Unit 091 Unit 091
The Pilot Range on the Utah line — pronghorn flats under Pilot Peak with a cross-border elk opportunity
Northeastern Nevada — Elko County · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
279
sq mi
Public land
68.8%
approx.
Elevation
4,200–10,716
feet
Motorized
limited
access
Overview
Unit 091 occupies the western half of the Pilot Range on the Nevada-Utah border just north of West Wendover, an island mountain topped by Pilot Peak at over 10,700 feet. Pronghorn work the surrounding valleys and there's a small but real elk herd; the range also holds a Rocky Mountain bighorn population that makes it a premium once-in-a-lifetime draw. It's remote, dry, low-pressure country with a notable cross-border wrinkle: NV Unit 091 and the adjacent Utah Pilot Mountain elk tags let holders hunt both sides of the line.
Terrain
A steep island range rising some 6,000 feet abruptly out of the salt flats and valleys to Pilot Peak. Deep canyons cut the flanks and timber cloaks the upper slopes — a big vertical hunt from valley floor to summit, with pronghorn on the flats and elk and bighorn up high.
Cover: Saltbush and greasewood on the valley floors, sagebrush on the aprons, piñon-juniper on the flanks, and limber pine, aspen, and mountain mahogany near the summit.
Landmarks: Pilot Range · Pilot Peak (~10,700 ft) · Pilot Creek Valley · Leppy Hills · Utah state line · West Wendover
Access
BLM two-tracks climb canyon mouths and Pilot Creek Valley, but checkerboard private sections and ranch ground pepper the valley/railroad corridor near West Wendover — verify ownership. No developed facilities. The Nevada-Utah line runs through the range, and Utah is a separate unit with its own tags, so know exactly where you are.
Managers: BLM Elko/Wells District, Private (railroad checkerboard & valley ranches)
Access points: I-80 West Wendover exits · Pilot Creek Valley two-tracks · canyon-mouth roads on the west face
Species notes
Pronghorn
common qualityThe bread-and-butter tag here — antelope hold in the sage and saltbush valleys around the Pilot Range with strong success near 74% on a limited draw.
- →Glass Pilot Creek Valley and the open flats at first light for bachelor bucks
- →Judge horns carefully at range in the wide-open country before committing
- →Hunt the scarce water sources during warm early seasons
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityA small elk herd uses the Pilot Range high country, with success around 47% — the toughest hunt of the unit given steep ground and low densities. The reciprocal NV/UT arrangement lets tag holders work both sides of the state line.
- →Get high and glass the timbered upper canyons and benches at dawn and dusk
- →Be prepared to hunt steep, remote terrain far from roads
- →Use the cross-border allowance to follow elk onto the Utah side of the range where legal
Pro tips
- →Pronghorn are the realistic tag — treat 091 as a valley-glassing antelope unit first, mountain hunt second
- →For elk, use the reciprocal NV Unit 091 / UT Pilot Mountain arrangement to hunt both faces of the range where legal
- →The Pilot Range also holds Rocky Mountain bighorn — a rare, premium once-in-a-lifetime draw worth applying for
- →Pilot Peak is a ~6,000-foot vertical from the flats; scout access and plan a physically hard hunt if you go high
- →Pre-mark checkerboard private near West Wendover and the railroad corridor to avoid trespass
Watch out for
- !The Nevada-Utah line bisects the range — Utah is a separate unit/tags; know your exact position before shooting
- !Checkerboard private and ranch inholdings in the valley corridor near West Wendover
- !Very limited water and no facilities — self-sufficiency required
- !Steep, remote high country with early-season storms; no cell service off I-80
Logistics
West Wendover, right off I-80, is the resupply hub — fuel, lodging, groceries, and casinos. No services in the unit; camp dispersed on BLM land and pack in all your water. Cell service is limited to none once you leave the interstate. The mountain is a serious vertical climb, so plan physically demanding days.
Nearest towns: West Wendover, Wendover (UT), Oasis, Montello
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Nevada sources:
Research sources: NDOW Hunt Unit Boundaries · GoHunt Nevada Unit 091 Profile (secondary cross-check)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 091 in Nevada?
- Unit 091 (Unit 091) covers about 279 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,200 to 10,716 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 091?
- Approximately 68.8% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM Elko/Wells District, Private (railroad checkerboard & valley ranches). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 091?
- Pronghorn, Rocky Mountain Elk. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Nevada agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 091 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.