Unit 213 Unit 213
The Monte Cristo Range west of Tonopah — a well-roaded desert bighorn and pronghorn unit with only marginal deer
West-Central Nevada — Esmeralda County · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
601
sq mi
Public land
99%
approx.
Elevation
4,600–8,900
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
Unit 213 wraps the semicircular Monte Cristo Range roughly 25 miles west of Tonopah in northern Esmeralda County. It is chiefly a desert bighorn sheep and pronghorn unit — a healthy sheep herd lives in the range's rocky slopes and a few valley pronghorn tags round it out — while mule deer are incidental at best. The country is mild, open and heavily crisscrossed by old mining roads, making it one of the more accessible desert ranges in the region even though tags are scarce.
Terrain
A compact desert range of rolling hills broken by steeper, rocky faces and canyons, ringed by flat-to-rolling desert valleys. It hunts easy on the roads but rugged on the peaks — drive the perimeter to glass, then work uphill into the rock for sheep.
Cover: Sparse desert scrub, cactus and greasewood on the low flats; low sagebrush, scattered grasses and occasional juniper on the mid-slopes. Very few trees and limited water overall.
Landmarks: Monte Cristo Range · Big Smoky Valley · Ralston Valley · old mining roads / two-tracks
Access
Almost entirely BLM public land. Public roads reach most of the unit and the range is littered with old mining roads, so getting to a starting point is rarely the problem. Private ground does not meaningfully restrict access.
Managers: BLM
Access points: US-6 (Tonopah–Coaldale corridor) · US-95 north of Tonopah · Monte Cristo mining roads · Big Smoky Valley two-tracks
Species notes
Bighorn Sheep
common trophyThe unit's signature draw — a healthy desert bighorn herd holds good numbers of rams in the Monte Cristo Range. Tags are very limited and once-in-a-lifetime, but drawn hunters enjoy essentially guaranteed opportunity.
- →Glass the rocky faces and canyons of the Monte Cristo Range from valley-edge vantage points
- →Anchor on the few reliable water sources — sheep distribution is water-limited
- →Use the extensive mining-road network to reach glassing points, then hunt the rimrock on foot
Pronghorn
limited qualityA small quality-managed pronghorn resource in the surrounding valleys with historically very high success on the few tags issued. Bucks range the open sage and desert flats around the range.
- →Work Big Smoky and Ralston Valley flats, glassing open country for scattered bands
- →Watch water sources and use terrain folds to close for a stalk
- →Cover ground efficiently by vehicle to locate animals across the wide basins
Mule Deer
limited lowMule deer are marginal here — a low-density presence with roughly two-in-five unit-group success and few deer taken in this unit. Treat any deer as a bonus rather than a primary target.
- →Focus on the sparse juniper pockets and higher canyons with browse and water
- →Hunt dawn and dusk near the range's limited springs
- →Keep expectations low and be prepared to cover a lot of empty country
Pro tips
- →The whole game is drawing the sheep or antelope tag — once drawn, success rates here are excellent
- →Map and check every spring and guzzler before the hunt; game keys tightly to water in this dry range
- →The dense old mining-road network lets you cover the range efficiently — glass from the roads, hunt the rock on foot
- →Expect abundant wild horses competing for the same water and forage
- →Do not count on deer — plan the trip around sheep or pronghorn
Watch out for
- !Very limited water — carry your own and know your sources
- !Rough, rocky mining roads are hard on tires; bring two spares and recovery gear
- !Sparse to no cell coverage off the highways
- !Abandoned mine workings and open shafts in the old districts
- !No services inside the unit — resupply means the drive back to Tonopah
Logistics
Tonopah, about 25 miles east, is the hub for fuel, lodging, groceries and services; there is nothing inside the unit. Camp dispersed on BLM. Cell service drops off quickly away from the highways — carry a satellite communicator, plenty of water, and spare tires for the rough mining roads. Wild horses are common and share the water.
Nearest towns: Tonopah, Coaldale, Millers
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Nevada sources:
Research sources: NDOW Mule Deer Unit Group 211–213 hunt geometry · NDOW 2023 Big Game Hunt Unit Map insert · GoHunt Nevada Unit 213 profile (secondary cross-check)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 213 in Nevada?
- Unit 213 (Unit 213) covers about 601 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,600 to 8,900 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 213?
- Approximately 99% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 213?
- Bighorn Sheep, Pronghorn, Mule Deer. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Nevada agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 213 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.