Unit 268 (Muddy Mountains, White Basin and North Muddy Mountains)
Nevada Hunting Guide — Bighorn Sheep
Unit 268 covers about 778 square miles of Clark County directly northeast of Las Vegas. Its Muddy Mountains hold one of Nevada's largest desert bighorn herds, which NDOW says has escaped the respiratory disease seen across the West. The sheet points to the ridges around White Basin and south of Valley of Fire. Land status is a patchwork, and the Muddy Mountains Wilderness bars vehicles.
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Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit 268
Unit 268 covers about 778 square miles of Clark County directly northeast of Las Vegas. Its Muddy Mountains hold one of Nevada's largest desert bighorn herds, which NDOW says has escaped the respiratory disease seen across the West. The sheet points to the ridges around White Basin and south of Valley of Fire. Land status is a patchwork, and the Muddy Mountains Wilderness bars vehicles.
Where to Find Bighorn Sheep in Unit 268: White Basin, the Muddy Mountains Wilderness and its guzzlers
The ridges around White Basin and Valley of Fire
The Muddy Mountains carry one of the largest desert bighorn herds in the state, and NDOW notes it hasn't been touched by the respiratory problems seen across the West. The bigger groups usually sit on the ridges north and east of White Basin and south of Valley of Fire State Park. Five wildlife guzzlers and natural springs water that country. Sheep numbers thin out as you move west toward Monocline Valley and Buffington Pockets.
Three guzzlers inside the Muddy Mountains Wilderness
The wilderness around Muddy Peak sees fewer people, because it's rugged and its rules limit access. Three guzzlers inside it hold water all year and support small bands of sheep, which is worth knowing if you're willing to walk.
North Muddy Mountains, Weisser Ridge and California Ridge
These outlying areas carry sheep when forage is good. In drought years the herds pull in tight around perennial water, so the dry-year question is a simple one: where is water still running?
Ewe hunters have an extra step. NDOW requires a short identification course, which can be done online, and it has to be finished at least three weeks before you get your tag.
The ground NDOW draws for this tag
A bighorn sheep tag for this group is good in unit 268, about 778 square miles measured on NDOW's own boundary, in Clark County. The named ranges inside the line are Frenchman Range, Dry Lake Range, North Muddy Mountains, Muddy Mountains and Gale Hills. The highest named points are Muddy Peak (5,252 ft), Frenchman Mountain (4,037 ft) and Sunrise Mountain (3,361 ft), and the lowest named ground sits near 1,411 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 7 springs inside it, Muddy Mountain Spring, Gypsum Spring, Crystal Springs and Bitter Spring among them.
Unit 268 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 1,528–3,717 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 2,242 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 777.9 sq mi inside the boundary.
Water on the ground
- 252 tanks
- 10 springs
- 1,224 stream segments
- 8 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: Muddy Peak (5,252 ft), Muddy Mountains (4,406 ft), Frenchman Mountain (4,037 ft), West Longwell Ridge (3,704 ft)
Holding ground: Buffington Pockets (2,751 ft), Monocline Valley (2,655 ft), Fire Alcove (2,432 ft), Bitter Spring, Gypsum 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 Bighorn Sheep in Unit 268: I-15, Northshore Road and the land-status patchwork
Bighorn Sheep Success Rates
Any ewe, any legal weapon: 47 of 86 hunters afield (55%); Any ram, any legal weapon: 28 of 32 hunters afield (88%); Any ram, any legal weapon: 30 of 33 hunters afield (91%); Any ram, archery: 4 of 6 hunters afield (67%). Figures are NDOW's own, from its 2025 Big Game Hunt Data.
Bighorn Sheep Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts (n/p) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle — Mid Season ewe only (resident) | 90 | 2,212 | 4.1% | — |
| Rifle — Mid Season ewe only (nonresident) | 10 | 662 | 1.5% | — |
| Rifle — Late Season ram only (resident) | 60 | 2,585 | 2.3% | — |
| Rifle — Late Season ram only (nonresident) | 6 | 3,477 | 0.2% | — |
| Archery — Winter Season ram only (resident) | 9 | 48 | 18.8% | — |
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 ewe, any legal weapon — Residents: 2,212 demand for 90 tags, a 4.1% draw rate; Nonresidents: 662 demand for 10 tags, a 1.5% draw rate.
- Any ram, any legal weapon — Residents: 2,406 demand for 30 tags, a 1.2% draw rate; Nonresidents: 3,266 demand for 3 tags, a 0.1% draw rate.
- Any ram, any legal weapon — Residents: 179 demand for 30 tags, a 16.8% draw rate; Nonresidents: 211 demand for 3 tags, a 1.4% draw rate.
- Any ram, archery — Residents: 48 demand for 9 tags, a 18.8% 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 268 cover?
What was hunter success for bighorn sheep on units 268 in 2025?
How hard is the bighorn sheep draw for units 268?
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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, 268 — 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 268, 778 square miles · accessed 2026-10-25
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the group — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Frenchman Range, Dry Lake Range, North Muddy Mountains, Muddy Peak 5,252 ft, Frenchman Mountain 4,037 ft · accessed 2026-10-25