Unit 281 (Pintwater Range on the Desert National Wildlife Range)
Nevada Hunting Guide — Bighorn Sheep
Unit 281 is the Pintwater Range, about 268 square miles on the Clark and Lincoln County line, and all of it lies inside the Nevada Test and Training Range. It's a restricted desert bighorn hunt: no scouting before the opener, entry through one gate the day before, and a criminal background check for everyone in the party.
Build your own PDF hunt guide for Unit 281
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Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit 281
Unit 281 is the Pintwater Range, about 268 square miles on the Clark and Lincoln County line, and all of it lies inside the Nevada Test and Training Range. It's a restricted desert bighorn hunt: no scouting before the opener, entry through one gate the day before, and a criminal background check for everyone in the party.
Where to Find Desert Bighorn in Unit 281: Pintwater Cave, Gravel Springs Canyon and Dain Peak
Pintwater Cave to Dain Peak
NDOW's list for the Pintwater Range is short, and on this hunt it's most of what you'll have, because you can't scout the unit ahead of the season. The sheet names four places: Pintwater Cave, Gravel Springs Canyon, the Dejesus Spring area of Indian Canyon, and Dain Peak. Find each of them on a map at home. Your first look at the actual ground comes the day before the opener.
Rolling hills in the north, broken canyons in the south
The range changes from one end to the other. Its north end is fairly level, rolling hills, and that's also where the unit's highest peak stands, over 7,000 feet by NDOW's figure. Through the middle and the south the ground breaks up into ledges and steep, rocky canyons, the country the sheet describes for most of the range. The lowest ground sits around 3,400 feet.
The Pintwater is co-managed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the Desert National Wildlife Range, and the whole of it falls inside the Department of Defense's restricted South Range. NDOW's sheet doesn't describe water or seasonal movement for these sheep, so the four named places are the agency's only direct pointers.
The ground NDOW draws for this tag
A bighorn sheep tag for this group is good in unit 281, about 268 square miles measured on NDOW's own boundary, in Lincoln County. The one named range inside the line is Pintwater Range. The highest named points are Quartz Peak (6,375 ft), and the lowest named ground sits near 3,678 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 3 springs inside it, De Jesus Spring, Tim Spring and Sand Spring among them.
Unit 281 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 3,010–5,595 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 3,942 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 268.3 sq mi inside the boundary.
Water on the ground
- 2 springs
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: Pintwater Range (6,730 ft), Quartz Peak (6,375 ft)
Holding ground: Indian Canyon (4,179 ft), Gravel Canyon (3,678 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 in Unit 281: the Point Bravo Gate and the NTTR rules
Bighorn Sheep Success Rates
Any ram, any legal weapon: 3 of 4 hunters afield (75%). 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 | 90 | 4.4% | — |
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: 90 demand for 4 tags, a 4.4% 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 281 cover?
What was hunter success for bighorn sheep on units 281 in 2025?
How hard is the bighorn sheep draw for units 281?
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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, 281 — 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 281, 268 square miles · accessed 2026-10-25
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the group — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Pintwater Range, Quartz Peak 6,375 ft · accessed 2026-10-25