Nevada Unit 013 Mule Deer Hunting Guide

Nevada Unit 013 sits in the eastern part of the state's mule deer country and offers hunters a genuine 100% public land hunting experience across 391,729 acres, with elevations ranging from 4,471 to 7,909 feet. For hunters researching Nevada's draw system and trying to figure out where to spend limited application dollars, Unit 013 deserves a serious look — not because it's an easy tag, but because the combination of public access, rising tag quotas, and a real trophy history make it one of the more interesting units in eastern Nevada's mule deer lineup.

This is a unit that comes up often in hunter forums and draw-odds discussions, and for good reason — it has a reputation among Nevada mule deer hunters as a place where committed hunters can find quality bucks if they're willing to get away from access points and put in scouting time. Unlike many Nevada units where private land checkerboards limit where hunters can actually set boots, Unit 013 is entirely public, which simplifies planning considerably even if it doesn't guarantee success on its own.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 013 Worth Applying For?

The data tells a mixed but encouraging story. Harvest success has been trending upward significantly over the past three years — from 38% in 2023, to 43% in 2024, to 44% in 2025. That's not a fluke; it's a consistent multi-year climb, and it coincides with hunter numbers also increasing (29 hunters in 2023, up to 67 in 2024, and 87 in 2025). More hunters afield and rising success rates together suggest a stable or improving deer population rather than a unit getting "hunted out."

Tag quotas back this up. The ALW-Mule Deer Antlered quota increased from 35 tags in 2024 to 40 tags in 2025 (a 14% bump), and the AR-Mule Deer Antlered quota jumped from 15 to 25 tags — a 67% increase in a single year. The M-Mule Deer Antlered quota grew modestly as well, from 4 to 5 tags. These increases across multiple hunt types typically indicate Nevada Department of Wildlife biologists are seeing herd numbers that can support more hunting pressure, which is a good sign for anyone weighing whether to burn points or apply fresh here.

On the trophy side, the counties overlapping Unit 013 carry a moderate history of producing record-book mule deer. That's real, but it's also shared credit — the same county-level trophy records apply to neighboring units pulling from the same drainages and herds, so Unit 013 shouldn't be viewed as uniquely elite. What the qualitative history does support is that mature bucks capable of turning heads do come out of this general area with some regularity, which lines up with forum chatter describing hunters who've found quality bucks by getting away from roads and pressure.

The honest takeaway: Unit 013 is worth applying for if hunters value 100% public land access, a track record of improving success rates, and a realistic (not guaranteed) shot at a genuinely good buck for those willing to scout hard and hunt the rougher pockets of the unit. It is not a unit to apply to expecting an easy trophy — but it's also not a unit where hunters are wasting points on declining opportunity.

Access & Terrain

Unit 013's defining access feature is simple: it's 100% public land, with 0% wilderness designation. That combination is about as favorable as it gets for a DIY hunter — there's no private land to negotiate access through, and there's no wilderness classification restricting motorized access or requiring special permits. Hunters can plan routes, scout freely, and hunt without worrying about crossing into private inholdings, which is not something every Nevada mule deer unit can offer.

Elevation in the unit spans from 4,471 feet up to 7,909 feet, which gives hunters a meaningful range to work with depending on time of year and weather. Lower elevations tend to hold sagebrush flats and foothill country typical of Nevada's Great Basin terrain, while the upper end of that elevation band moves into steeper, more broken country that tends to hold less pressure. Forum accounts consistently emphasize that hunters willing to get away from easy access points and into the rougher, higher pockets of the unit are the ones finding better bucks — a pattern that tracks with general mule deer behavior across the Great Basin, where mature bucks push into thicker or steeper terrain to avoid pressure as the season progresses.

Given the 100% public land status, hunters should lean on mapping tools to identify exactly where that rougher, less-accessed country sits relative to the road network. HuntPilot's map layers, including public land boundaries and terrain overlays, are useful here for pinpointing likely glassing knobs and less-traveled drainages before ever setting foot in the unit.

Harvest Success Rates

Recent harvest data for Unit 013 shows a clear upward trend:

• 2025: 87 hunters, 38 harvested, 44% success
• 2024: 67 hunters, 29 harvested, 43% success
• 2023: 29 hunters, 11 harvested, 38% success

These are unit-wide totals across hunt types, and the trend is notable for two reasons. First, success rate has climbed each year even as hunter numbers have more than doubled since 2023 — a strong signal that the herd is capable of supporting additional pressure without success collapsing, which is often the first sign of an overcrowded or declining unit. Second, a success rate in the low-to-mid 40% range for mule deer is solid by Nevada standards, where limited-entry units with tough terrain often see lower percentages simply due to the difficulty of the hunt.

Hunters should still recognize that success is not guaranteed, and the numbers reflect resident and nonresident hunters combined across all hunt types available in the unit. Anyone drawing a tag here should expect a real, physical hunt rather than an easy walk-up opportunity.

Trophy Quality

Trophy data for Unit 013 is best described in qualitative terms: the counties overlapping this unit carry a moderate history of trophy-class mule deer records. That places Unit 013 in the middle tier of Nevada units — not among the state's most decorated trophy areas, but also not a unit devoid of history. Forum discussion consistently backs this up, describing Unit 013 as a place where good bucks exist but require real effort and time to locate, rather than a unit known for a high concentration of giant deer.

It's worth remembering that Nevada's record-book credit is attributed at the county level, meaning any historical trophy production associated with Unit 013's counties is shared with adjacent units pulling from the same general herds. Hunters shouldn't expect Unit 013 to stand out dramatically from its neighbors in terms of trophy potential, but the moderate history here does suggest that mature, record-class bucks are a realistic (if uncommon) outcome for hunters who scout hard, hunt smart, and are willing to pass on smaller bucks early in the season.

How to Apply

Note that both residents and nonresidents must hold a qualifying Nevada hunting license before applying — this is a separate cost from the application fee itself and is easy to overlook when budgeting for the draw.

For current draw odds specific to Unit 013's various hunt types, visit HuntPilot's Nevada state page at /states/nv, where updated year-to-year odds and quota data are tracked.

Application dates and fees change every draw cycle. For the current deadlines, fees, and draw odds, see HuntPilot's Nevada page at /states/nv.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the terrain like in Unit 013? Unit 013 spans elevations from 4,471 to 7,909 feet across nearly 392,000 acres of entirely public land, with no wilderness designation. The terrain ranges from lower sagebrush flats and foothill country to steeper, more broken high country at the upper elevations. Hunters consistently report that the best bucks are found by getting away from roads and easy access points into the rougher, higher pockets of the unit.

What is harvest success like in Unit 013? Recent harvest success has trended upward, from 38% in 2023 to 43% in 2024 and 44% in 2025, even as hunter numbers grew substantially over the same period. This combination of rising participation and rising success is a positive indicator for herd health and hunting quality in the unit.

How big are the mule deer in Unit 013? Trophy records tied to the counties overlapping Unit 013 show a moderate history of quality bucks. This isn't a unit known for producing an unusually high number of record-class deer compared to Nevada's top-tier units, but mature bucks with real trophy potential are a realistic outcome for hunters who scout thoroughly and hunt the unit's less-pressured terrain.

Is Unit 013 worth applying for? Based on available data, yes — particularly for hunters who value 100% public land access and a unit trending in the right direction. Rising tag quotas across multiple hunt types, climbing success rates over the past three years, and a moderate trophy history combine to make Unit 013 a reasonable target for both residents and nonresidents willing to put in scouting time. It's not a slam-dunk trophy unit, but it's not a declining one either.

Is Unit 013 good for a DIY nonresident hunter? The 100% public land status makes Unit 013 genuinely DIY-friendly from an access standpoint — there's no private land to navigate around and no wilderness permitting to deal with.