Unit 161 - 162 (Ralston, Monitor and Big Smoky Valleys)
Nevada Hunting Guide — Pronghorn
Units 161 - 162 cover about 3,400 square miles of Nye, Eureka and Lander counties between US Highway 50 and US Highway 6. Most of the antelope are in Ralston and Monitor valleys, tied to water in August. Big Smoky Valley holds good numbers at each end but more private land, while West Stone Cabin and Little Fish Lake valleys see less pressure.
Build your own PDF hunt guide for Unit 161 - 162
Answer a few questions about your tag, your season and your rig, and the Field Intelligence Report builds a print-ready Nevada Unit 161 - 162 guide around your hunt: three ranked spots with morning, afternoon and evening plays, a day-by-day plan, topo maps with every pin numbered, a camp and access plan, the legal and retrieval rules for this unit, shot discipline, a meat-care and pack-out plan, and a pre-trip checklist. Every coordinate sits on land recorded as public.
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Pronghorn Hunting in Unit 161 - 162
Units 161 - 162 cover about 3,400 square miles of Nye, Eureka and Lander counties between US Highway 50 and US Highway 6. Most of the antelope are in Ralston and Monitor valleys, tied to water in August. Big Smoky Valley holds good numbers at each end but more private land, while West Stone Cabin and Little Fish Lake valleys see less pressure.
Where to Find Pronghorn in Units 161 - 162: Ralston, Monitor and Big Smoky Valleys
Ralston Valley and Monitor Valley
Most antelope in this group are found in Ralston and Monitor valleys. That's NDOW's first answer, and it's where to start.
Big Smoky, West Stone Cabin and Little Fish Lake Valleys
The east side of Big Smoky Valley holds good numbers at its north and south ends. Private land is more common there, though, which makes access harder in places. West Stone Cabin Valley and the west side of Little Fish Lake Valley also hold antelope, and NDOW says they usually see less hunter pressure.
Springs, streams and water developments
In August, antelope here are generally tied to water, though summer rain can let them spread out in some years. In early August that tie is close, and NDOW says drought makes it closer still. Water ranges from perennial streams to small springs and artificial water developments. Small groups also live around scattered springs across the whole group.
The sheet's practical advice is to start with a map that marks water sources. From that you can build a picture of where to look before you drive. In a dry year, give the water most of your attention; in a wet one, be ready to look farther from it.
The ground NDOW draws for this tag
A pronghorn tag for this group is good in units 161 and 162, about 3,393 square miles measured on NDOW's own boundary, in Nye County, Eureka County and Lander County. The named ranges inside the line are Red Mountains, McKinney Mountains, Toquima Range and Monitor Range. The highest named points are South Summit (11,932 ft), North Summit Mount Jefferson (11,808 ft) and Middle Summit Mount Jefferson (11,684 ft), and the lowest named ground sits near 5,451 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 126 springs inside it, Paroni Spring, Flask Spring, Spencer Hot Springs and Studhorse Spring among them.
Unit 161 - 162 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
Named features inside the unit
Glass from: South Summit (11,932 ft), North Summit Mount Jefferson (11,808 ft), Monitor Range (10,885 ft), Shoshone Mountain (10,885 ft)
Holding ground: Danville Pass (10,398 ft), Scuffe Pasture (9,601 ft), Windy Pass (9,264 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 Units 161 - 162: valley roads, wilderness limits and Big Smoky private land
Pronghorn Success Rates
Horns longer than ears, any legal weapon: 16 of 18 hunters afield (89%); Horns longer than ears, archery: 2 of 6 hunters afield (33%); Horns longer than ears, muzzleloader: 1 of 4 hunters afield (25%). Figures are NDOW's own, from its 2025 Big Game Hunt Data.
Pronghorn Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts (n/p) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle — Early Season buck only (resident) | 18 | 431 | 4.2% | — |
| Rifle — Early Season buck only (nonresident) | 2 | 154 | 1.3% | — |
| Archery — Early Season buck only (resident) | 5 | 13 | 38.5% | — |
| Archery — Early Season buck only (nonresident) | 1 | 11 | 9.1% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Early Season buck only (resident) | 5 | 7 | 71.4% | — |
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: 431 demand for 18 tags, a 4.2% draw rate; Nonresidents: 154 demand for 2 tags, a 1.3% draw rate.
- Horns longer than ears, archery — Residents: 13 demand for 5 tags, a 38.5% draw rate; Nonresidents: 11 demand for 1 tag, a 9.1% draw rate.
- Horns longer than ears, muzzleloader — Residents: 7 demand for 5 tags, a 71.4% 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 161 - 162 cover?
What was hunter success for pronghorn on units 161 - 162 in 2025?
How hard is the pronghorn draw for units 161 - 162?
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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 — Pronghorn antelope, 161-162 — 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 161 - 162, 3,393 square miles · accessed 2026-10-25
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the group — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Red Mountains, McKinney Mountains, Toquima Range, South Summit 11,932 ft, North Summit Mount Jefferson 11,808 ft · accessed 2026-10-25