Unit 291 (Pine Nut Mountains)
Nevada Hunting Guide — Mule Deer
Unit 291 is the Pine Nut Mountains, about 775 square miles between Carson City, Minden, Dayton and Smith Valley. NDOW estimates a scattered, low-density resident herd of about 700 deer that stays in the high country year-round, in pinyon-juniper thick enough to make spotting hard. Aspen glades, mahogany patches and riparian zones around Bald Mountain and Mount Siegel are the places to focus.
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Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 291
Unit 291 is the Pine Nut Mountains, about 775 square miles between Carson City, Minden, Dayton and Smith Valley. NDOW estimates a scattered, low-density resident herd of about 700 deer that stays in the high country year-round, in pinyon-juniper thick enough to make spotting hard. Aspen glades, mahogany patches and riparian zones around Bald Mountain and Mount Siegel are the places to focus.
Where to Find Mule Deer in Unit 291: Aspen Glades from Bald Mountain to Mount Como
Bald Mountain, Rickey and Red Canyons, Mount Siegel and Mount Como
Pine Nut deer stay high all year, so NDOW says to work above 6,000 feet in every season. Focus on the aspen glades, especially around Bald Mountain, Rickey Canyon, Red Canyon, Mount Siegel and Mount Como. The deer tend to stay close to these mountain riparian zones and to the mahogany patches near them.
Glassing and still-hunting the pinyon-juniper
Deer here use the forested ground for thermal cover in any season, and the pinyon-juniper is thick enough to make spotting very difficult. NDOW's answer is good optics at dawn and dusk, the most efficient way to find deer in this cover. Still-hunting the pinyon-juniper on north-facing slopes can also pay off.
Keep expectations in line with the herd. NDOW describes deer that are widely scattered at low density. Unit 291 isn't formally surveyed, but the department estimates it at about 700 animals. Urban growth along the west and south edges, and the traffic that came with it starting in the 1980s, turned what was a migratory herd into a mostly resident one with little room to expand. On the southeast edge, deer leave the Pine Nut canyons to feed in Smith Valley fields east of the Upper Colony Road, in Unit 203.
The ground NDOW draws for this tag
A mule deer tag for this group is good in unit 291, about 774 square miles measured on NDOW's own boundary, in Douglas County, Lyon County and Carson City County. The one named range inside the line is Pine Nut Mountains. The highest named points are Mount Siegel (9,448 ft), Galena Peak (9,411 ft) and Oreana Peak (9,307 ft), and the lowest named ground sits near 4,219 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 24 springs inside it, Cottonwood Spring, Double Spring, Lebo Spring and Barton Springs among them.
Unit 291 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 4,301–7,622 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 5,790 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 773.8 sq mi inside the boundary.
Water on the ground
- 88 tanks
- 142 springs
- 248 stream segments
- 17 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: Mount Siegel (9,448 ft), Pine Nut Mountains (9,307 ft), Bald Mountain (9,213 ft), Granite Peak (9,053 ft)
Holding ground: Galena Saddle (9,179 ft), Sunrise Pass (7,094 ft), Minnehaha Canyon (6,291 ft), Carters Springs, Buffalo 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 Mule Deer in Unit 291: Sunrise Pass, Como Road and the canyon roads
Mule Deer Success Rates
Antlered, any legal weapon: 34 of 47 hunters afield (72%); Antlered, archery: 8 of 27 hunters afield (30%); Junior, seasonal weapon restriction: 17 of 19 hunters afield (89%); Antlered, muzzleloader: 4 of 9 hunters afield (44%). Figures are NDOW's own, from its 2025 Big Game Hunt Data.
Mule Deer Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts (n/p) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle — Late Season bull/buck only (resident) | 50 | 763 | 6.6% | — |
| Rifle — Late Season bull/buck only (nonresident) | 3 | 78 | 3.8% | — |
| Rifle — Limited Entry either sex (resident) | 25 | 87 | 28.7% | — |
| Rifle — Limited Entry antlerless (resident) | 25 | 100 | 25.0% | — |
| Rifle — Early Season either sex (resident) | 20 | 70 | 28.6% | — |
| Archery — Early Season bull/buck only (resident) | 25 | 47 | 53.2% | — |
| Archery — Early Season bull/buck only (nonresident) | 3 | 5 | 60.0% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Early Season bull/buck only (resident) | 8 | 16 | 50.0% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Early Season bull/buck only (nonresident) | 1 | 4 | 25.0% | — |
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.
- Antlered, any legal weapon — Residents: 763 demand for 50 tags, a 6.6% draw rate; Nonresidents: 78 demand for 3 tags, a 3.8% draw rate.
- Antlered, archery — Residents: 47 demand for 25 tags, a 53.2% draw rate; Nonresidents: 5 demand for 3 tags, a 60.0% draw rate.
- Junior, seasonal weapon restriction — Residents: 70 demand for 20 tags, a 28.6% draw rate.
- Antlered, muzzleloader — Residents: 16 demand for 8 tags, a 50.0% draw rate; Nonresidents: 4 demand for 1 tag, a 25.0% draw rate.
- Guided antlered, any legal weapon — Nonresidents: 4 demand for 2 tags, a 50.0% 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 mule deer tag for 291 cover?
What was hunter success for mule deer on units 291 in 2025?
How hard is the mule deer draw for units 291?
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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 — Mule deer, 291 - Pinenut Mtns — 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 291, 774 square miles · accessed 2026-10-25
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the group — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Pine Nut Mountains, Mount Siegel 9,448 ft, Galena Peak 9,411 ft · accessed 2026-10-25