Unit 201, 204 (Pine Grove Hills, Wellington Hills and Wild Oat Mountain)
Nevada Hunting Guide — Mule Deer
Units 201, 204 cover about 630 square miles of Lyon and Douglas counties and California's Mono County, around Smith Valley and Topaz Lake. Their deer belong to the Walker-Mono Interstate herd, which comes off the Sierra to winter here, and NDOW points late hunters to Wild Oat Mountain, the Wellington Hills and Bald Mountain. The buck ratio is low.
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Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 201, 204
Units 201, 204 cover about 630 square miles of Lyon and Douglas counties and California's Mono County, around Smith Valley and Topaz Lake. Their deer belong to the Walker-Mono Interstate herd, which comes off the Sierra to winter here, and NDOW points late hunters to Wild Oat Mountain, the Wellington Hills and Bald Mountain. The buck ratio is low.
Where to Find Mule Deer in Units 201, 204: Wild Oat Mountain, the Wellington Hills and Bald Mountain
The Walker-Mono Interstate herd
This advice comes from NDOW's sheet for Units 201, 202 and 204 - 208, and only the parts for Units 201 and 204 are used here. The Walker-Mono Interstate mule deer herd lives in this country. When it leaves summer range in the Sierra, it splits into sub-herds according to their traditional wintering areas, and those wintering areas are where hunters find concentrations.
Unit 201: Wild Oat Mountain, Jack Wright Summit and the Wellington Hills
Wild Oat Mountain, north of Topaz Lake, is used only briefly, after intense snowstorms in the neighbouring Sierra. The foothills between Jack Wright Summit and the West Walker River can hold concentrations of migrants on their way to the Pine Nut Range in Unit 291. The east side of the Wellington Hills is often productive late in the season.
Unit 204: Bald Mountain on the Pine Grove Range
In Unit 204, deer are usually found at the high elevations of Bald Mountain on the Pine Grove Range.
Timing is the theme. Wild Oat Mountain depends on a big Sierra storm, the Jack Wright Summit foothills on migrants moving through, and the Wellington Hills on the late season, so match the area to the weather and the date.
The ground NDOW draws for this tag
A mule deer tag for this group is good in units 201 and 204, about 634 square miles measured on NDOW's own boundary, in Lyon County and Douglas County. The named ranges inside the line are Pine Grove Hills, Desert Creek Mountains and Wellington Hills. The highest named points are East Sister (10,391 ft), Bald Mountain (9,523 ft) and Beauty Peak (9,010 ft), and the lowest named ground sits near 4,550 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 28 springs inside it, Pine Grove Spring, Paralde Spring, Booker Hot Spring and Mickey Canyon Spring among them.
Unit 201, 204 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
Named features inside the unit
Glass from: East Sister (10,391 ft), Bald Mountain (9,523 ft), Beauty Peak (9,010 ft), Desert Creek Peak (8,939 ft)
Holding ground: Pine Grove Summit (8,261 ft), Little Smith Valley (7,972 ft), Lobdell Summit (7,876 ft), Beechers Spring, Dead Ox Spring
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 Units 201, 204: rough roads, a low buck ratio and California pressure
Mule Deer Success Rates
Antlered, any legal weapon: 13 of 26 hunters afield (50%); Antlered, archery: 1 of 9 hunters afield (11%); Junior, seasonal weapon restriction: 5 of 8 hunters afield (63%); Antlered, muzzleloader: 3 of 4 hunters afield (75%). 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) | 25 | 346 | 7.2% | — |
| Rifle — Late Season bull/buck only (nonresident) | 1 | 57 | 1.8% | — |
| Rifle — Limited Entry either sex (resident) | 8 | 30 | 26.7% | — |
| Rifle — Limited Entry antlerless (resident) | 7 | 29 | 24.1% | — |
| Rifle — Late Season either sex (resident) | 8 | 29 | 27.6% | — |
| Archery — Late Season bull/buck only (resident) | 8 | 16 | 50.0% | — |
| Archery — Late Season bull/buck only (nonresident) | 1 | 12 | 8.3% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Late Season bull/buck only (resident) | 5 | 18 | 27.8% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Late Season bull/buck only (nonresident) | 1 | 19 | 5.3% | — |
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: 346 demand for 25 tags, a 7.2% draw rate; Nonresidents: 57 demand for 1 tag, a 1.8% draw rate.
- Antlered, archery — Residents: 16 demand for 8 tags, a 50.0% draw rate; Nonresidents: 12 demand for 1 tag, a 8.3% draw rate.
- Junior, seasonal weapon restriction — Residents: 29 demand for 8 tags, a 27.6% draw rate.
- Antlered, muzzleloader — Residents: 18 demand for 5 tags, a 27.8% draw rate; Nonresidents: 19 demand for 1 tag, a 5.3% draw rate.
- Guided antlered, any legal weapon — Nonresidents: 1 demand for 1 tag, a 100.0% 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 201, 204 cover?
What was hunter success for mule deer on units 201, 204 in 2025?
How hard is the mule deer draw for units 201, 204?
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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 — Mule deer, 201,202, 204 - 208 (Early) 201, 204 (Late) 202, 205-208 (Late) — 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 201, 204, 634 square miles · accessed 2026-10-25
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the group — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Pine Grove Hills, Desert Creek Mountains, Wellington Hills, East Sister 10,391 ft, Bald Mountain 9,523 ft · accessed 2026-10-25