Nevada Unit 113 Mule Deer Hunting Guide

Nevada Unit 113 sits in the eastern part of the state's mule deer country, spanning 431,085 acres from valley floors at 5,345 feet up to alpine ridgelines topping out at 9,694 feet. For hunters researching Nevada Unit 113 mule deer hunting, this is a unit defined by wide-open public access, meaningful elevation relief, and a draw system that rewards patience and unit selection over anything else. With 99% of the unit in public ownership and zero designated wilderness, it's a unit that's genuinely open to DIY hunters willing to put in scouting time.

Nevada's draw structure means no unit is a "lock," and Unit 113 is no exception. But the numbers behind it — consistent harvest success, growing tag quotas across several hunt types, and a moderate trophy history in the surrounding counties — make it a unit worth putting on the short list for hunters building a Nevada mule deer strategy.

Herd Health & Harvest Success Rates

Harvest data for Unit 113 shows a mule deer herd that's producing consistent results for hunters who draw a tag. In 2025, 349 hunters harvested 187 animals for a 54% unit-wide success rate — up from 344 hunters and 171 harvested animals (50% success) in 2024. That's a meaningful year-over-year improvement in both harvest numbers and success percentage, and it's a strong indicator that deer density and hunter effectiveness in this unit are trending in the right direction rather than declining.

A success rate in the 50-54% range is solid for a western mule deer unit. It tells hunters that a tag in Unit 113 is not a token opportunity — hunters who draw and put in the fieldwork have better-than-coin-flip odds of putting a deer on the ground. That consistency across two consecutive years, rather than a single good year, adds confidence that this isn't a statistical blip.

Tag Quota Trends

One of the more encouraging data points for Unit 113 is the direction of tag quotas across nearly every hunt type tracked from 2024 to 2025:

• ALW-Mule Deer Antlered Early: held steady at 170 tags in both 2024 and 2025 — a stable, established allocation.
• ALW-Mule Deer Antlered Late: increased from 10 tags in 2024 to 15 in 2025, a 50% jump.
• AR-Mule Deer Antlered: increased from 60 tags in 2024 to 80 in 2025, a 33% increase.
• M-Mule Deer Antlered: increased from 25 tags in 2024 to 30 in 2025, a 20% increase.

Three of the four tracked hunt types saw quota increases heading into 2025, with only the early antlered hunt holding flat rather than declining. That's a meaningfully positive signal — states generally don't increase tag quotas unless herd data supports it. For hunters tracking whether a unit's opportunity is expanding or contracting, Unit 113 is expanding on nearly every front. That said, these are the only years with confirmed quota data — there's no basis in the numbers to project quotas further back or forward, so treat this as a two-year snapshot rather than a long-term trend line.

Trophy Quality

The counties overlapping Unit 113 carry a moderate history of trophy-class mule deer entries. This isn't a unit with a headline reputation for giant bucks, but it isn't a blank slate either — there's a real, documented history of quality deer coming out of this part of the state. Forum chatter from hunters who've spent time in eastern Nevada echoes this: most units in the region will hold mature bucks, and hunters willing to get away from roads and pressure consistently find pockets of better deer. The units with reputations for truly exceptional bucks tend to be a smaller handful of hard-to-draw units elsewhere in the state — Unit 113 should be approached as a unit that offers a realistic shot at a mature, respectable buck rather than a unit hunters draw specifically chasing record-book genetics.

Given the moderate trophy record history, hunters should set expectations accordingly: this is a good unit for a quality, hard-earned mule deer, not a unit to bank a once-in-a-lifetime score on.

Access & Terrain

Unit 113 is about as open as it gets in terms of land access. At 99% public land, there is essentially no private-land bottleneck to work around — hunters can move freely across nearly the entire unit without needing landowner permission or facing fenced-off blocks of prime habitat. Combined with 0% wilderness designation, there are also no special access restrictions or guide requirements to worry about; every acre is fair game for foot, vehicle, or pack-in access depending on how a hunter wants to approach it.

The elevation range — 5,345 feet at the low end up to 9,694 feet at the highest points — gives the unit real vertical diversity. That spread supports a mix of terrain types, from lower sagebrush basins to higher timbered and alpine country, which typically translates into mule deer using different elevation bands depending on the time of year and weather. Hunters who scout should plan to cover this elevation gradient rather than committing to a single band, since deer will shift with temperature and forage.

The forum consensus on eastern Nevada units generally applies here too: the deer are there, but so are the roads, and hunters who put in the effort to get away from vehicle access and crowds are the ones who consistently find better bucks. With 99% public land, there's no shortage of country to explore — the limiting factor is time and legwork, not access.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 113 Worth Applying For?

Based on the data available through HuntPilot, Unit 113 earns a solid recommendation for hunters who prioritize consistent opportunity and genuine public access over chasing a narrow shot at a record-book buck. The case for applying:

• Success rates are strong and improving. A jump from 50% to 54% success across 2024 to 2025, on a growing hunter pool, is a good sign of herd health and huntability.
• Tag quotas are trending up. Three of four tracked hunt types saw increases into 2025, meaning more opportunity is being added to this unit rather than taken away.
• Public land access is nearly unrestricted. At 99% public and 0% wilderness, DIY hunters face virtually no access barriers.
• Trophy potential is real but moderate. Hunters should apply here expecting a solid, mature buck opportunity — not necessarily a record-book hunt.

The honest caveat, echoed by hunters on Nevada forums, is that no unit in the state offers a "guaranteed" draw — a resident with a single point can still draw over a nonresident with a stack of points in some scenarios, and nonresident odds on the best units can run into single-digit territory. Unit 113 should be evaluated as part of a broader Nevada strategy rather than a unit to fixate on exclusively. For hunters weighing where to spend an application, though, the combination of rising quotas, strong recent success rates, and wide-open public access makes Unit 113 a legitimately competitive pick — not just a fallback option.

How to Apply

Note that both resident and nonresident applicants must hold a qualifying license before applying — this license fee is separate from and in addition to the application fee and tag fee, and it's a cost that's easy to overlook when budgeting for a Nevada application.

For current draw odds specific to Unit 113 and its various hunt types, hunters should check HuntPilot's Nevada unit pages and the state's application portal directly, since draw statistics shift from year to year based on quota and applicant pool changes.

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 113? Unit 113 spans a wide elevation range from 5,345 feet up to 9,694 feet, giving it a mix of lower sagebrush and basin terrain along with higher, more rugged country at the top end. With 431,085 total acres and 99% public land, there's substantial room to move and scout across multiple elevation bands. There's no designated wilderness in the unit, so access isn't restricted by wilderness travel rules.

What is harvest success like in Unit 113? Recent harvest data shows success rates of 54% in 2025 (349 hunters, 187 harvested) and 50% in 2024 (344 hunters, 171 harvested). That's a consistent, above-average success rate for a western mule deer unit, and the year-over-year improvement suggests the herd and hunting conditions are trending positively rather than declining.

How big are the mule deer in Unit 113? The counties overlapping Unit 113 have a moderate history of trophy-class mule deer entries. This means mature, quality bucks are a realistic goal, but the unit doesn't carry the reputation of Nevada's elite, hard-to-draw trophy units. Hunters should set expectations for a solid, respectable buck rather than a record-book chase.

Is Unit 113 worth applying for? Based on available data, yes — particularly for hunters who value consistent success rates and open public access. Tag quotas increased across most hunt types from 2024 to 2025, harvest success is trending upward, and 99% of the unit is public land with no wilderness restrictions. It's a strong option within a broader Nevada application strategy, though hunters should check HuntPilot's current draw odds pages before committing points or applications, since Nevada's draw system does not guarantee outcomes based on points alone.

How difficult is it to draw a mule deer tag in Unit 113 as a nonresident? Draw odds vary by hunt type and change annually based on quota and applicant numbers, so specific percentages aren't included here. Nevada's draw system also means a nonresident with many points is not guaranteed to draw ahead of a resident with fewer. Hunters should check HuntPilot's Nevada draw odds pages or the state wildlife agency's published draw statistics for current numbers before applying.