Unit 205 (Gabbs Valley Range and Gillis Range)
Nevada Hunting Guide — Bighorn Sheep
Unit 205 covers about 1,300 square miles of Mineral County east of Hawthorne. Its desert bighorns live mainly in two ranges, the Gabbs Valley Range and the Gillis Range, both reached easily from Highway 95 and State Route 361. Two-track roads circle them from every direction, but the hunting itself is a steep, rocky hike from the truck.
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Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit 205
Unit 205 covers about 1,300 square miles of Mineral County east of Hawthorne. Its desert bighorns live mainly in two ranges, the Gabbs Valley Range and the Gillis Range, both reached easily from Highway 95 and State Route 361. Two-track roads circle them from every direction, but the hunting itself is a steep, rocky hike from the truck.
Where to Find Desert Bighorn Sheep in Unit 205: Mt. Ferguson, Rand Ridge and the Paymaster Waters
Gabbs Valley Range: Wildhorse Canyon to Mt. Ferguson
NDOW's first block of country runs from southeast of Wildhorse Canyon east to the area south of Mt. Ferguson. Inside it, the sheet names Chukar Ridge, Paint Rock Canyon, Red Rock Canyon and Rhyolite Pass. North of Wild Horse Canyon there's a second option: Rand Ridge and the Blue Sphinx Mine area. That gives the Gabbs Valley Range two distinct starting points, one on each side of the canyon.
Gillis Range: the Paymaster waters, Sheeps Head and Ryan Canyons
In the Gillis Range, NDOW points to the Lower and Upper Paymaster water development areas, Sheeps Head Canyon, Ryan Canyon and Indian Head Peak. The two Paymaster developments are the only water the sheet names in either range, so they make natural anchors for glassing in the Gillis.
Those two ranges are the primary bighorn country in Unit 205, according to NDOW. Other hills fall inside the unit line, but the sheet doesn't recommend any of them for sheep. Put your scouting time into the named canyons and ridges first, and learn which two-tracks bring you closest to each before the season opens.
The ground NDOW draws for this tag
A bighorn sheep tag for this group is good in unit 205, about 1,295 square miles measured on NDOW's own boundary, in Mineral County. The named ranges inside the line are Terrill Mountains, Koegel Hills, Gabbs Valley Range, Gumdrop Hills, Gillis Range and Agai Pah Hills. The highest named points are Mount Ferguson (8,347 ft), Indian Head Peak (7,321 ft) and Pilot Cone (6,579 ft), and the lowest named ground sits near 3,961 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 30 springs inside it, Whiskey Spring, Greasewood Spring, Benton Spring and Gillis Spring among them.
Unit 205 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 3,981–6,226 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 4,944 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 1,294.6 sq mi inside the boundary. Big enough that picking one drainage beats driving three.
Water on the ground
- 21 tanks
- 46 springs
- 519 stream segments
- 1 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: Gabbs Valley Range (8,358 ft), Gillis Range (7,886 ft), Chukar Ridge (7,478 ft), Indian Head Peak (7,321 ft)
Holding ground: Rhyolite Pass (6,960 ft), Ryan Pass (6,677 ft), Calavada Summit (6,264 ft), Canyon Spring, Double 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 Desert Bighorn Sheep in Unit 205: Highway 95, State Route 361 and two-tracks
Bighorn Sheep Success Rates
Any ram, any legal weapon: 4 of 4 hunters afield (100%). Figures are NDOW's own, from its 2025 Big Game Hunt Data.
Bighorn Sheep Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts (n/p) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle — Late Season ram only (resident) | 3 | 782 | 0.4% | — |
| Rifle — Late Season ram only (nonresident) | 1 | 1,358 | 0.1% | — |
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.
- Any ram, any legal weapon — Residents: 782 demand for 3 tags, a 0.4% draw rate; Nonresidents: 1,358 demand for 1 tag, a 0.1% 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 bighorn sheep tag for 205 cover?
What was hunter success for bighorn sheep on units 205 in 2025?
How hard is the bighorn sheep draw for units 205?
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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 — Desert bighorn sheep, 205 — 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 205, 1,295 square miles · accessed 2026-10-25
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the group — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Terrill Mountains, Koegel Hills, Gabbs Valley Range, Mount Ferguson 8,347 ft, Indian Head Peak 7,321 ft · accessed 2026-10-25