Unit 243 (Meadow Valley Mountains and the Bunker Hills)
Nevada Hunting Guide — Bighorn Sheep
Unit 243 covers about 546 square miles of Lincoln and Clark counties, built around the Meadow Valley Mountains and the Bunker Hills. NDOW's desert bighorn sheet describes a hard hunt: miles of hiking just to reach the range, private land and railroad closures on two sides, and most of the sheep inside the Meadow Valley Range Wilderness, where wheeled carts aren't allowed.
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Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit 243
Unit 243 covers about 546 square miles of Lincoln and Clark counties, built around the Meadow Valley Mountains and the Bunker Hills. NDOW's desert bighorn sheet describes a hard hunt: miles of hiking just to reach the range, private land and railroad closures on two sides, and most of the sheep inside the Meadow Valley Range Wilderness, where wheeled carts aren't allowed.
Where to Find Desert Bighorn Sheep in Unit 243: Hackberry Canyon, Sunflower Mountain and Grapevine Spring
The southwestern half of the Meadow Valley Range
Desert bighorn in Unit 243 are mainly in the southwestern half of the unit, at its higher elevations. They keep to rocky, rugged areas in steep terrain. Most of the places sheep can be found are inside the Meadow Valley Range Wilderness.
Hackberry Canyon, Sunflower Mountain and Grapevine Spring
NDOW names three areas known to hold rams: Hackberry Canyon, Sunflower Mountain and Grapevine Spring. It's careful to add that bighorn can be scattered through the entire range, so treat those as starting points rather than the only places to look.
Water matters in a dry year. During dry conditions, sheep may stay close to reliable sources such as natural springs and wildlife guzzlers. By the hunting season, though, cooler temperatures and fall rain often loosen that tie, and sheep may not be near guzzlers at all. If the area is in a drought cycle and the fall stays dry, NDOW says they may stick close to water right through the winter.
Expect to spend a lot of time behind binoculars and a spotting scope. Some hunters have found sheep by glassing from the Kane Springs Road, but many choose to hike deeper into parts of the range no vehicle can reach.
The ground NDOW draws for this tag
A bighorn sheep tag for this group is good in unit 243, about 546 square miles measured on NDOW's own boundary, in Lincoln County and Clark County. The named ranges inside the line are Bunker Hills and Meadow Valley Mountains. The highest named points are Sunflower Mountain (5,001 ft), and the lowest named ground sits near 2,281 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, Cane Springs, Grapevine Springs, Hackberry Spring and Willow Spring among them.
Unit 243 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 2,235–4,519 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 3,241 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 546 sq mi inside the boundary.
Water on the ground
- 6 tanks
- 25 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: Meadow Valley Mountains (5,752 ft), Sunflower Mountain (5,001 ft), Bunker Hills (4,126 ft)
Holding ground: Leith Canyon (2,943 ft), Vigo Canyon (2,441 ft), Starvation Flat (2,281 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 Desert Bighorn Sheep in Unit 243: Kane Springs Road and the Meadow Valley Range Wilderness
Bighorn Sheep Success Rates
Any ram, any legal weapon: 5 of 5 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) | 4 | 291 | 1.4% | — |
| Rifle — Late Season ram only (nonresident) | 1 | 568 | 0.2% | — |
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: 291 demand for 4 tags, a 1.4% draw rate; Nonresidents: 568 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 bighorn sheep tag for 243 cover?
What was hunter success for bighorn sheep on units 243 in 2025?
How hard is the bighorn sheep draw for units 243?
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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, 243 — 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 243, 546 square miles · accessed 2026-10-25
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the group — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Bunker Hills, Meadow Valley Mountains, Sunflower Mountain 5,001 ft · accessed 2026-10-25