Unit 272 Unit 272
Arid Virgin Mountains and Gold Butte country on Lake Mead's north and east shore
Southeastern Nevada — Clark County (Virgin Mountains & Gold Butte) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
810
sq mi
Public land
93%
approx.
Elevation
1,500–8,000
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Unit 272 takes in the Virgin Mountains and the Gold Butte country in northeastern Clark County, sprawling across the north and eastern shores of Lake Mead below Mesquite and Bunkerville. It is a big, arid, low-density desert unit — mule deer numbers are genuinely low and animals stay concentrated on the few high ranges and near water, which makes for tough hunting, though the buck success that does occur has run around 42 percent. Desert bighorn sheep also inhabit the higher, more remote ground. Come expecting rugged solitude, big country, and a premium on finding water.
Terrain
A dramatic desert range from roughly 1,500 feet at Lake Mead to over 8,000 feet on Virgin Peak, with jagged cliffs, sandstone ridges, deep washes, and isolated high country. Big game concentrates on the higher, cooler ground and around scarce water; the lower desert holds little.
Cover: Creosote and Mojave desert scrub, blackbrush and cactus at low elevations, grading up through juniper and pinyon-juniper woodland to scattered ponderosa and mountain brush on the highest Virgin Mountains slopes.
Landmarks: Virgin Mountains · Virgin Peak (~8,000 ft) · Gold Butte National Monument · Whitney Pocket · Lake Mead (north/east shore) · Interstate 15 · Gold Butte Road · Mesquite · Bunkerville
Access
Overwhelmingly public — a mix of BLM land, the BLM-managed Gold Butte National Monument, and the Lake Mead National Recreation Area on the shoreline. Primary access to the Gold Butte and Virgin Mountains country is the Gold Butte Road (Bunkerville/Riverside off Interstate 15) south toward Whitney Pocket, with rough spur roads climbing into the Virgins. Much of the interior is remote, high-clearance/4WD travel on unmaintained dirt. Within Lake Mead NRA, motorized travel is restricted to designated roadways and target shooting is prohibited.
Managers: BLM, NPS Lake Mead NRA
Access points: Gold Butte Road from Bunkerville/Riverside (I-15) · Whitney Pocket · Virgin Mountains spur roads · Interstate 15 (Mesquite/Bunkerville)
Species notes
Mule Deer
limited opportunityMule deer numbers are low and the arid landscape makes for tough hunting, with deer isolated to the higher Virgin Mountains where water and forage allow. The few tags that connect have run around 42 percent success; deer here are largely resident year-round rather than migratory.
- →Hunt high — concentrate on the pinyon-juniper and mountain-brush country of the upper Virgin Mountains where the deer actually live.
- →Water is everything in this desert; glass and set up near springs, seeps, and guzzlers, especially early season.
- →Cover big country with quality optics from vantage points; densities are far too low to walk them up.
- →Use the Gold Butte Road and Virgin Mountain spurs to reach the high ground, then hunt on foot away from the roads.
Bighorn Sheep
limited trophyDesert bighorn inhabit the rugged, remote high country of the Virgin Mountains and Gold Butte cliffs. Where tags are available they represent a premium, hard-to-draw desert sheep opportunity in genuinely wild terrain.
- →Focus on the steepest cliffs, rims, and canyon country near reliable water.
- →Glass long from high vantage points at dawn and dusk and be prepared for a demanding pack-out.
- →Learn every water development in advance — sheep tie to it in the heat.
Pro tips
- →Treat water sources as the map — locate every spring and guzzler in the Virgins before you hunt.
- →Go high and remote; the productive ground is the upper Virgin Mountains, not the low desert flats.
- →The Gold Butte Road is the artery in — but the good hunting starts where the spur roads end and you're on foot.
- →Manage expectations: deer densities are low, so a mature buck here is earned through glassing time and boot leather.
- →Respect Lake Mead NRA rules on the shoreline — motorized travel is confined to designated roads and target shooting is banned.
Watch out for
- !Very low deer density and brutal arid terrain — this is a tough, low-odds unit that rewards preparation.
- !Heat, dehydration, and long waterless stretches are serious hazards; carry far more water than you think you need.
- !Interior dirt roads are unmaintained and flash-flood; a storm can strand a rig deep in Gold Butte.
- !Lake Mead NRA restricts motorized use to designated roadways and prohibits target practice.
- !Little to no cell service off Interstate 15 — a breakdown or injury is a real emergency without a satellite messenger.
Logistics
Stage out of Mesquite or Bunkerville on Interstate 15 for fuel, food, and lodging; Overton and Logandale in the Moapa Valley serve the western side. There are no developed campgrounds in the Gold Butte/Virgin backcountry — plan primitive camping on BLM land and haul all your own water. Interior travel is high-clearance 4WD on unmaintained dirt that can wash out; carry recovery gear, extra fuel, and a full-size spare. Cell service drops off quickly away from I-15 and Mesquite — bring a satellite communicator and leave an itinerary.
Nearest towns: Mesquite, Bunkerville, Overton, Logandale
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Nevada sources:
Research sources: NDOW Mule Deer Hunt Info Sheet — Unit Group 271, 272 · NDOW Hunt Information Sheets · NPS Lake Mead National Recreation Area — Hunting · GoHunt Nevada Unit 272 Profile (secondary cross-check)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 272 in Nevada?
- Unit 272 (Unit 272) covers about 810 square miles, ranging from roughly 1,500 to 8,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 272?
- Approximately 93% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM, NPS Lake Mead NRA. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 272?
- Mule Deer, Bighorn Sheep. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Nevada agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 272 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.