Unit 268 Unit 268
The Muddy Mountains — one of Nevada's premier desert-bighorn units, below Valley of Fire
Southern Nevada — Clark County · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
780
sq mi
Public land
85%
approx.
Elevation
1,650–5,430
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Unit 268 is built around the Muddy and North Muddy Mountains in Clark County, a mostly-public block of desert ranges wedged between the Moapa Valley, Valley of Fire State Park, and Lake Mead. The Muddy Mountains hold one of the largest desert bighorn sheep herds in the state — a population that has stayed healthy while respiratory disease hit herds elsewhere across the West — and this unit produces heavily, filling a mix of premium once-in-a-lifetime ram tags and management ewe tags (about 110 sheep taken over the last five years). A few resident mule deer exist but numbers are low, so this is a sheep unit through and through.
Terrain
A large, rugged desert range: broad bajadas and desert basins climbing into steep, colorful, deeply broken limestone and sandstone mountains with cliff bands, narrow canyons, and pockets that hold sheep. More vertical relief and more country than the neighboring lake units.
Cover: Creosote-bursage and desert scrub on the flats grading into blackbrush and barren rock on the slopes; sparse tree cover and little natural water away from guzzlers and springs.
Landmarks: Muddy Mountains · North Muddy Mountains · White Basin · Bitter Ridge · Monocline Valley · Buffington Pockets · Valley of Fire State Park (adjacent) · Muddy Mountains Wilderness
Access
Overwhelmingly public — a mix of BLM ground (including the Muddy Mountains Wilderness) and Lake Mead National Recreation Area, with Valley of Fire State Park bordering the north edge. Access is by desert two-tracks off the I-15 / Moapa Valley corridor and through Buffington Pockets and the White Basin country; ATVs and side-by-sides help. The wilderness core is non-motorized and hunted on foot, and the state-park boundary is closed to hunting.
Managers: BLM, NPS Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Access points: I-15 (Muddy Mountains / Buffington Pockets exits) · Buffington Pockets Road · White Basin access two-tracks · NV-169 / Valley of Fire area approaches · Northshore Road (Lake Mead NRA)
Species notes
Bighorn Sheep
abundant qualityOne of the strongest desert bighorn herds in Nevada and the entire identity of this unit. The population has stayed healthy while disease affected herds elsewhere, and the unit produces well on both premium once-in-a-lifetime ram tags and management ewe tags. Any legal ram is a trophy.
- →Work the ridges north and east of White Basin and south of Valley of Fire — these typically hold the larger groups of sheep.
- →Hunt the water: there are several wildlife guzzlers plus natural springs in the White Basin area that concentrate sheep in the heat.
- →Expect density to thin out to the west toward Monocline Valley and Buffington Pockets — don't waste days in the emptier country.
- →Glass cliff bands and canyon pockets at first and last light with high-end optics on a tripod, then plan patient stalks up broken rock.
Mule Deer
limited lowA small resident desert mule deer presence only — numbers are low and harvest is incidental. This is not a deer destination; treat any deer opportunity as a bonus to a sheep-focused unit.
- →Focus on brushier drainages and spring/guzzler pockets where the few resident deer tie to water and cover.
- →Hunt deer opportunistically while covering sheep country rather than planning a dedicated deer hunt.
Pro tips
- →This is a top-tier desert bighorn unit — build the entire hunt around sheep and know your guzzler and spring locations.
- →Prioritize the ridges north and east of White Basin and south of Valley of Fire, where the bigger groups live.
- →Skip the low-density west side (Monocline Valley / Buffington Pockets) unless you've located sheep there.
- →The Muddy Mountains Wilderness core is non-motorized — plan foot access and preload the wilderness boundary.
- →Preload the unit boundary and the Valley of Fire State Park line on your GPS; the park is closed to hunting.
- →Bring high-end glass and a tripod — sheep are located from long range across this broken country.
Watch out for
- !Valley of Fire State Park borders the north edge and is closed to hunting — know exactly where that line is.
- !The Muddy Mountains Wilderness is non-motorized; keep vehicles and ATVs out of the wilderness core.
- !Extreme early-season heat and little natural water — carry far more water than you think you need.
- !Steep, loose limestone and sandstone cliffs make for dangerous footing; a fall in this terrain is serious.
- !Resident mule deer numbers are low — do not plan the hunt around deer.
- !No cell service off I-15 — a breakdown or injury without a satellite communicator is a serious situation.
Logistics
Stage out of the Moapa Valley towns (Moapa, Logandale, Overton) or Glendale on I-15 for fuel, food, and basic services, with everything available in the Las Vegas metro to the southwest. There are no developed hunt camps in the unit — dry-camp on BLM ground near your glassing country. Haul in all drinking water; the guzzlers and springs are for wildlife, not resupply. Cell service is spotty to nonexistent once you leave the interstate corridor; carry a satellite messenger. Early-season heat is the main hazard.
Nearest towns: Moapa, NV, Logandale, NV, Overton, NV, Glendale, NV, Las Vegas, NV
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Nevada sources:
Research sources: NDOW Hunt Information Sheet — Unit 268 Desert Bighorn Sheep (2025) · NDOW Hunt Information Sheets · GoHunt — Nevada Unit 268 (cross-check)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 268 in Nevada?
- Unit 268 (Unit 268) covers about 780 square miles, ranging from roughly 1,650 to 5,430 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 268?
- Approximately 85% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM, NPS Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 268?
- 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 268 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.