Nevada Unit 104 Mule Deer Hunting Guide

Nevada Unit 104 sits in the eastern portion of the state's mule deer country, spanning 851,116 acres of public land — every single acre of it open to hunters, with zero wilderness designation to complicate access. For hunters researching Nevada Unit 104 mule deer hunting, this is one of the more approachable large units in the state simply because there's no private land to navigate around and no wilderness permitting hassle to worry about. Elevation runs from 5,963 feet up to 9,242 feet, giving hunters a real spread of habitat types to work with, from lower sagebrush benches to high-elevation timber and basins.

This is a unit that shows up repeatedly in online hunter discussions as a legitimate alternative to the more heavily discussed units in the same region, and the tag quota data backs up the idea that Nevada has been actively expanding opportunity here. Multiple deer hunt types in Unit 104 saw substantial tag increases between 2024 and 2025, which is worth understanding before deciding whether to spend points or apply fresh.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 104 Worth Applying For?

The honest answer depends on what a hunter is after. Unit 104 is not a unit hunters draw for a shot at the state's biggest bucks on a first try — nonresident mule deer tags anywhere in Nevada are notoriously difficult to draw, and this unit is no exception in the sense that demand statewide is high. But the data here tells a specific story: Nevada nearly doubled tag numbers across most hunt types in this unit heading into 2025. The ALW-Mule Deer Antlered S1 and S2 hunts jumped from 293 tags each in 2024 to 600 tags each in 2025 — a 105% increase. The AR-Mule Deer Antlered Early hunt nearly doubled as well, going from 260 to 516 tags (98% increase), and the M-Mule Deer Antlered hunt grew from 130 to 243 tags, an 87% jump. Even the smaller AR-Mule Deer Antlered Late hunt doubled outright, from 15 to 30 tags.

That kind of quota expansion across nearly every hunt type in a single unit is unusual and signals that wildlife managers see room for additional harvest pressure — likely reflecting a herd that can support more hunters without compromising quality. The one exception worth noting is the ALW-Mule Deer Guided Antlered series, where S1 tags were actually cut slightly (17 to 15, a 12% reduction) while S2 and S3 held stable. That's a small, guide-specific allocation and the trend there is flat to slightly down, unlike the broader unit trend.

Harvest numbers from the unit reinforce that Unit 104 delivers. In 2025, 2,220 hunters harvested 775 animals for a 35% unit-wide success rate. That's a healthy number for a mule deer unit of this size, and it suggests hunters who put in the legwork here are connecting at a solid clip. The much smaller 2024 sample — 21 hunters, 8 harvested, 38% success — likely reflects a narrower hunt type or subset of the season rather than the full picture, but the success rate lines up closely with the larger 2025 figure, which is a good sign of consistency.

Given 100% public land access, no wilderness restrictions, expanding tag quotas, and a documented trophy history in the surrounding counties, Unit 104 is worth serious consideration for hunters who can either draw a tag outright or who are willing to spend a modest points investment. It's not a unit to write off as "opportunity only" — the data suggests both volume and quality are on the table.

Trophy Quality

Trophy records tied to the counties overlapping Unit 104 show a strong history of production. That doesn't mean every hunter walks out with a record-book buck, and it's worth remembering that record entries are logged at the county level, so the same trophy history is shared with neighboring units in those counties — the specific animals could have come from anywhere across that broader landscape. Still, a strong trophy history in this region indicates the genetics and habitat exist to grow mature bucks, and hunters who scout hard and get away from easy access points have a real chance at a quality animal here. Forum discussion around this general area of Nevada echoes that theme — hunters consistently note that "big bucks" turn up in nearly every unit in this part of the state, with the caveat that finding them requires getting off the roads and away from other hunters.

Harvest Success Rates

The 2025 season produced a 35% success rate across 2,220 hunters, with 775 total deer harvested. That's a strong number for a unit this size, and it reflects favorable hunting conditions relative to many limited-entry deer units nationally. The 2024 figures (21 hunters, 8 harvested, 38% success) come from a much smaller sample — likely a specific hunt type rather than the full unit — but the similarity in success percentage between the two years suggests this isn't a fluke. Hunters drawing tags in Unit 104 are, on balance, finding and connecting with deer at a rate well above what's typical in many western units.

Access & Terrain

Unit 104's defining access characteristic is simple: 100% public land. There is no private property to work around, no need to secure landowner permission, and no wilderness designation limiting motorized access. That combination makes this one of the most straightforward large units in Nevada for DIY hunters to plan around logistically.

The elevation range — 5,963 to 9,242 feet — means hunters can expect lower sagebrush and desert-adjacent terrain in the lower elevations transitioning into higher benches and possibly timbered pockets near the top of that range. That spread gives deer plenty of room to move seasonally and gives hunters multiple elevation zones to scout depending on weather and time of year. With zero wilderness acreage, motorized access reaches deep into the unit, which cuts both ways: it makes scouting and hauling out game easier, but it also means competition from other hunters near roads is a real factor. Forum commentary on this general region backs this up directly — hunters who get away from roads and crowds consistently find better bucks in pockets that receive less pressure. Hunters serious about Unit 104 should use HuntPilot's public land and terrain mapping tools to identify drainages and elevation bands that sit farther from easy vehicle access before the season opens.

How to Apply

Note that Nevada requires hunters to hold a qualifying hunting license before they're eligible to apply for the draw — this license fee is separate from and in addition to the application fee and tag fee, and it applies whether or not the applicant ultimately draws a tag.

Nevada's draw system does not use straight preference points the way some western states do — as one forum poster in this region put it, "you could lose out to a guy with one point," meaning there's no guaranteed draw at any point level in Nevada's system. For current draw odds specific to Unit 104 and its various hunt types, hunters should check HuntPilot's Nevada state page at /states/nv, which tracks year-to-year data as it's published.

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 104? Unit 104 spans elevations from 5,963 feet to 9,242 feet across 851,116 acres, all of it public land. That elevation range covers lower sagebrush terrain up through higher benches and basins near the top of the range. With no wilderness designation, roads reach into most corners of the unit, so terrain accessibility is generally good, though hunters looking for less pressured pockets will need to hike away from the most accessible drainages.

What is harvest success in Unit 104? In 2025, Unit 104 hunters posted a 35% success rate, with 775 deer harvested out of 2,220 hunters. That's a strong result for a unit this size. A smaller 2024 sample (21 hunters, 8 harvested) showed a comparable 38% success rate, reinforcing that success has been consistent rather than a one-year anomaly.

How big are the mule deer in Unit 104? Trophy records from the counties overlapping Unit 104 show a strong history of production, though those records are shared across neighboring units in the same counties rather than being unit-exclusive. That history suggests the habitat and genetics in this part of Nevada support mature bucks, but as with any Nevada unit, finding a quality buck typically means getting away from roads and hunting pressure rather than expecting an easy encounter near access points.

Is Unit 104 worth applying for? Based on the data, yes — particularly for hunters willing to do some legwork. The unit combines 100% public land access, no wilderness restrictions, a documented trophy history in the surrounding counties, and a strong 35% harvest success rate in 2025. Tag quotas across nearly every hunt type also increased substantially heading into 2025, some by more than 100%, suggesting expanding opportunity. The main caveat is that Nevada's draw system offers no guarantees regardless of points accumulated, so hunters should treat any application as a real but uncertain shot rather than a sure thing.

How difficult is it to draw a mule deer tag in Unit 104 as a nonresident? Draw odds for Unit 104 specifically are not detailed in this data set, but Nevada's overall draw system does not guarantee tags at any point level for either residents or nonresidents. Hunters should check current draw odds for Unit 104 on HuntPilot's Nevada state page (/states/nv) before deciding how many hunt types to apply for and where to allocate points.