Unit 203 (Mason Valley, Smith Valley and the Carson River)
Nevada Hunting Guide — Mule Deer
Unit 203 covers about 942 square miles of Lyon and Douglas counties near Yerington, where deer live in the farm country of Mason and Smith valleys and along the Carson River near Weeks. NDOW's sheet steers hunters without landowner permission to the Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area. Inside the cultivated valleys and on the WMA, only shotguns and bows are legal.
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Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 203
Unit 203 covers about 942 square miles of Lyon and Douglas counties near Yerington, where deer live in the farm country of Mason and Smith valleys and along the Carson River near Weeks. NDOW's sheet steers hunters without landowner permission to the Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area. Inside the cultivated valleys and on the WMA, only shotguns and bows are legal.
Where to Find Mule Deer in Unit 203: Mason Valley, Smith Valley and the Carson River near Weeks
Farm ground in Mason and Smith valleys
NDOW says Unit 203's deer are distributed through the agricultural areas of Mason and Smith valleys, and along the cultivated and riparian habitat of the Carson River near Weeks. That makes this valley-floor deer hunting, in fields and river bottoms rather than high mountain basins.
Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area first
Much of that ground is private. Without permission from a landowner, NDOW calls the Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area the first choice. It's open to public hunting and covers over 15,480 acres managed for wildlife habitat, a large block of public ground in the middle of the farm country.
The Lahontan State Recreation Area is the other public-land option the sheet names. Some landowners will also allow hunting on their land, so asking is worth the effort if you want to hunt the private fields where deer live too.
Visibility is limited in this country. NDOW refers to dense foliage within the unit, and that's why its safety advice centres on being seen. Keep it in mind when you choose where to set up along the river bottoms, where cover is thickest and other hunters may be close by.
The ground NDOW draws for this tag
A mule deer tag for this group is good in unit 203, about 942 square miles measured on NDOW's own boundary, in Lyon County and Douglas County. The named ranges inside the line are Desert Mountains, Buckskin Range, Fernley Hills and Singatse Range. The highest named points are Artesia (6,908 ft), Mount Wilson (6,773 ft) and Cleaver Peak (6,704 ft), and the lowest named ground sits near 4,014 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 10 springs inside it, Patua Hot Springs, Wabuska Hot Springs, Black Point Spring and Willow Spring among them.
Unit 203 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 4,170–5,634 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 4,747 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 942.2 sq mi inside the boundary. Big enough that picking one drainage beats driving three.
Water on the ground
- 23 tanks
- 22 springs
- 25 stream segments
- 13 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: Artesia (6,908 ft), Singatse Range (6,776 ft), Desert Mountains (6,704 ft), Shamrock Hill (6,543 ft)
Holding ground: Mickey Pass (5,884 ft), Hudson Pass (5,525 ft), Smiths Valley (5,415 ft), Delphi Springs, Ambassador Well
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 203: Shotgun and Bow Rules, the MVWMA and Landowner Permission
Mule Deer Success Rates
Antlered, weapon restriction: 17 of 30 hunters afield (57%); Antlered, archery: 2 of 9 hunters afield (22%); Antlered, archery: 2 of 9 hunters afield (22%); Junior, seasonal weapon restriction: 5 of 6 hunters afield (83%). 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 | 149 | 20.1% | — |
| Rifle — Late Season bull/buck only (nonresident) | 2 | 12 | 16.7% | — |
| Rifle — Limited Entry either sex (resident) | 15 | 27 | 55.6% | — |
| Rifle — Limited Entry antlerless (resident) | 20 | 30 | 66.7% | — |
| Rifle — Early Season either sex (resident) | 7 | 21 | 33.3% | — |
| Archery — Early Season bull/buck only (resident) | 10 | 45 | 22.2% | — |
| Archery — Early Season bull/buck only (nonresident) | 2 | 7 | 28.6% | — |
| Archery — Late Season bull/buck only (resident) | 10 | 24 | 41.7% | — |
| Archery — Late Season bull/buck only (nonresident) | 2 | 12 | 16.7% | — |
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.
- Antlered, weapon restriction — Residents: 149 demand for 30 tags, a 20.1% draw rate; Nonresidents: 12 demand for 2 tags, a 16.7% draw rate.
- Antlered, archery — Residents: 45 demand for 10 tags, a 22.2% draw rate; Nonresidents: 7 demand for 2 tags, a 28.6% draw rate.
- Antlered, archery — Residents: 24 demand for 10 tags, a 41.7% draw rate; Nonresidents: 12 demand for 2 tags, a 16.7% draw rate.
- Junior, seasonal weapon restriction — Residents: 21 demand for 7 tags, a 33.3% draw rate.
- Guided antlered, weapon restriction — Nonresidents: 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 mule deer tag for 203 cover?
What was hunter success for mule deer on units 203 in 2025?
How hard is the mule deer draw for units 203?
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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, 203 — 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 203, 942 square miles · accessed 2026-10-25
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the group — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Desert Mountains, Buckskin Range, Fernley Hills, Artesia 6,908 ft, Mount Wilson 6,773 ft · accessed 2026-10-25