Nevada Unit 105 Elk Hunting Guide

Nevada Unit 105, part of the Spruce Mountain area in the northeastern part of the state, is one of the harder-to-characterize elk units on the map — a sprawling 464,428-acre landscape that spans from 5,574 feet up to 10,225 feet in elevation. For hunters researching Nevada Unit 105 elk hunting, this unit offers a mix of antlered, antlerless, and spike-only opportunities across multiple weapon draws, all set in a high-desert mountain range with minimal crowding and almost entirely public access.

With 93% public land and 0% wilderness designation, Unit 105 is fully open to unguided, self-directed hunters willing to put in the legwork — no outfitter requirements, no wilderness permit logistics, just open country and a lot of vertical relief to cover. That combination of accessibility and terrain diversity is exactly why this unit shows up regularly in Nevada elk discussions, even though it's a relatively young hunt compared to some of the state's more established elk areas.

This article breaks down what the data actually shows for Unit 105 — harvest trends, tag quotas, trophy potential, and the application process — so hunters can decide whether this unit deserves a spot on their Nevada application.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 105 Worth Applying For?

The honest answer is that Unit 105 is a solid consideration for hunters who value public-land access and are realistic about what an elk hunt in a smaller Nevada unit looks like. At 93% public land, access is not a limiting factor here — nearly the entire unit is huntable without navigating private land negotiations, and there's no wilderness designation to complicate route planning or logistics.

The harvest numbers tell an interesting story of a unit still finding its footing. In 2024, just 36 hunters pursued elk across all hunt types in Unit 105, and 22 of them harvested — a 61% success rate. That's a strong number, but it came from a small sample size, which matters when interpreting the data. In 2025, hunter numbers jumped sharply to 151, and harvest climbed to 51 animals, but the success rate dropped to 34%. This is a fairly normal pattern: as more tags get allocated and more hunters hit the same ground, per-hunter success typically declines even as total harvest rises. Hunters should view the 2024 number as an outlier tied to low participation, and the 2025 figure as a more realistic expectation of what a broader draw pool can expect going forward.

Tag quotas across the unit's eight hunt types have been largely stable or modestly increasing between 2024 and 2025. The ALW-Elk Antlerless quota grew from 30 to 35 tags (a 17% increase), and the ALW-Elk Antlered Early quota ticked up from 19 to 20 tags. Most other categories — Antlered Late, Spike, and the M-Elk and AR-Elk pools — held flat or saw only single-tag increases. This tells hunters that Nevada's wildlife managers are not aggressively expanding pressure on this unit, which is a good sign for long-term herd stability and hunt quality.

Trophy-wise, the counties overlapping Unit 105 carry a strong history of producing trophy-class elk, based on available record-book data. That doesn't guarantee a giant bull behind every ridge, but it does mean hunters drawing tags here are hunting in country with a real trophy pedigree — not just a management unit propped up for tag sales. Combined with the low hunter density relative to unit size (464,428 acres divided among a few dozen to a couple hundred tag holders across all hunt types), Unit 105 offers a legitimate shot at a mature bull for hunters willing to get off the main routes.

The verdict: Unit 105 is worth applying for, particularly for hunters who want public-land access, moderate competition, and a unit with genuine trophy history rather than one riding on reputation alone. It's not a unit where success is handed out — the 2025 success rate makes that clear — but the fundamentals (access, quota trends, trophy pedigree) support putting in for it.

Harvest Success Rates

Unit 105's harvest data shows a clear shift between the two most recent seasons. In 2024, 36 total hunters harvested 22 elk for a 61% success rate — a strong number, though drawn from a small hunter pool that can skew upward. In 2025, participation more than quadrupled to 151 hunters, and harvest rose to 51 animals, but the success rate settled at 34%.

This decline from 61% to 34% is worth sitting with. It doesn't necessarily mean the herd or hunting quality dropped — it more likely reflects a much larger and more varied group of hunters across all the unit's hunt types (antlered, antlerless, and spike combined), diluting the per-hunter success rate. Hunters should plan around the 34% figure as the more statistically meaningful expectation, since it comes from a far larger sample. Either way, both years show that killing an elk in Unit 105 is realistic but far from automatic — scouting, physical conditioning, and knowledge of the terrain matter.

Trophy Quality

Trophy data for the counties overlapping Unit 105 points to a strong history of record-book production. This is meaningful context: it means the broader landscape this unit sits within has consistently produced trophy-class bulls over time, not just occasional outliers. As with all Nevada units, these county-level records are shared across neighboring units, so Unit 105 hunters are benefiting from — and contributing to — a regional reputation rather than a unit-exclusive one.

For hunters chasing a genuine trophy bull, this qualitative signal is a positive indicator. It doesn't guarantee a record-class encounter every season, but it does support the idea that Unit 105 sits in a part of Nevada capable of growing mature, well-scored bulls given enough age and pressure relief — both of which the low-harvest-pressure numbers suggest are present here.

Access & Terrain

Unit 105 spans a huge elevation gradient, from 5,574 feet at the valley floors to 10,225 feet at the highest points on Spruce Mountain. That nearly 4,700-foot swing means hunters can expect everything from sagebrush foothills and lower benches to steep, timbered high country near the peak — often within the same day's hike. This kind of vertical diversity rewards hunters who are willing to climb into the higher elevation bands where elk retreat from pressure and heat, especially as hunt seasons progress.

With 93% of the unit in public ownership, access is about as good as it gets in Nevada elk hunting. Hunters won't be fighting a patchwork of private inholdings to reach good ground — the vast majority of the 464,428 acres is open to explore. There is no wilderness designation in Unit 105, which means no special access restrictions, no guide requirements tied to wilderness boundaries, and generally more flexible route options for reaching remote basins and ridgelines.

That said, "public" doesn't mean "easy." A unit this size, with this much elevation change, demands real scouting effort. Forum discussion around this unit consistently emphasizes getting away from roads and pressure points to find better hunting — advice that applies broadly across Nevada's mountain-range units and is particularly relevant here given the jump in hunter numbers between 2024 and 2025. Hunters serious about maximizing their odds should use mapping tools — including HuntPilot's public land and terrain overlays — to identify remote basins, water sources, and elevation bands away from the more heavily traveled access points before ever setting boots on the ground.

How to Apply

Note that Nevada requires hunters to hold a qualifying hunting license before submitting an elk application — this license fee is separate from and in addition to the application fee and point fee, and it applies whether or not a hunter ultimately draws a tag.

Nevada's draw system is a bonus-point structure, and as forum discussion around Nevada elk consistently notes, draw odds can vary dramatically by unit and hunt type — a low-point applicant can occasionally out-draw someone with many accumulated points in a given year, since Nevada's system isn't pure preference-based guarantee. Hunters should check current draw odds and quota details for Unit 105 directly on HuntPilot's Nevada state page (/states/nv) rather than assuming point totals guarantee anything.

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 105? Unit 105 covers a dramatic elevation range from 5,574 feet to 10,225 feet across 464,428 acres in the Spruce Mountain area. Hunters can expect lower sagebrush and foothill country transitioning into steep, higher-elevation terrain near the peak. With 93% public land, access across this range is broad, though the size and vertical relief mean serious scouting is required to locate elk consistently.

What is harvest success like in Unit 105? Recent data shows a wide swing: 2024 saw 36 hunters harvest 22 elk for a 61% success rate, while 2025 saw a much larger pool of 151 hunters harvest 51 elk for a 34% success rate. The 2025 figures, drawn from a larger sample, are likely more representative of what hunters should expect going forward.

How big are the elk in Unit 105? The counties overlapping Unit 105 have a strong history of producing trophy-class elk, based on available record-book data. While these records are shared across neighboring units at the county level, the trend supports the idea that this region of Nevada is capable of growing mature, well-antlered bulls.

Is Unit 105 worth applying for? Based on the available data, yes — particularly for hunters prioritizing public-land access (93%) and a unit with genuine trophy pedigree rather than one carried by hype. Tag quotas have been stable to slightly increasing across most hunt types between 2024 and 2025, and while success rates dropped as hunter numbers rose, the unit still offers a realistic, non-crowded elk hunting experience.

Does Unit 105 require an outfitter or guide? No. Unit 105 has 0% wilderness designation, so there are no state-mandated guide requirements tied to wilderness access. The unit is fully open to unguided, self-directed hunters, which combined with its high public land percentage makes it a practical DIY option for both residents and nonresidents.