Unit 286 (Las Vegas Range and Gass Peak)
Nevada Hunting Guide — Bighorn Sheep
Unit 286 is the Las Vegas Range, about 527 square miles of Clark County directly north of Las Vegas. Most of the sheep habitat lies inside the Desert National Wildlife Range, with a small piece co-managed with the Nevada Test and Training Range. NDOW's desert bighorn sheet names Gass Peak, Quail Spring, Juniper Peak and the Gunsight area as places to hunt.
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Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit 286
Unit 286 is the Las Vegas Range, about 527 square miles of Clark County directly north of Las Vegas. Most of the sheep habitat lies inside the Desert National Wildlife Range, with a small piece co-managed with the Nevada Test and Training Range. NDOW's desert bighorn sheet names Gass Peak, Quail Spring, Juniper Peak and the Gunsight area as places to hunt.
Where to Find Desert Bighorn Sheep in Unit 286: Gass Peak, Quail Spring, Juniper Peak and Gunsight
Gass Peak, Quail Spring and Juniper Peak
NDOW's list of hunt areas for the Las Vegas Range is short. It names Gass Peak, Quail Spring and Juniper Peak, plus the far eastern part of the range, which hunters commonly call Gunsight, near Highway 93.
Gunsight at the eastern end of the range
Gunsight is the one area on the list that comes with a road reference, which makes it the easiest to place on a map. It sits at the far eastern end of the range near Highway 93, while the other three are named features you can find by name.
The terrain shapes how you'll hunt any of these places. NDOW describes it as ranging from fairly level, unbroken bajadas to steep, rocky canyons and broken ledges, and much of the range is extremely steep and rocky. Elevations climb from the valley floor to an unnamed peak near Wamp Spring, the high point in NDOW's description of the range.
The sheet doesn't describe water use, seasonal movement or rut behaviour for this herd, so the four named areas are the whole of its guidance. The hunt runs from late November to New Year's Day, which gives you time to glass each of them in turn.
The ground NDOW draws for this tag
A bighorn sheep tag for this group is good in unit 286, about 527 square miles measured on NDOW's own boundary, in Clark County. The one named range inside the line is Las Vegas Range. The highest named points are Quartzite Mountain (7,119 ft), Bald Knob (7,016 ft) and Gass Peak (6,880 ft), and the lowest named ground sits near 2,419 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 9 springs inside it, Quail Spring, Upper White Blotch Spring, Lower White Blotch Spring and White Spot Spring among them.
Unit 286 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 2,013–6,525 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 3,625 ft ; peaks can run higher. That spread means you can hunt two seasons in one day — plan clothing for both ends.
- 526.5 sq mi inside the boundary.
Water on the ground
- 64 tanks
- 1 springs
- 214 stream segments
- 11 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
Holding ground: Hidden Valley (2,657 ft), Coyote Spring Valley (2,538 ft), Apex Summit (2,419 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 286: Desert National Wildlife Range Rules North of Las Vegas
Bighorn Sheep Success Rates
Any ram, any legal weapon: 2 of 3 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 — Late Season ram only (resident) | 3 | 94 | 3.2% | — |
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: 94 demand for 3 tags, a 3.2% 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 286 cover?
What was hunter success for bighorn sheep on units 286 in 2025?
How hard is the bighorn sheep draw for units 286?
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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, 286 — 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 286, 527 square miles · accessed 2026-10-25
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the group — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Las Vegas Range, Quartzite Mountain 7,119 ft, Bald Knob 7,016 ft · accessed 2026-10-25