Unit 211 (Silver Peak Range and the Volcanic Hills)
Nevada Hunting Guide — Bighorn Sheep
Unit 211 is about 970 square miles of Esmeralda County built around the Silver Peak Range and the Volcanic Hills. NDOW's desert bighorn sheet calls access largely unrestricted, with the terrain itself the main obstacle. The hunt opens in late November, and how dry the fall has been decides whether sheep are still holding near water developments or spread across the range.
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Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit 211
Unit 211 is about 970 square miles of Esmeralda County built around the Silver Peak Range and the Volcanic Hills. NDOW's desert bighorn sheet calls access largely unrestricted, with the terrain itself the main obstacle. The hunt opens in late November, and how dry the fall has been decides whether sheep are still holding near water developments or spread across the range.
Where to Find Desert Bighorn Sheep in Unit 211: Rhyolite Ridge, Icehouse Canyon and the Volcanic Hills
Silver Peak Range: Icehouse Canyon to Mineral Ridge
NDOW's sheet for Unit 211 names five areas in the Silver Peak Range: Icehouse Canyon, Rhyolite Ridge, Nivlock, Emigrant Peak and Mineral Ridge. Mineral Ridge comes with a catch. The mine itself is excluded, so the ridge is on the list but the mine ground isn't. Sheep also turn up in the Coyote Hole and Mud Spring areas.
Several wildlife water developments are scattered through the range, running from the Rhyolite Ridge area to near Emigrant Peak. NDOW rates that stretch as good country even in a fall when sheep aren't tied to water, which makes it a sensible place to begin whatever the weather has done.
The Volcanic Hills and their two water developments
The Volcanic Hills are the other half of the unit's sheep range, and NDOW says many sheep frequently live there. The sheet's tip for them is specific: if conditions stay dry until the season, hunt near the two water developments in the hills.
That dry-or-wet question runs through the whole sheet. A warm, dry autumn can leave sheep still tied to water when the November season arrives, and then the developments in both the Volcanic Hills and the Silver Peak Range are the places to sit and glass. If the fall has turned wet, the broader list of canyons and ridges carries more weight than any single water source.
The ground NDOW draws for this tag
A bighorn sheep tag for this group is good in unit 211, about 970 square miles measured on NDOW's own boundary, in Esmeralda County. The named ranges inside the line are Silver Peak Range and Volcanic Hills. The highest named points are Boundary Peak (13,098 ft), Kennedy Point (10,110 ft) and Mustang Point (9,848 ft), and the lowest named ground sits near 4,673 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, Red Mountain Spring, North Spring, Coyote Spring and Lower Cowcamp Spring among them.
Unit 211 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 4,767–10,312 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 6,215 ft ; peaks can run higher. That spread means you can hunt two seasons in one day — plan clothing for both ends.
- 970.1 sq mi inside the boundary. Big enough that picking one drainage beats driving three.
Water on the ground
- 9 tanks
- 148 springs
- 624 stream segments
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: Boundary Peak (13,098 ft), Mustang Mountain (10,317 ft), Black Mountain (9,700 ft), Buffalo Point (9,636 ft)
Holding ground: Trail Canyon Saddle (10,793 ft), Kennedy Flats (9,779 ft), Post Meadow (7,693 ft), Blind Spring, North 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 211: Open Access, Hard Ground and a Dry-Fall Plan
Bighorn Sheep Success Rates
Any ram, any legal weapon: 3 of 3 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 | 148 | 2.0% | — |
| Rifle — Late Season ram only (nonresident) | 1 | 353 | 0.3% | — |
| Archery — Mid Season ram only (resident) | 1 | 11 | 9.1% | — |
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: 148 demand for 3 tags, a 2.0% 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 bighorn sheep tag for 211 cover?
What was hunter success for bighorn sheep on units 211 in 2025?
How hard is the bighorn sheep draw for units 211?
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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, 211 — 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 211, 970 square miles · accessed 2026-10-25
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the group — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Silver Peak Range, Volcanic Hills, Boundary Peak 13,098 ft, Kennedy Point 10,110 ft · accessed 2026-10-25