Unit 253 (Bare Mountain and the Bullfrog Hills)
Nevada Hunting Guide — Bighorn Sheep
Unit 253 sits in southern Nye County near Beatty, about 700 square miles that NDOW describes as essentially Bare Mountain. The ground runs from level bajada to steep, rocky canyons and broken ledges. The BLM manages most of the occupied sheep habitat, NDOW rates hunter access on the mountain as very good, and camping is primitive.
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Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit 253
Unit 253 sits in southern Nye County near Beatty, about 700 square miles that NDOW describes as essentially Bare Mountain. The ground runs from level bajada to steep, rocky canyons and broken ledges. The BLM manages most of the occupied sheep habitat, NDOW rates hunter access on the mountain as very good, and camping is primitive.
Where to Find Desert Bighorn Sheep in Unit 253: Meiklejohn Peak, Tarantula and Chuckwalla Canyons
Meiklejohn Peak, Tarantula Canyon and Chuckwalla Canyon
NDOW's sheet for Unit 253 is short, and its hunting advice comes down to three names on Bare Mountain: Meiklejohn Peak, Tarantula Canyon and Chuckwalla Canyon. Start there. The sheet treats the unit as Bare Mountain itself, so the sheep country NDOW describes is one mountain block rather than a string of separate ranges. On Bare Mountain the ground climbs from about 3,280 feet to 6,319 feet.
Bajada below, ledges above
The sheet describes terrain that changes fast. Fairly level, unbroken bajada gives way to steep rocky canyons and broken ledges, and the three areas NDOW names sit in that broken country. The bajada is where you'll walk in and glass from; the canyons and ledges are where you'll climb.
The Bullfrog Hills also fall inside the unit line, as the data below shows, but NDOW's sheet names no hunting areas there and says nothing about sheep in them. Treat Meiklejohn Peak and the two canyons as the plan, and anything beyond them as country you'd be scouting on your own. A sheet this brief is a reason to spend time on maps and on the ground before the season, not a sign the hunt is simple.
The ground NDOW draws for this tag
A bighorn sheep tag for this group is good in unit 253, about 708 square miles measured on NDOW's own boundary, in Nye County. The one named range inside the line is Bullfrog Hills. The highest named points are Bare Mountain (6,240 ft), Bare Mountain Peak (6,024 ft) and Sawtooth Mountain (5,955 ft), and the lowest named ground sits near 2,412 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 16 springs inside it, Revert Springs, Upper Indian Spring, Specie Spring and Buck Spring among them.
Unit 253 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 2,316–4,833 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 3,378 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 707.9 sq mi inside the boundary.
Water on the ground
- 27 tanks
- 74 springs
- 1,196 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: Bare Mountain (6,240 ft), Razorback Ridge (6,056 ft), Sawtooth Mountain (5,955 ft), Meiklejohn Peak (5,918 ft)
Holding ground: Secret Pass (4,936 ft), Prospector Pass (4,713 ft), Tarantula Canyon (3,972 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 253: open access on Bare Mountain
Bighorn Sheep Success Rates
Any ram, any legal weapon: 6 of 6 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) | 5 | 1,019 | 0.5% | — |
| Rifle — Late Season ram only (nonresident) | 1 | 1,088 | 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: 1,019 demand for 5 tags, a 0.5% draw rate; Nonresidents: 1,088 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 253 cover?
What was hunter success for bighorn sheep on units 253 in 2025?
How hard is the bighorn sheep draw for units 253?
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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, 253 — 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 253, 708 square miles · accessed 2026-10-25
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the group — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Bullfrog Hills, Bare Mountain 6,240 ft, Bare Mountain Peak 6,024 ft · accessed 2026-10-25