Unit 221 - 223 (Egan Range, Schell Creek Range and Fairview Range)
Nevada Hunting Guide — Mule Deer
Units 221 - 223 span about 2,829 square miles of Lincoln and White Pine counties, between U.S. 93 and State Route 318. NDOW's sheet follows the deer from summer basins high in the Schell Creek and Egan ranges down to winter benches in Mule Shoe Valley and the Fairview Range as the season goes on. Three wilderness areas bar mechanized travel, mountain bikes included.
Build your own PDF hunt guide for Unit 221 - 223
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Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 221 - 223
Units 221 - 223 span about 2,829 square miles of Lincoln and White Pine counties, between U.S. 93 and State Route 318. NDOW's sheet follows the deer from summer basins high in the Schell Creek and Egan ranges down to winter benches in Mule Shoe Valley and the Fairview Range as the season goes on. Three wilderness areas bar mechanized travel, mountain bikes included.
Where to Find Mule Deer in Units 221 - 223: the Schell and Egan basins to Mule Shoe Valley
High basins in the Schell Creek and Egan ranges
During archery season, most deer are high in the north part of the group. Many summer in the Schell Creek Range and the Egan Range, usually in basins with reliable water, and they stay up there through the muzzleloader season. If early October stays hot, rifle hunters should keep working the upper Schells and Egans too.
Mule Shoe Valley and the Fairview Range late
Cooler weather and snow push deer lower and start the migration south. By the late rifle season, most wintering deer are on the benches at the south end of the Schell Range, in Mule Shoe Valley and on the lower slopes of the Fairview Range. Deer also show up late in the West Range, the Ely Springs Range and the North Pahroc Range.
Late September and early October can be the hardest stretch. Many deer have started toward winter range but haven't bunched up yet. If the summer range comes up empty on the early rifle hunt, work south and try to catch deer partway through the move. A dry summer keeps them closer to permanent water on summer range, while monsoon rain from late July into mid-August greens things up and spreads them out.
The ground NDOW draws for this tag
A mule deer tag for this group is good in units 221, 222 and 223, about 2,829 square miles measured on NDOW's own boundary, in Lincoln County and White Pine County. The named ranges inside the line are Bristol Range, Black Canyon Range, Fairview Range, Egan Range, Ely Springs Range and North Pahroc Range. The highest named points are Mount Grafton (10,985 ft), Ward Mountain (10,921 ft) and Hamels Peak (10,346 ft), and the lowest named ground sits near 3,924 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 237 springs inside it, Cabin Spring, North Creek Spring, Pahroc Spring and Tex Spring among them.
Unit 221 - 223 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
Named features inside the unit
Glass from: Mount Grafton (10,985 ft), Ward Mountain (10,921 ft), Shingle Peak (9,809 ft), Sawmill Peak (9,437 ft)
Holding ground: Upper Terrace (9,212 ft), Lone Pine Swale (7,899 ft), Dead Bull Canyon (7,796 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 Mule Deer in Units 221 - 223: U.S. 93, State Route 318 and three wilderness areas
Mule Deer Success Rates
Antlered, any legal weapon: 28 of 66 hunters afield (42%); Antlered, archery: 7 of 22 hunters afield (32%); Junior, any legal weapon: 15 of 19 hunters afield (79%); Junior, SWR-Prmtve: 8 of 13 hunters afield (62%). Figures are NDOW's own, from its 2025 Big Game Hunt Data.
Mule Deer Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts (n/p) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle — Mid Season bull/buck only (resident) | 80 | 1,359 | 5.9% | — |
| Rifle — Mid Season bull/buck only (nonresident) | 6 | 741 | 0.8% | — |
| Rifle — Limited Entry either sex (resident) | 35 | 147 | 23.8% | — |
| Rifle — Limited Entry antlerless (resident) | 60 | 232 | 25.9% | — |
| Rifle — Mid Season either sex (resident) | 20 | 89 | 22.5% | — |
| Archery — Early Season bull/buck only (resident) | 25 | 48 | 52.1% | — |
| Archery — Early Season bull/buck only (nonresident) | 3 | 55 | 5.5% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Early Season bull/buck only (resident) | 10 | 35 | 28.6% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Early Season bull/buck only (nonresident) | 1 | 10 | 10.0% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Limited Entry either sex (resident) | 20 | 18 | 100.0% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Early Season either sex (resident) | 15 | 15 | 100.0% | — |
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: 909 demand for 75 tags, a 8.3% draw rate; Nonresidents: 243 demand for 5 tags, a 2.1% draw rate.
- Antlered, archery — Residents: 48 demand for 25 tags, a 52.1% draw rate; Nonresidents: 55 demand for 3 tags, a 5.5% draw rate.
- Junior, any legal weapon — Residents: 89 demand for 20 tags, a 22.5% draw rate.
- Junior, SWR-Prmtve — Residents: 15 demand for 15 tags, a 100.0% draw rate.
- Antlered, muzzleloader — Residents: 35 demand for 10 tags, a 28.6% draw rate; Nonresidents: 10 demand for 1 tag, a 10.0% draw rate.
- Antlered, any legal weapon — Residents: 450 demand for 5 tags, a 1.1% draw rate; Nonresidents: 498 demand for 1 tag, a 0.2% 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 221 - 223 cover?
What was hunter success for mule deer on units 221 - 223 in 2025?
How hard is the mule deer draw for units 221 - 223?
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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 — Mule deer, 221-223 — 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 221 - 223, 2,829 square miles · accessed 2026-10-25
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the group — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Bristol Range, Black Canyon Range, Fairview Range, Mount Grafton 10,985 ft, Ward Mountain 10,921 ft · accessed 2026-10-25