Nevada Unit 106 Mule Deer Hunting Guide

Unit 106 is one of Nevada's larger mule deer units, spanning 924,268 acres of elevation-diverse country ranging from 4,216 feet up to 9,560 feet. For hunters researching Nevada mule deer hunting, this unit stands out for one simple reason: 96% of the land base is public, giving DIY hunters an enormous amount of room to spread out, scout, and find deer away from pressure. Combined with a strong trophy history in the surrounding counties, Unit 106 deserves a serious look from residents and nonresidents alike who are building a Nevada application strategy.

This is big, rugged country with nearly a mile and a half of elevation relief between the low desert floor and the high country. That kind of vertical variety means mule deer can be found across multiple habitat types depending on the time of year and weather, from sagebrush benches at lower elevations to timbered high country near the unit's peak elevations. For hunters willing to get away from roads — advice echoed repeatedly by hunters familiar with Nevada's deer units — Unit 106 offers the terrain and public access to make that strategy work.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 106 Worth Applying For?

Based on the data available, Unit 106 is a legitimate consideration for both residents and nonresidents targeting Nevada mule deer, though the picture is nuanced.

On the positive side, the harvest numbers show a huntable, functional deer population. In 2025, 2,221 hunters harvested 775 animals for a 35% unit-wide success rate — a healthy number for a western mule deer unit. In 2024, a smaller pool of 466 hunters harvested 157 deer for a 34% success rate. The consistency of that success rate across two very different hunter volumes (466 vs. 2,221) suggests the unit can absorb significantly more pressure without success collapsing, which is a good sign for herd density and huntability.

Tag quotas back this up. Nearly every hunt type in Unit 106 saw quota increases from 2024 to 2025 — the ALW-Mule Deer Antlered S1 and S2 hunts each roughly doubled from 293 to 600 tags (a 105% increase), the AR-Mule Deer Antlered Early hunt nearly doubled from 260 to 516 tags (98%), and the M-Mule Deer Antlered hunt jumped from 130 to 243 tags (87%). Nevada Department of Wildlife doesn't hand out tag increases of that magnitude unless herd data supports it. The Guided Antlered hunts (S1, S2, S3) stayed essentially flat, which tells hunters that the growth in opportunity is coming from the standard resident/nonresident allocation pools, not the guided component.

Trophy-wise, the counties overlapping Unit 106 carry a strong history of trophy-class mule deer production. That doesn't guarantee any individual hunter connects with a book buck, but it does mean the genetics and habitat in this region have consistently produced deer of that caliber over time — a meaningful data point for hunters willing to put in scouting time rather than hunt from the truck.

The caveat: with tag numbers roughly doubling in a single year, hunter density in the field will likely rise too, even if success rates hold. Hunters who prioritize solitude should plan to get well off the main routes, which the 96% public land base makes very possible.

Bottom line: Unit 106 is worth applying for if hunters value a large, mostly public unit with solid and stable success rates, rising tag numbers, and a real chance — with scouting — at a trophy-class buck. It's not a unit to draw and expect to shoot a big deer from the road; it rewards hunters who scout hard and hunt the terrain that most others won't walk into.

Harvest Success Rates

Unit 106's harvest data shows two data points worth weighing together. In 2025, 775 deer were harvested by 2,221 hunters (35% success). In 2024, 157 deer were harvested by 466 hunters (34% success). The near-identical success rate despite a nearly 5x increase in hunter numbers is the most telling detail in this dataset — it suggests the unit's deer population and habitat can support a much larger hunter load without diluting individual odds of success. That's a strong indicator of herd health and distributed deer densities across the unit's varied elevation bands, rather than a population concentrated in one small pocket that gets hammered as pressure rises.

For context, a mid-30s success percentage is solid for a western mule deer unit — not a slam-dunk unit where everyone tags out, but not a grind unit either. Hunters putting in scouting time and hunting away from the crowds, as forum-based hunters in this region consistently recommend, should expect their odds to run above the unit average.

Trophy Quality

Trophy data for the counties overlapping Unit 106 points to a strong history of trophy mule deer production. This is a county-level statistic shared with neighboring units in the same county boundaries, so it reflects the broader region's genetic and habitat potential rather than being unit-exclusive — but it's a meaningful signal nonetheless. Regions with a strong trophy record tend to have the combination of nutrition, age structure, and genetics needed to consistently grow mature bucks, provided those deer survive to maturity.

Given the unit's 96% public land and the sheer size of the acreage (924,268 acres) relative to hunter numbers, there is real opportunity for mature bucks to go unpressured in the unit's more remote pockets. Forum discussion around Nevada's deer units repeatedly emphasizes that big bucks exist in nearly every Nevada unit, but that finding them requires getting away from roads and into the areas other hunters skip. That advice applies directly to Unit 106: hunters chasing a trophy-class buck should expect to invest scouting time in the unit's more remote terrain rather than relying on easy access points.

Access & Terrain

Unit 106 offers exceptional access by western standards: 96% of the unit is public land, with no wilderness acreage recorded in the data. That combination — high public percentage, zero wilderness — means hunters can move freely across most of the unit without the additional access restrictions or outfitter requirements that wilderness designations can bring in other states. This is DIY-friendly country in the truest sense: the land is open, and the limiting factor is hunter effort, not land ownership.

The elevation range of 4,216 to 9,560 feet is substantial — over 5,300 feet of vertical relief within the unit boundary. That range gives hunters options depending on time of year, weather patterns, and how deer are distributed. Lower-elevation sagebrush and high desert terrain near the unit's floor will hold different deer patterns than the higher country near 9,000+ feet, and hunters who understand how to move through that elevation gradient — following deer as they shift with weather and pressure — will have an edge over those who post up in one spot.

Given the size of the unit and the near-total public access, hunters should lean on mapping tools to identify drainages, water sources, and elevation bands worth glassing before ever setting boots on the ground. HuntPilot's public land and terrain overlays are built for exactly this kind of pre-season scouting work in large, road-accessible public units like 106.

How to Apply

Fee structure differs meaningfully between residency classes:

Note that both resident and nonresident applicants must hold a qualifying license before they're eligible to apply — this license fee is separate from and in addition to the application fee and any point fee.

For current draw odds specific to Unit 106's various hunt types, check HuntPilot's Nevada state page at /states/nv, which tracks year-over-year application 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 Unit 106?

Unit 106 covers 924,268 acres with elevation ranging from 4,216 to 9,560 feet — a significant vertical range that spans low desert-type terrain up through high-elevation country. With 96% public land and no wilderness acreage, the unit is fully accessible to DIY hunters without the guide requirements that wilderness designations can trigger elsewhere. The scale of the unit means terrain and vegetation likely vary considerably from the valley floor to the high country, giving hunters multiple elevation bands to hunt depending on weather and deer movement.

What is harvest success like in Unit 106?

Recent harvest data shows a 35% success rate in 2025 (775 harvested out of 2,221 hunters) and a 34% success rate in 2024 (157 harvested out of 466 hunters). The consistency between these two years, despite a large swing in hunter numbers, suggests a stable and reasonably healthy deer population capable of supporting increased hunter pressure without a meaningful drop in individual success odds.

How big are the mule deer in Unit 106?

The counties overlapping Unit 106 carry a strong trophy history for mule deer, meaning the region has consistently produced trophy-class bucks over time. This is a shared county-level statistic with neighboring units, so it speaks to the broader area's potential rather than being unique to Unit 106 alone. Hunters seeking a trophy-class buck should plan to scout thoroughly and hunt away from easy-access areas, as most experienced Nevada hunters note that big bucks in this region tend to be found in the less-pressured pockets of a unit rather than near roads.

Is Unit 106 worth applying for?

Yes, based on the available data — particularly for hunters who value a large, almost entirely public unit (96%) with a stable success rate in the mid-30% range and a rising tag quota across nearly every hunt type from 2024 to 2025. The unit's strong regional trophy history adds further upside for hunters willing to scout hard. It's a stronger fit for hunters prepared to do real legwork away from roads than for those hoping for an easy, low-effort hunt.

What should hunters know before applying for Unit 106 as a nonresident?

Nonresidents should also budget scouting time carefully given the unit's size (924,268 acres) and elevation range (4,216–9,560 ft), since finding trophy-class deer in this region typically requires getting well away from the roads and into less-traveled terrain, according to experienced Nevada hunters. Check HuntPilot's Nevada state page at /states/nv for current draw data before finalizing an application strategy.