Unit 012 Unit 012
Wilderness rimrock and dark-sky sage steppe with a rare California bighorn tag
Northwestern Nevada — Washoe County · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,078
sq mi
Public land
92%
approx.
Elevation
4,600–7,900
feet
Motorized
limited
access
Overview
Unit 012 lies in remote northwestern Washoe County, east of the Hays Canyon Range across the Vya Rim tables and Massacre Rim country. It carries a large block of designated/study wilderness — including the Massacre Rim area, one of the darkest places in the Lower 48 — so a good share of the unit is foot-and-horse country only. Pronghorn and mule deer are the everyday draw hunts (antelope success here runs lower than neighboring 011), and the unit also offers a rare, premium California bighorn sheep tag in the ranges. Come prepared for a fully self-supported, roadless-in-places hunt.
Terrain
Broad sagebrush basins broken by long rimrock escarpments and scattered peaks. Antelope work the open flats and tables; deer hold in the mahogany and canyon heads; bighorn use the broken rimrock and rugged rim faces. Wilderness blocks mean much of the best country is reached on foot.
Cover: Big sagebrush and low sage steppe with bitterbrush, scattered juniper and pinyon on the rims, mountain mahogany on the higher slopes, and aspen and meadow pockets at springs.
Landmarks: Massacre Rim (wilderness / International Dark Sky Sanctuary) · Vya Rim · Hays Canyon Range (east flank) · Duck Flat · Long Valley · Boulder Mountain · Highway 8A
Access
Almost entirely public BLM land (Winnemucca District) with only small private inholdings in the valleys. Critically, Unit 012 contains a significant amount of designated wilderness — motorized and mechanized transport, including wheeled game carriers and chainsaws, is prohibited in those areas, so factor in packing game out by hand or horse. Reach the unit east on Highway 299 from Alturas and Cedarville, California, or north from Reno/Gerlach on Highway 447, with Highway 8A running through the country. Roads range from high-standard dirt to jeep trails; 4WD or ATV is needed for many areas.
Managers: BLM
Access points: Highway 299 (Cedarville, CA) · Highway 447 (from Gerlach/Reno) · Highway 8A · Vya Rim roads
Species notes
Pronghorn
common opportunityA solid but tougher antelope unit — recent draw success sits around 52%, meaningfully below neighboring Unit 011. Bucks are spread across the open sage flats and tables; success rewards patience and glass.
- →Glass the open flats and table tops hard at dawn and dusk, then stalk using rims and draws for cover.
- →In dry early seasons hunt near water — springs and stock tanks concentrate antelope.
- →Be willing to hike; wilderness closures put some of the least-pressured bucks beyond the roads.
Mule Deer
common opportunityDeer are widely distributed at moderate-to-low density; the wider 011-013 herd was hit hard by the 2022 winter. Success comes from glassing time, not deer density.
- →Pick apart the mahogany stands and bitterbrush benches on the upper elevations with binoculars from a rim.
- →Early season, stay near the scarce water; deer disperse onto the tables as it cools.
- →Plan a foot pack-out for any deer taken inside the wilderness blocks.
Bighorn Sheep
limited trophyA premium, essentially once-in-a-lifetime California bighorn opportunity — only a tag or two here and very low harvest, but tag holders have connected. Sheep use the rugged rimrock and broken rim faces.
- →This is a scout-heavy, glass-from-distance hunt of the rim escarpments and canyon breaks; treat it as the trip of a lifetime.
- →Locate rams from long range and plan careful stalks up the broken rimrock; expect steep, roadless approaches.
- →Coordinate with the NDOW area biologist for recent ram distribution before the season.
Pro tips
- →Know exactly where the wilderness boundaries fall before you hunt — no wheeled game carriers or motor vehicles inside, so plan your pack-out first.
- →If you drew the bighorn tag, invest scouting days on the rimrock; it is a rare northwest Nevada sheep opportunity.
- →Antelope success trails Unit 011 — earn it with disciplined dawn/dusk glassing and water-source patterning.
- →Bring 4WD and recovery gear; storms strand rigs and much of the country is jeep-trail-only.
- →Stock up completely in Cedarville or Gerlach — nothing is available once you leave pavement.
Watch out for
- !Large designated/study wilderness blocks prohibit motorized and mechanized transport, wheeled game carriers, and chainsaws — a non-negotiable retrieval constraint.
- !No cell service and no facilities inside the unit; a breakdown without a satellite communicator is dangerous.
- !Scattered private inholdings sit in the valley floors — verify boundaries.
- !Rain and early snow close dirt, jeep, and playa roads with little warning.
- !Seasonal fire restrictions are common — confirm with the BLM.
Logistics
Extremely remote and largely roadless in the wilderness cores — plan to be fully self-contained. Fuel, food, vehicle repair, and motels are only in Cedarville and Gerlach; there are no developed campgrounds. Camp tent-style near tree cover or perennial water; RVs are confined to valley-floor roads. Haul your own drinking water. Carry tire chains, extra fuel and water, and spare tires. No cell service — a satellite messenger is essential. Confirm campfire and fire restrictions with the local BLM office before your hunt.
Nearest towns: Cedarville, CA, Gerlach, NV, Vya, NV, Denio, NV
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Nevada sources:
Research sources: NDOW Mule Deer Hunt Info Sheet — Units 011, 012, 013 · NDOW Hunt Information Sheets · GoHunt Nevada Unit 013 Profile (secondary cross-check for the unit group)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 012 in Nevada?
- Unit 012 (Unit 012) covers about 1,078 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,600 to 7,900 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 012?
- Approximately 92% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 012?
- Pronghorn, Mule Deer, Bighorn Sheep. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Nevada agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 012 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.