Unit 261 Unit 261
Last Chance Range desert sheep country northwest of Pahrump
Southern Nevada — Nye County · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
450
sq mi
Public land
80%
approx.
Elevation
2,500–5,000
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Unit 261 covers roughly 450 square miles of southern Nye County built around the Last Chance Range, in the low desert northwest of Pahrump between the Amargosa and Death Valley country. It is a desert bighorn sheep unit at heart — nearly all the rams live in the Last Chance Range and the healthy population has produced very high draw success recently — with only a thin scatter of resident mule deer. Plan on a hot, dry, water-limited sheep hunt and a premium once-in-a-lifetime tag.
Terrain
Classic low Mojave-transition desert: open creosote basins rising into the rocky spine and cliff faces of the Last Chance Range. Moderate relief but demanding, loose footing; sheep hold on the steep rock and hunters glass from the flats and benches.
Cover: Creosote-bursage and blackbrush flats grading into sparse desert scrub on the slopes; minimal tree cover and very limited water, natural or artificial.
Landmarks: Last Chance Range · Amargosa Desert · Pahrump Valley · Ash Meadows (southwest edge)
Access
Roughly 80% public, mostly BLM (Southern Nevada District), with private ground in the valley bottoms that does not meaningfully block access to the range. Reach the unit from Pahrump and the Amargosa Valley on paved and graded county roads, then work into the Last Chance Range on desert two-tracks suited to high-clearance 4WD or a side-by-side. Hunting is closed on Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge and in Death Valley National Park across the California line.
Managers: BLM
Access points: Roads north/northwest out of Pahrump · US-95 / Amargosa Valley approaches · Last Chance Range access two-tracks
Species notes
Bighorn Sheep
common qualityThe headline species and a genuinely good desert-sheep unit — nearly all rams are in the Last Chance Range and recent tag holders have filled at very high rates. A premium once-in-a-lifetime draw tag; hunters can be moderately selective by spot-and-stalk.
- →Focus entirely on the Last Chance Range — that is where the rams are; don't waste days on the outer flats.
- →Glass steep rock, cliff bands, and shaded pockets at first and last light, then plan a patient stalk.
- →Water is scarce; locate guzzlers and any seeps before the hunt and sit them during the hot early season.
- →Carry high-end optics and a tripod and judge rams from long range before committing to loose, cliffy terrain.
Mule Deer
limited lowOnly a low number of resident desert mule deer scattered through the unit — an incidental opportunity at best, not a reason to hunt here. Treat any deer as a bonus around a sheep hunt.
- →Work the higher, brushier pockets of the Last Chance Range and any drainages holding cover near water.
- →Glass early and late; desert deer are few and far between and move at the edges of light.
- →Don't build a trip around deer here — densities are genuinely low.
Pro tips
- →Hunt the Last Chance Range itself — nearly every ram in the unit lives there.
- →Scout and monitor the few water sources; sheep concentrate on them in the early-season heat.
- →Bring the best glass you can and judge rams from a long way off before starting up the rock.
- →Stage out of Pahrump for fuel, water, and repairs before heading into the range.
- →Preload the unit boundary, the Ash Meadows refuge line, and the Death Valley NP line on your GPS.
Watch out for
- !Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge on the southwest edge is closed to hunting — know the boundary.
- !Death Valley National Park lies across the California line and is closed to hunting.
- !Very limited natural and artificial water — carry far more than you expect to use.
- !Loose shale and cliff bands make sheep stalks physically demanding and genuinely hazardous.
- !Cell service drops off quickly away from the highways; go in with a satellite communicator and a plan.
Logistics
Be self-contained. Pahrump has full services — fuel, groceries, lodging, and vehicle repair — and is the natural staging town; Amargosa Valley and Beatty offer fuel and basics on US-95. There are no developed campgrounds in the unit, so hunters dry-camp on BLM ground near their glassing country. Haul in drinking water. Cell coverage fades quickly off the main roads; carry a satellite messenger. Heat is the dominant early-season concern.
Nearest towns: Pahrump, NV, Amargosa Valley, NV, Beatty, NV
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Nevada sources:
Research sources: NDOW Hunt Information Sheets · NDOW Desert Bighorn Ram Hunt Summary (2025) · GoHunt — Nevada Unit 261 (cross-check)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 261 in Nevada?
- Unit 261 (Unit 261) covers about 450 square miles, ranging from roughly 2,500 to 5,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 261?
- Approximately 80% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 261?
- Bighorn Sheep, 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 261 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.