Nevada mule deer hunting in unit group 171 - 173
Unit group 171 - 173 is NDOW's tag group for units 171, 172 and 173 in Nye and Lander counties: 1,836,466 acres, 96.8% public land, mostly BLM (1,022,169 acres), measured from BLM's surface management map. In 2025, NDOW issued 962 antlered mule deer tags here across 10 hunts; 803 hunters went afield and 226 were successful (28% of those who hunted, worked out from NDOW's two figures). NDOW's draw rate for the resident any-legal-weapon hunt (Oct 5 - Oct 16) was 45%: 310 tags for a demand of 695.
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.
BLMNational forestMilitary and Energy DepartmentTribal landUnit group 171 - 173Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Units | 171, 172, 173 |
|---|---|
| County | Nye and Lander |
| NDOW region | Southern Region |
| Size | 1,836,466 acres (2,869 square miles) |
| Public land | 96.8% (1,776,787 acres) |
| Antlered mule deer tags, 2025 | 962 issued, quota 963 |
| Successful hunters, 2025 | 226 of 803 afield |
| Resident any-legal-weapon draw rate, 2025 (NDOW) | 45% (310 tags, demand 695) |
| Nonresident any-legal-weapon draw rate, 2025 (NDOW) | 10% (17 tags, demand 164) |
| Resident antlered mule deer season, any legal weapon, 2026 | October 5 to 16 (early); October 17 to 30 (mid); October 31 to November 8 (late) |
| Towns in and near it | Tonopah and Kingston |
How many mule deer tags does NDOW issue in units 171, 172 and 173?
NDOW issued 962 antlered mule deer tags for unit group 171 - 173 in 2025, against a quota of 963. Every 2025 hunt in the group, as NDOW reports it:
| Hunt | Residency | Weapon | Season | Quota | Tags issued | Demand | NDOW draw rate | Hunters afield | Successful | Hunter success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mule Deer Antlered | Resident | Any legal weapon | Oct 5 - Oct 16 | 310 | 310 | 695 | 45% | 265 | 66 | 25% |
| Mule Deer Antlered | Resident | Any legal weapon | Oct 17 - Oct 30 | 180 | 180 | 355 | 51% | 159 | 58 | 36% |
| Mule Deer Antlered | Resident | Any legal weapon | Oct 31 - Nov 8 | 50 | 50 | 298 | 17% | 44 | 24 | 55% |
| Mule Deer Antlered | Resident | Archery | Aug 10 - Sep 9 | 270 | 269 | 274 | 99% | 201 | 32 | 16% |
| Mule Deer Antlered | Resident | Muzzleloader | Sep 10 - Oct 4 | 90 | 90 | 116 | 78% | 80 | 26 | 33% |
| Mule Deer Antlered | Nonresident | Any legal weapon | Oct 5 - Oct 16 | 17 | 17 | 164 | 10% | 15 | 8 | 53% |
| Mule Deer Antlered | Nonresident | Any legal weapon | Oct 17 - Oct 30 | 8 | 8 | 76 | 11% | 7 | 5 | 71% |
| Mule Deer Antlered | Nonresident | Any legal weapon | Oct 31 - Nov 8 | 3 | 3 | 71 | 4% | 3 | 2 | 67% |
| Mule Deer Antlered | Nonresident | Archery | Aug 10 - Sep 9 | 25 | 25 | 76 | 33% | 20 | 5 | 25% |
| Mule Deer Antlered | Nonresident | Muzzleloader | Sep 10 - Oct 4 | 10 | 10 | 22 | 45% | 9 | 0 | 0% |
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 mule deer in units 171, 172 and 173?
226 of 803 hunters afield were successful in 2025, 28% across the group's hunts. For the resident any legal weapon hunt (Oct 5 - Oct 16), NDOW reports 24% of the harvest were bucks with 4 or more points. The group year by year:
| Year | Hunts | Quota | Tags issued | Hunters afield | Successful hunters | Success, all hunts | Labels NDOW used for the group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10 | 963 | 962 | 803 | 226 | 28% | 171 - 173 |
| 2024 | 10 | 1,026 | 1,026 | 865 | 210 | 24% | 171 - 173 |
| 2023 | 10 | 879 | 878 | 736 | 167 | 23% | 171 - 173 |
| 2022 | 10 | 852 | 853 | 700 | 148 | 21% | 171 - 173 |
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.
What other mule deer hunts cover these units?
NDOW's other 2025 mule deer hunts with exactly this unit group:
| Hunt | Residency | Weapon | Season | Quota | Tags issued | Demand | NDOW draw rate | Hunters afield | Successful | Hunter success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mule Deer Guided Antlered | Nonresident | Any legal weapon | Oct 5 - Oct 16 | 14 | 9 | 9 | 100% | 9 | 4 | 44% |
| Mule Deer Guided Antlered | Nonresident | Any legal weapon | Oct 17 - Oct 30 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 100% | 9 | 8 | 89% |
| Mule Deer Guided Antlered | Nonresident | Any legal weapon | Oct 31 - Nov 8 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 33% | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| Mule Deer Junior | Resident | Any legal weapon | Oct 5 - Nov 2 | 160 | 160 | 160 | 100% | 140 | 88 | 63% |
| Mule Deer Junior | Resident | Primitive weapons | Aug 10 - Oct 4 | 80 | 38 | 5 | 100% | 27 | 8 | 30% |
Source: NDOW Big Game Hunt Statistics (2022 to 2025; 2025 from NDOW's 2025 hunt data workbook).
When is mule deer season in units 171, 172 and 173 in 2026?
The 2026-2027 seasons NDOW's regulation sets for this unit group:
| Hunt number | Hunt | Weapon | Unit group as NDOW prints it | 2026-2027 season | 2025-2026 season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1106 | Resident Junior Mule Deer - Antlered ONLY | Any Legal Weapon | 171 - 173 | Oct 5 - Nov 2 | Oct 5 - Nov 2 |
| 1331 | Resident Mule Deer - Antlered | Any Legal Weapon | 171 - 173 Early | Oct 5 - Oct 16 | Oct 5 - Oct 16 |
| 1331 | Resident Mule Deer - Antlered | Any Legal Weapon | 171 - 173 Mid | Oct 17 - Oct 30 | Oct 17 - Oct 30 |
| 1331 | Resident Mule Deer - Antlered | Any Legal Weapon | 171 - 173 Late | Oct 31 - Nov 8 | Oct 31 - Nov 8 |
| 1332 | Nonresident Mule Deer - Antlered | Any Legal Weapon | 171 - 173 Early | Oct 5 - Oct 16 | Oct 5 - Oct 16 |
| 1332 | Nonresident Mule Deer - Antlered | Any Legal Weapon | 171 - 173 Mid | Oct 17 - Oct 30 | Oct 17 - Oct 30 |
| 1332 | Nonresident Mule Deer - Antlered | Any Legal Weapon | 171 - 173 Late | Oct 31 - Nov 8 | Oct 31 - Nov 8 |
| 1371 | Resident Mule Deer - Antlered | Muzzleloader | 171 - 173 | Sep 10 - Oct 4 | Sep 10 - Oct 4 |
| 1372 | Nonresident Mule Deer - Antlered | Muzzleloader | 171 - 173 | Sep 10 - Oct 4 | Sep 10 - Oct 4 |
| 1341 | Resident Mule Deer - Antlered | Archery | 171 - 173 | Aug 10 - Sep 9 | Aug 10 - Sep 9 |
| 1342 | Nonresident Mule Deer - Antlered | Archery | 171 - 173 | Aug 10 - Sep 9 | Aug 10 - Sep 9 |
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 units 171, 172 and 173?
96.8% of unit group 171 - 173 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 1,776,787 of 1,836,466 acres. The largest share is BLM, 1,022,169 acres or 55.7%.
| Manager | Acres | Share |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 1,022,169 | 55.7% |
| National forest | 754,618 | 41.1% |
| Military and Energy Department | 5,150 | 0.3% |
| Tribal land | 4,717 | 0.3% |
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).
The units in this group
| Unit | County | Square miles | Public land | Towns | Other species' pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 171 | Nye | 711 | 97.9% | Pronghorn antelope (171 - 173), Elk (161 - 164, 171 - 173) | |
| Unit 172 | Nye, Lander | 598 | 96.5% | Pronghorn antelope (171 - 173), Elk (161 - 164, 171 - 173) | |
| Unit 173 | Nye, Lander | 1,561 | 96.3% | Tonopah and Kingston | Pronghorn antelope (171 - 173), Desert bighorn sheep, Elk (161 - 164, 171 - 173) |
How do you get to units 171, 172 and 173?
Highways through it: NV 89 (about 59 miles inside) and NV 844 (about 30 miles inside). Along its boundary: NV 376, NV 8, NV 722 and NV 361. Towns and places inside: Tonopah and Kingston.
Which units border units 171, 172 and 173?
11 hunt units touch the group. Their public land and their own mule deer group:
| Unit | Public land | Mule deer page | County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 154 | 95.7% | 151 - 156 | Lander |
| Unit 156 | 94.5% | 151 - 156 | Lander |
| Unit 161 | 96.9% | 161 - 164 | Nye, Lander |
| Unit 162 | 98.8% | 161 - 164 | Nye, Eureka |
| Unit 181 | 45.4% | 181 - 184 | Churchill, Mineral |
| Unit 184 | 96.8% | 181 - 184 | Lander, Churchill |
| Unit 205 | 59.9% | 202, 205 - 208 | Mineral, Nye |
| Unit 207 | 98.5% | 202, 205 - 208 | Mineral |
| Unit 212 | 96.9% | 211 - 213 | Esmeralda |
| Unit 213 | 99.8% | 211 - 213 | Esmeralda |
| Unit 251 | 98.4% | 251 - 254 | Nye |
Questions hunters ask
How many mule deer tags are there in units 171, 172 and 173?
NDOW set a quota of 963 antlered mule deer tags for unit group 171 - 173 in 2025 and issued 962, across 10 hunts by residency, weapon and season. In 2024 it issued 1,026.
What is hunter success for mule deer in units 171, 172 and 173?
In 2025, 226 of the 803 hunters NDOW counted afield took an antlered mule deer here, 28% across every hunt in the group. For the resident any legal weapon hunt (Oct 5 - Oct 16), NDOW reports 24% of the harvest were bucks with 4 or more points.
How hard is it to draw a mule deer tag in units 171, 172 and 173?
NDOW's draw rate for the 2025 resident any-legal-weapon hunt here was 45%: a quota of 310 against a demand of 695. For nonresidents it was 10% (17 tags, demand 164). NDOW describes the draw rate as quota divided by demand; it does not account for bonus points.
When is mule deer season in units 171, 172 and 173 in 2026?
For antlered mule deer, NDOW's 2026-2027 regulation sets: resident archery, August 10 to September 9; resident muzzleloader, September 10 to October 4; resident any legal weapon, October 5 to 16 (early); resident any legal weapon, October 17 to 30 (mid); resident any legal weapon, October 31 to November 8 (late); nonresident archery, August 10 to September 9.
How much public land is in units 171, 172 and 173?
96.8% of the 1,836,466 acres, measured from BLM's surface management map; the largest share is BLM, 1,022,169 acres.
What is the closest town to units 171, 172 and 173?
Tonopah and Kingston are inside the group.
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Where these numbers come from
- Tags, quota, demand, draw rate, hunters and success: NDOW Big Game Hunt Statistics (2022 to 2025; 2025 from NDOW's 2025 hunt data workbook).
- Seasons: NDOW Commission Regulation 25-07, 2026-2027 big game seasons, with Amendment #2 (January 2026).
- Public land: BLM Surface Management Agency map (national, limited scale). Unit boundaries: NDOW hunt units.
- Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
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.