Season antlerless (nonresident) | 1 | 1 | 100.0% | — |
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.
- Antlerless, any legal weapon — Residents: 45 demand for 16 tags, a 35.6% draw rate; Nonresidents: 13 demand for 2 tags, a 15.4% draw rate.
- Antlerless, any legal weapon (113 North) — Residents: 49 demand for 9 tags, a 18.4% draw rate; Nonresidents: 7 demand for 1 tag, a 14.3% draw rate.
- Antlerless, any legal weapon — Residents: 77 demand for 8 tags, a 10.4% draw rate; Nonresidents: 11 demand for 1 tag, a 9.1% draw rate.
- Antlerless, muzzleloader — Residents: 15 demand for 4 tags, a 26.7% draw rate; Nonresidents: 1 demand for 1 tag, a 100.0% draw rate.
- Spike, any legal weapon — Residents: 33 demand for 5 tags, a 15.2% draw rate.
- Spike, any legal weapon — Residents: 15 demand for 5 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 elk tag for 113 cover?
What was hunter success for elk on units 113 in 2025?
How hard is the elk draw for units 113?
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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 — Elk, 113 North — 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 113, 673 square miles · accessed 2026-10-25
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the group — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Kern Mountains, Red Hills, Tin Springs Mountain 7,448 ft, Twelvemile Summit 6,607 ft · accessed 2026-10-25