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Nevada elk hunting in unit 051

Unit 051 is a single unit in Humboldt County: 1,725,917 acres, 71.3% public land, mostly BLM (941,260 acres), measured from BLM's surface management map. In 2025, NDOW issued 4 antlered elk tags here across 2 hunts; 4 hunters went afield and 3 were successful (75% of those who hunted, worked out from NDOW's two figures). NDOW's draw rate for the resident any-legal-weapon hunt was 0.4%: 2 tags for a demand of 543.

Data updated October 2026. Tags and harvest: NDOW hunt statistics, 2022 to 2025. Seasons: NDOW's 2026-2027 regulation with its January 2026 amendment. Land: BLM.

Map of Nevada elk unit 051: public land by manager, neighboring units 031, 035, 042, 044, 046 and 066, highways NV 290, NV 18 and NV 789, and Fort McDermitt, Paradise Valley and Winnemucca

BLMNational forestState landBureau of ReclamationTribal landUnit 051Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway

Unit 051 at a glance (elk)
Units051
CountyHumboldt
NDOW regionWestern Region
Size1,725,917 acres (2,697 square miles)
Public land71.3% (1,230,672 acres)
Antlered elk tags, 20254 issued, quota 4
Successful hunters, 20253 of 4 afield
Resident any-legal-weapon draw rate, 2025 (NDOW)0.4% (2 tags, demand 543)
Resident antlered elk season, any legal weapon, 2026September 17 to 30
Towns in and near itFort McDermitt, Paradise Valley, Valmy and Winnemucca

How many elk tags does NDOW issue in unit 051?

NDOW issued 4 antlered elk tags for unit 051 in 2025, against a quota of 4. Every 2025 hunt in the group, as NDOW reports it:

HuntResidencyWeaponSeasonQuotaTags issuedDemandNDOW draw rateHunters afieldSuccessfulHunter success
Elk AntleredResidentAny legal weaponSep 17 - Sep 30225430.4%22100%
Elk AntleredResidentMuzzleloaderSep 1 - Sep 1622248%2150%

Source: NDOW Big Game Hunt Statistics (2022 to 2025; 2025 from NDOW's 2025 hunt data workbook). Demand is NDOW's count of tags awarded plus unsuccessful first-choice applicants. NDOW's draw rate is its quota divided by that demand; NDOW says it does not account for bonus points. Hunter success is successful hunters out of hunters afield.

What is hunter success for elk in unit 051?

3 of 4 hunters afield were successful in 2025, 75% across the group's hunts. For the resident any legal weapon hunt (Sep 17 - Sep 30), NDOW reports 50% of the harvest were bulls with 6 or more points. The group year by year:

YearHuntsQuotaTags issuedHunters afieldSuccessful huntersSuccess, all huntsLabels NDOW used for the group
20252444375%051
202423333100%051
20232222150%051
20222777343%051

Source: NDOW Big Game Hunt Statistics (2022 to 2025; 2025 from NDOW's 2025 hunt data workbook). Totals are NDOW's hunt rows added together; the success share is worked out from NDOW's own two figures. A year is shown only where NDOW published the group's hunts; NDOW sometimes splits a unit with a letter (108B, 144A) or a portion, and those labels are listed.

When is elk season in unit 051 in 2026?

The 2026-2027 seasons NDOW's regulation sets for this unit group:

Hunt numberHuntWeaponUnit group as NDOW prints it2026-2027 season2025-2026 season
4151Resident Elk - AntleredAny Legal Weapon051Sep 17 - Sep 30Sep 17 - Sep 30
4156Resident Elk - AntleredMuzzleloader051Sep 1 - Sep 16Sep 1 - Sep 16

Source: NDOW Commission Regulation 25-07, 2026-2027 big game seasons, with Amendment #2 (January 2026). * Changed or added by Amendment #2. NDOW can change a season during the year; check NDOW before you go.

How much public land is in unit 051?

71.3% of unit 051 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 1,230,672 of 1,725,917 acres. The largest share is BLM, 941,260 acres or 54.5%.

ManagerAcresShare
BLM941,26054.5%
National forest289,41216.8%
Tribal land19,4751.1%

Measured by FilledTag inside NDOW's unit boundaries from BLM Surface Management Agency map (national, limited scale), a generalized national map; the rest is private or not mapped. Military, Energy Department and tribal land are not counted as open to hunting (they are closed to the public or need the owner's permission).

Other species NDOW groups with unit 051: Pronghorn antelope, California bighorn sheep, Mule deer.

How do you get to unit 051?

Highways through it: NV 290 (about 26 miles inside), NV 18 (about 21 miles inside), NV 789 (about 15 miles inside) and US 95 (about 3 miles inside). Along its boundary: I-80. Towns and places inside: Fort McDermitt, Paradise Valley and Valmy. Nearby: Winnemucca (on the line).

Which units border unit 051?

8 hunt units touch unit 051. Their public land and their own elk group:

UnitPublic landElk pageCounty
Unit 03185%No elk group pageHumboldt
Unit 03581.1%No elk group pageHumboldt
Unit 04258.6%No elk group pagePershing, Humboldt
Unit 04463.9%No elk group pagePershing
Unit 04673%No elk group pageHumboldt, Pershing
Unit 06680.2%062, 064, 066 - 068Elko, Humboldt
Unit 06849.8%062, 064, 066 - 068Elko, Eureka, Lander
Unit 15159.4%No elk group pageLander, Humboldt, Pershing

Questions hunters ask

How many elk tags are there in unit 051?

NDOW set a quota of 4 antlered elk tags for unit 051 in 2025 and issued 4, across 2 hunts by residency, weapon and season. In 2024 it issued 3.

What is hunter success for elk in unit 051?

In 2025, 3 of the 4 hunters NDOW counted afield took an antlered elk here, 75% across every hunt in the group. For the resident any legal weapon hunt (Sep 17 - Sep 30), NDOW reports 50% of the harvest were bulls with 6 or more points.

How hard is it to draw an elk tag in unit 051?

NDOW's draw rate for the 2025 resident any-legal-weapon hunt here was 0.4%: a quota of 2 against a demand of 543. NDOW describes the draw rate as quota divided by demand; it does not account for bonus points.

When is elk season in unit 051 in 2026?

For antlered elk, NDOW's 2026-2027 regulation sets: resident muzzleloader, September 1 to 16; resident any legal weapon, September 17 to 30.

How much public land is in unit 051?

71.3% of the 1,725,917 acres, measured from BLM's surface management map; the largest share is BLM, 941,260 acres.

What is the closest town to unit 051?

Fort McDermitt, Paradise Valley and Valmy are inside the unit. Just outside: Winnemucca (on the line).

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Where these numbers come from

FilledTag is not part of the Nevada Department of Wildlife. Numbers are copied from NDOW or measured from public maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.