Unit 195 Unit 195
Comstock-country deer on rolling sage hills between Reno, Carson City and the Truckee River.
Western Nevada — Virginia Range (Storey, Lyon & Washoe Counties) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
558
sq mi
Public land
24%
approx.
Elevation
4,200–7,864
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Unit 195 covers the Virginia Range, the historic Comstock highlands around Virginia City that separate the Reno-Sparks area from the Carson River and Dayton valleys. It is a mostly private, low-public-land unit — barely a quarter is huntable ground — with deer scattered across rolling piñon-juniper and sage hills rather than concentrated on a single high crest. It produces modest but real mule deer harvest, and the range now sits on the eastern fringe of Nevada's expanding black-bear range. Manage expectations: this is opportunity hunting on a fragmented public-land patchwork inside a fast-growing urban corridor.
Terrain
Low, rolling-to-steep desert mountains topping out at Mount Davidson (7,864 ft) above Virginia City. The northern and western fringes toward the Truckee River are steep and broken; the interior is flatter — hills, ridges, shallow and deep draws, and high flats and swales. It hunts as spot-and-stalk glassing country, not high-alpine.
Cover: Big sagebrush and bitterbrush on the flats and lower slopes, with piñon-juniper woodland cloaking the mid and upper elevations and scattered mahogany on the higher ridges.
Landmarks: Mount Davidson · Virginia City / Comstock Lode · Geiger Grade (SR 341) · SR 342 · Truckee River corridor (I-80) to the north · Carson River / Dayton and US 50 to the south · Washoe Lake (west edge)
Access
About three-quarters of the unit is private — Comstock mining ground, ranches, the USA Parkway / Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center, and the Reno-Sparks residential fringe. Most public parcels can be reached by vehicle, but some Virginia Range pockets require hiking. Access is a patchwork; a private-land GPS layer is essential to stay legal.
Managers: BLM Carson City District, Private
Access points: Geiger Grade (SR 341) · SR 342 (Gold Hill / Silver City) · US 50 out of Dayton and Mound House · USA Parkway (SR 439) corridor · BLM two-tracks off the valley floors
Species notes
Mule Deer
common opportunityThe unit's primary tag. Deer are spread across the rolling piñon-juniper and sage of the Virginia Range rather than bunched on a peak, with the steep northern and western fringes holding the better bucks. Five-year buck success has run in the mid-40% range on a relatively small, accessible unit.
- →Glass the shallow draws and swales in the sage-bitterbrush transition at first and last light.
- →Push the steep, broken north and west fringes toward the Truckee River for older bucks that avoid the flats.
- →Work piñon-juniper edges and pockets during midday when deer bed in the shade.
- →Keep a private-land layer running — public parcels are small and interlocked with ranch, mining and industrial ground.
Black Bear
transient opportunityThe Virginia Range sits on the eastern edge of Nevada's small, expanding black-bear range; bears are occasional here rather than resident and any tag is a long-shot bonus, not the reason to draw the unit. Statewide black-bear success is roughly a third of hunters.
- →Treat any bear as opportunistic — focus effort on deer and be ready if you cut fresh bear sign in the piñon-juniper.
- →Check NDOW's black-bear special-boundary and closed-area rules before hunting bear anywhere in the western units.
Pro tips
- →Success here is 90% land-status homework — buy or load a private-land ownership layer before you ever glass.
- →Hunt the steep northern and western Virginia Range fringes for the bucks the roadside flats give up quickly.
- →Use the piñon-juniper for midday bedding areas and the sage swales for morning and evening feed.
- →Do not plan around bear — it is a fringe, transient opportunity; build the hunt around deer.
- →Expect other recreationists and OHV traffic near the Comstock and Reno-Sparks edges; get away from the roads for undisturbed deer.
Watch out for
- !Only ~24% public land — the lowest-public western deer units; trespass exposure is severe.
- !Rapid industrial and residential growth (USA Parkway / TRI Center, Reno-Sparks fringe) keeps shrinking and complicating access.
- !Desert bighorn have been reintroduced to the Virginia Range but are not hunted — do not target them.
- !Fragmented public parcels are easy to walk off of; verify boundaries constantly.
- !Heavy non-hunting use near Virginia City and the urban edge.
Logistics
One of the most service-rich units in Nevada — full fuel, food, lodging and gear are minutes away in Reno-Sparks, Carson City, Dayton and historic Virginia City. Cell coverage is good almost everywhere. Dispersed camping options are thin given how much is private; most hunters day-trip from town. Access is trivial off I-80, US 50 and the Geiger Grade.
Nearest towns: Virginia City, Dayton, Silver Springs, Carson City, Reno / Sparks
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Nevada sources:
Research sources: NDOW Big Game Hunt Unit Map Insert (2023) · GoHunt Nevada Unit 195 Profile (cross-check)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 195 in Nevada?
- Unit 195 (Unit 195) covers about 558 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,200 to 7,864 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 195?
- Approximately 24% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM Carson City District, Private. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 195?
- Mule Deer, Black Bear. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Nevada agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 195 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.