Quick Tips
- Public outdoor recreation is popular
- Limited cell phone service in parts of the unit
- Shooting is prohibited within 5,000 feet of an occupied building
- Washoe County's website shows where shooting is prohibited
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Mule Deer | 140"-160" | 160"+ |
| Antelope | 70"-80" | 80"+ |
| California Bighorn Sheep | 145"-150" | 155"+ |
On The Ground
This unit is a mix of public, private and Native American land less than 8,700 feet above sea level with decent road access to public areas. Only hikers may reach some parts of the unit. The vegetation is made up of desert brush with scattered stands of pinyon and juniper, with aspen stands found at higher elevations.
This is a reasonable unit for California bighorn sheep.
Terrain
Unit 022 includes the Pah Rah, Virginia and Fox mountain ranges. At 8,700 feet Tule Peak in the Virginia Range is the highest point, while the lowest point is about 4,000 feet above sea level in the Smoke Creek Desert. Most of the unit at lower elevations is between 4,200 and 5,000 feet. The terrain in unit 22 varies from rolling hills to steep canyons and from salt brush alkali flats to plateaus and peaks. Natural and artificial perennial water sources are scattered throughout the unit with most of them at higher elevations.
Roughly 1,517 square miles
40.7% public land
Elevations from 4,000-8,700 feet
Vegetation
Sagebrush dominates much of the unit with intermittent stands of bitterbrush and ephedra. Some areas are mostly salt brush, pinyon and juniper, while common range fires maintain cheatgrass as the chief ground cover in other areas. Stands of aspen grow in the higher parts of the Pah Rah and Virginia ranges.
Access
Public road access is limited due to private land. Hunting is prohibited in parts of the unit, such as the congested Sparks and Spanish Springs areas and the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation. Note: Several in the reservation are open to the public and provide access to parts of the unit. Pyramid Highway is the best north-south route and State Routes 446 and 447 provide good access to the eastern drainages of the Pah Rah Range. Pyramid Highway leads into some east drainages of the Virginia Range. The Winnemucca Ranch Road provides decent access into the southern and western parts of the Virginia Range, but the Winnemucca Ranch prohibits public access at various sites. The Fish Springs Road, from Herlong, California, provides good access into the northwestern part of the Virginia Range. Roads in Warm Springs Valley provide good access in the western and southern ends of the Pah Rah Range. The Fox Range can be accessed from roads branching off State Route 447 between Gerlach and Nixon and can also be accessed from roads along the east side of the Smoke Creek Desert.
Camping and Lodging
Lodging, supplies and fuel are available in nearby Reno, Sparks and Fernley. Fuel and supplies are also available in Sutcliff, Nixon and Wadsworth as well as in Herlong, California. Hunters often camp along the Winnemucca Ranch Road, the Fish Creek Road and in the Warm Springs Valley west of the Pah Rah Range.
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