Nevada Unit 162 Mule Deer Hunting Guide

Nevada Unit 162 sits in the eastern portion of the state's mule deer country, spanning elevations from 5,409 feet up to 10,864 feet across 1,247,049 acres of almost entirely public ground. For hunters researching Nevada Unit 162 mule deer hunting opportunities, this unit stands out for one simple reason: 100% public land access across a huge landscape, with just 7% of that ground falling inside designated wilderness. That combination gives DIY hunters an enormous amount of country to work with and very little competition from private landowners for access.

Unit 162 is part of the broader 161-164 late deer grouping that shows up frequently in hunter discussions, and it carries a piece of Nevada mule deer history — old-timers still reference a long-standing non-typical buck taken out of the Stoneberger Basin area within this unit, one of the largest bucks ever recorded in the state. That history alone makes the unit worth a serious look for hunters chasing a genuine trophy experience rather than just a tag to fill.

This article breaks down what the available data says about Unit 162 — harvest trends, tag quota movement, application costs and deadlines, and what hunters can reasonably expect walking into this country.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 162 Worth Applying For?

Based on the data available through HuntPilot, Unit 162 earns a favorable look for hunters willing to put in scouting time. The most recent harvest numbers show 387 hunters afield in 2025 with 149 deer harvested, a 39% success rate for the unit overall. In 2024, 218 hunters harvested 89 deer for a 41% success rate. Both years land in a similar range — success in the high-30s to low-40s percent — which suggests a reasonably consistent, dependable unit rather than one prone to wild swings in hunter success.

What's notable is the jump in hunter numbers between 2024 and 2025 (218 to 387) without a corresponding collapse in success rate. That's backed up by real movement on the tag-quota side: every antlered hunt type in this unit saw quotas increase from 2024 to 2025. The ALW-Mule Deer Antlered Early hunt grew from 110 to 175 tags (a 59% increase), the ALW-Mule Deer Antlered Late hunt grew from 10 to 25 tags (150% increase), the AR-Mule Deer Antlered hunt grew from 49 to 85 tags (73% increase), and the M-Mule Deer Antlered hunt grew from 15 to 30 tags (a full 100% increase). More tags being issued while success rates hold steady in the high-30s to low-40s percent range is a good sign that the deer herd is supporting increased hunter pressure reasonably well, at least across these two seasons of data.

The trophy picture adds another layer. Counties overlapping Unit 162 carry a moderate history of trophy-quality mule deer records. It's worth noting — as with all Nevada units — that record-book entries are attributed to the county, not the specific unit, so that trophy history is shared with neighboring units in the same county rather than being exclusive to 162. Still, combined with the unit's reputation among hunters as producing genuinely large-bodied, well-antlered bucks in its more remote pockets, this gives Unit 162 more trophy credibility than a typical high-pressure unit.

The verdict: for hunters who can commit to scouting away from easy access points and are comfortable working big, rugged public ground, Unit 162 is worth applying for — particularly for those targeting the late-season hunts that tend to draw more slowly but concentrate deer as weather pushes them down in elevation.

Harvest Success Rates

The two years of harvest data available paint a fairly stable picture for Unit 162. In 2025, 387 hunters combined for 149 harvested animals, a 39% success rate. In 2024, a smaller pool of 218 hunters harvested 89 deer, a 41% success rate. Success held in a tight band across both years despite hunter numbers increasing by nearly 80%, which is a meaningful data point — it suggests the unit absorbed more pressure without success rates dropping off a cliff.

For context, success rates in the high-30s to low-40s percent range are respectable for a public-land mule deer unit of this size and terrain difficulty. Hunters shouldn't expect an easy tag to fill, but the numbers indicate that hunters who put in the legwork are connecting at a solid clip.

Trophy Quality

Trophy data available for the counties overlapping Unit 162 points to a moderate history of trophy-class mule deer production. This isn't an elite, headline unit stacked with entries, but it has real trophy pedigree — most notably tied to the unit's association with one of Nevada's most storied non-typical bucks, taken years ago out of the Stoneberger Basin area within Unit 162's boundaries. Hunter forum discussion consistently ranks the broader 161-164 grouping among the state's better late-season trophy options, and that qualitative reputation lines up with the moderate trophy history reflected in the record data.

Given the county-level nature of record-book attribution, this trophy history is shared with neighboring units rather than being unique to 162, but the unit's size, its access to remote high country up to 10,864 feet, and its low pressure in the backcountry all support the idea that mature bucks are present for hunters willing to get away from roads.

Herd Health & Access

Public land coverage in Unit 162 sits at 100%, meaning every acre of this 1,247,049-acre unit is open to hunters without needing to navigate private land permissions or lease agreements. That's about as good as access gets in the West. Wilderness acreage is limited to 7% of the unit, so the vast majority of the terrain is accessible by road or trail without the additional planning that heavy wilderness percentages can require elsewhere.

Elevation in the unit ranges from 5,409 feet up to 10,864 feet, giving hunters a wide range of habitat types to work — from lower sagebrush benches and foothill terrain up into high alpine basins near the top of the elevation band. That spread matters for a late-season hunt in particular, since weather and snowfall will push deer down out of the high country as the season progresses, concentrating animals in more accessible mid-elevation terrain.

Hunter experience shared in online forums consistently emphasizes that the best bucks in this unit come from getting away from the roads and the crowds — described specifically as pockets in areas like Antelope Mountain (near Highway 50) and the Wildcat Peak area holding better deer than the more heavily pressured, easily accessed terrain. With 100% public land, hunters have the freedom to push into those farther pockets without worrying about crossing property lines. Hunters serious about scouting this unit before the season should use HuntPilot's public land and terrain mapping tools to identify remote basins, water sources, and elevation bands worth a closer look before committing boots on the ground.

How to Apply

This timeline applies to both resident and nonresident applicants, per the Nevada draw calendar tracked by HuntPilot.

Cost breakdown for 2026 deer applications:

Both resident and nonresident applicants must hold a qualifying Nevada hunting license before submitting a draw application — this license fee is separate from and in addition to the application fee and tag fee, and it's a cost hunters need to budget for regardless of whether they draw. The point fee applies to hunters building or maintaining bonus points for future application cycles.

As one experienced Nevada applicant put it in forum discussion, draw outcomes in this state can be unpredictable — a hunter with a single point can occasionally beat out someone who's been applying for years on a given unit. There's no guaranteed draw in Nevada regardless of point total, so hunters should treat every application as a genuine opportunity rather than a formality. For current draw odds specific to Unit 162's various hunt types, check the HuntPilot Nevada state page at /states/nv, which tracks this data year over year.

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 162? Unit 162 covers a huge elevation range, from 5,409 feet up to 10,864 feet, across nearly 1.25 million acres of almost entirely public land. That means hunters can work everything from lower sagebrush and foothill country up into high alpine basins, depending on the time of year and where deer are sitting. Only 7% of the unit is designated wilderness, so most of the terrain is reachable without the logistical complexity that heavier wilderness units require, though hunters willing to push beyond the road-accessible areas tend to find better deer.

What is harvest success in Unit 162? Recent harvest data shows a 39% success rate in 2025 (387 hunters, 149 harvested) and a 41% success rate in 2024 (218 hunters, 89 harvested). Success has held steady in that high-30s to low-40s percent range even as hunter numbers grew significantly between the two years, which points to a fairly dependable unit for hunters who put in the effort.

How big are the mule deer in Unit 162? Trophy records tied to the counties overlapping Unit 162 show a moderate history of trophy-class production, including association with one of Nevada's most notable historic non-typical bucks taken from the Stoneberger Basin area within the unit. Because record-book entries are logged by county rather than by unit, this trophy history is shared with neighboring units in the same county. Still, the unit has a real reputation among hunters for holding mature, well-antlered bucks in its more remote terrain.

Is Unit 162 worth applying for? Based on available data, yes — particularly for hunters who can dedicate time to scouting away from roads. The unit combines 100% public land access, growing tag quotas across every antlered hunt type between 2024 and 2025, stable success rates in the high-30s to low-40s percent range, and a moderate trophy history tied to its counties. It's a strong option for hunters seeking a genuine backcountry mule deer experience rather than a quick, easy tag.

How do I check current draw odds for Unit 162? Draw odds shift from year to year based on quota changes and applicant demand, so this article intentionally does not list specific percentages. Hunters should check HuntPilot's Unit 162 page or the Nevada state page at /states/nv for the most current draw odds broken down by hunt type and residency.