Unit 272 (Virgin Mountains, Gold Butte and Iceberg Canyon)
Nevada Hunting Guide — Bighorn Sheep
Unit 272 covers about 807 square miles of northeastern Clark County, from the Virgin Mountains south through the Gold Buttes to Iceberg Canyon above Lake Mead. Desert bighorn hunting runs across BLM land in Gold Butte National Monument and the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and some hunters use boats to reach ground that's hard to walk to.
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Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit 272
Unit 272 covers about 807 square miles of northeastern Clark County, from the Virgin Mountains south through the Gold Buttes to Iceberg Canyon above Lake Mead. Desert bighorn hunting runs across BLM land in Gold Butte National Monument and the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and some hunters use boats to reach ground that's hard to walk to.
Where to Find Desert Bighorn in Unit 272: Bitter Ridge, Iceberg Canyon and the Indian Hills
Bitter Ridge, Iceberg Canyon, Lime and Tramp ridges
NDOW's list for Unit 272 is five places long: Bitter Ridge, Iceberg Canyon, the Indian Hills, and Lime and Tramp ridges. That's where the agency sends ram hunters, and the list covers very different kinds of ground.
From rolling hills to the face of Iceberg Canyon
The unit runs from the Virgin Mountains in the north to the Gold Buttes in the south. Between the ridges you'll find level stretches and rolling hills. At the other end of the scale is the near-vertical face of Iceberg Canyon above Lake Mead, which the sheet calls extremely rugged. GNIS names the Hiller Mountains, the Million Hills and the South Virgin Mountains inside the line, with Jumbo Peak, Mica Peak and Bonelli Peak among the summits.
Two agencies manage the sheep range. Much of it is Bureau of Land Management ground in the Las Vegas District, and since 2016 most of that BLM land has been inside the Gold Butte National Monument, which still allows hunting. The rest is National Park Service land in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. NDOW's sheet doesn't describe water use or seasonal movement here, so the five named ridges and canyons are its whole guide. Mark them before you go and decide which ones you'll reach by road and which by water.
The ground NDOW draws for this tag
A bighorn sheep tag for this group is good in unit 272, about 807 square miles measured on NDOW's own boundary, in Clark County. The named ranges inside the line are Hiller Mountains, Indian Hills, Million Hills, South Virgin Mountains and Virgin Mountains. The highest named points are Virgin Peak (8,051 ft), Jumbo Peak (5,740 ft) and Mica Peak (5,723 ft), and the lowest named ground sits near 1,081 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 38 springs inside it, Granite Spring, Cabin Spring, Summit Spring and Government Spring among them.
Unit 272 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 1,203–4,367 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 2,766 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 807.4 sq mi inside the boundary. Big enough that picking one drainage beats driving three.
Water on the ground
- 47 tanks
- 46 springs
- 2,171 stream segments
- 5 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: Virgin Peak Ridge (8,051 ft), Virgin Mountains (8,034 ft), Cabin Canyon Spur (6,821 ft), Jumbo Peak (5,740 ft)
Holding ground: Whitney Pass (4,861 ft), Cow Canyon (4,664 ft), Pierson Gap (4,594 ft), Hen Spring, Government 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 in Unit 272: roads, boats and two wilderness areas
Bighorn Sheep Success Rates
Any ram, any legal weapon: 0 of 1 hunters afield (0%). 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) | 1 | 73 | 1.4% | — |
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: 73 demand for 1 tag, a 1.4% 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 272 cover?
What was hunter success for bighorn sheep on units 272 in 2025?
How hard is the bighorn sheep draw for units 272?
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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, 272 — 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 272, 807 square miles · accessed 2026-10-25
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the group — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Hiller Mountains, Indian Hills, Million Hills, Virgin Peak 8,051 ft, Jumbo Peak 5,740 ft · accessed 2026-10-25