Nevada Unit 062 Elk Hunting Guide

Nevada Unit 062 is a 497,988-acre elk hunting unit that spans an elevation range of 5,332 to 10,408 feet, offering hunters a mix of high desert basins and mountain terrain to pursue elk. With 70% of the unit in public ownership and no designated wilderness acreage, Unit 062 gives hunters relatively straightforward access to a large chunk of huntable country without the guide requirements that come with wilderness-heavy units in other states.

For hunters weighing whether to spend points or apply cold in Unit 062, the unit presents a genuinely interesting case: strong recent harvest success, a tightening tag quota picture on some hunt types, and a trophy pedigree tied to counties with a real history of producing quality bulls. This article breaks down what the data actually shows so hunters can decide whether Unit 062 deserves a spot on their application list.

Harvest Success Rates

Recent harvest data for Unit 062 shows a unit trending in the right direction for hunters who draw a tag. In the 2025 season, 256 hunters combined to harvest 98 elk, a 38% success rate across all hunt types in the unit. That's a meaningful jump from 2024, when 159 hunters harvested 52 elk for a 33% success rate.

Both years show success rates well above what many western elk units produce, and the increase in both hunter numbers and harvested animals from 2024 to 2025 suggests the unit is either holding more elk, seeing better hunter performance, or both. A success rate in the high-30s is a strong indicator that hunters who draw a tag in Unit 062 have a legitimate shot at putting an animal on the ground, regardless of which specific hunt type they're assigned to.

It's worth noting that this harvest data reflects unit-wide totals across all hunt types — antlered, antlerless, and spike hunts are blended together in these figures. Hunters chasing a mature bull should weigh that context against the tag quota trends below, since not every tag in this success-rate pool represents an opportunity at a trophy animal.

Trophy Quality

The counties overlapping Unit 062 carry a strong history of trophy record production. That history reflects records logged at the county level, meaning entries are shared across all units that fall within those county boundaries — not exclusive to Unit 062 alone. Still, that regional pedigree is a meaningful signal for hunters evaluating where to spend limited-entry applications or accumulated points.

Forum chatter around Nevada's elk units consistently repeats a theme: bulls in the 350-inch class are considered realistic in many Nevada units, and the state's overall elk population is managed at low densities with correspondingly high-quality genetics and forage. While that kind of anecdotal color shouldn't replace hard data, it lines up with the qualitative trophy history tied to the counties overlapping Unit 062. Hunters targeting antlered bulls here should treat this as a unit with legitimate trophy potential, not just a numbers-and-opportunity unit.

Hunters should keep in mind that antler-point-restricted hunts (spike-only tags) are management-oriented opportunities rather than trophy hunts. The presence of a spike quota in this unit's hunt-type breakdown is about population control and hunter opportunity, not an indicator of trophy quality — that assessment applies specifically to the antlered bull hunts.

Herd Health & Population Trends

While a formal bull-to-cow ratio wasn't included in the available data, the tag quota trends by hunt type tell a clear management story. Nevada Department of Wildlife appears to be actively adjusting antlerless and spike quotas downward while holding or slightly increasing antlered tag numbers — a pattern typically associated with agencies working to protect or rebuild bull age structure and overall herd composition.

Specifically, the antlerless quota was cut from 80 tags in 2024 to just 25 in 2025, a reduction of 55 tags (69%). The spike quota also dropped, from 18 tags in 2024 to 15 in 2025, a cut of 3 tags (17%). Meanwhile, the antlered elk quota held steady at 30 tags across both years, and the archery antlered category actually grew from 5 tags in 2024 to 7 in 2025 (a 40% increase). The muzzleloader-classified antlered quota (listed separately in the data) also doubled, from 2 tags in 2024 to 4 in 2025.

This combination — sharp cuts to antlerless and spike quotas alongside stable or growing antlered tag numbers — suggests wildlife managers are dialing back overall harvest pressure on cows and young bulls while preserving opportunity at mature bulls. Combined with the jump in unit-wide success rate from 33% to 38% between 2024 and 2025, this points to a herd that managers are actively working to protect and grow, which is a positive sign for hunters looking several seasons down the road.

Access & Terrain

Unit 062 covers nearly half a million acres of Nevada high desert and mountain country, with elevations ranging from 5,332 feet at the low end up to 10,408 feet at the highest points. That's a substantial vertical range, giving elk plenty of room to move seasonally between lower sage-steppe basins and higher timbered or alpine terrain depending on weather and forage conditions.

With 70% of the unit in public ownership, hunters have solid access to the majority of the huntable ground here — this is a public-land-dominant unit where DIY hunters can realistically plan a hunt without needing to negotiate private land access for most of the acreage. The remaining 30% is private, so hunters should still verify boundaries carefully, particularly in lower-elevation valley bottoms where private ranch land tends to concentrate in Nevada units.

There is no designated wilderness acreage in Unit 062, which means there are no Wyoming-style guide mandates to worry about (this is a Nevada unit regardless, so that rule doesn't apply here) — but more practically, it also suggests road and vehicle access likely reaches deeper into the unit's terrain than in wilderness-heavy areas. That can be a double-edged sword: easier access for hunters willing to hike away from roads, but also easier access for other hunters. Forum accounts consistently emphasize that hunters willing to get away from roads and hunting pressure in Nevada units tend to find better bucks and bulls than those who stay close to easy access points. Given the elevation range and acreage here, there's plenty of country to put that strategy to work in Unit 062.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 062 Worth Applying For?

Based on the data available, Unit 062 looks like a legitimately strong option for elk hunters, particularly those targeting antlered bulls. The case builds on several data points working in the same direction:

• Rising success rates. A jump from 33% to 38% success between 2024 and 2025 unit-wide is a meaningful positive trend, not a marginal blip.
• Favorable quota management. Wildlife managers are cutting antlerless and spike tags while holding steady or increasing antlered tag numbers — a pattern that typically signals herd protection and a push toward better bull quality over time.
• Trophy pedigree. The surrounding counties carry a strong trophy-record history, giving hunters real reason to believe a quality bull is achievable here, not just a management-class animal.
• Solid public access. At 70% public land across nearly 500,000 acres, DIY hunters have room to spread out and get away from pressure, which the forum data suggests is the single biggest lever for finding better animals in Nevada.

The primary caveat is that this analysis is built on two years of harvest data and one year-over-year quota comparison — a longer track record would strengthen confidence in these trends. Hunters should also recognize that Nevada's draw system means point holders and even first-time applicants can end up with a tag, so this isn't strictly a long-term point-bank play; it's worth applying regardless of point status. For current draw odds specific to point levels and hunt types, hunters should check HuntPilot's Unit 062 page directly, since draw percentages shift from year to year.

How to Apply

Note that Nevada requires hunters to hold a qualifying hunting license before they can even submit an elk application — this license fee is separate from and in addition to the application fee and eventual tag fee if drawn.

Dates and fees are subject to change. Always verify current application details at the state wildlife agency website or HuntPilot's Nevada state page (/states/nv) before applying.

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 Nevada Unit 062? Unit 062 spans a wide elevation range from 5,332 feet up to 10,408 feet across nearly 498,000 acres, giving hunters access to both lower desert basin terrain and higher mountain country within the same unit. With 70% public land, most of that elevation gradient is accessible to DIY hunters, though the remaining 30% private land is concentrated enough that hunters should confirm boundaries before planning routes, particularly at lower elevations.

What is harvest success like in Unit 062? Harvest success in Unit 062 has trended upward recently, from 33% in 2024 (159 hunters, 52 harvested) to 38% in 2025 (256 hunters, 98 harvested). These are unit-wide totals across all hunt types, so success rates for hunters specifically targeting mature antlered bulls may differ from these blended figures.

How big are the elk in Nevada Unit 062? Trophy data tied to the counties overlapping Unit 062 shows a strong history of trophy-class bull production, though those records are logged at the county level and are shared with neighboring units in the same counties rather than being exclusive to Unit 062. Hunters targeting a trophy-class bull should focus specifically on antlered hunt types, since spike tags in this unit are management-oriented opportunities rather than trophy hunts.

Is Nevada Unit 062 worth applying for? Based on the available data, yes — Unit 062 shows rising harvest success, quota management trends that favor bull quality (declining antlerless and spike tags alongside stable or growing antlered tag numbers), strong regional trophy pedigree, and solid public land access at 70%. Hunters should check HuntPilot's Unit 062 page for current draw odds specific to their residency and point status before finalizing an application strategy.

Do I need a guide to hunt elk in Nevada Unit 062? No. Unit 062 has 0% designated wilderness acreage, so there is no state guide requirement tied to wilderness access here (that requirement is specific to Wyoming wilderness areas in any case, not Nevada). Hunters can pursue a DIY hunt in this unit without an outfitter, though the size and terrain diversity of the unit reward those who scout ahead of the season.