Nevada Unit 253:bighorn sheep draw odds & harvest
4 hunt codes for bighorn sheep. Part of bighorn sheep herd unit 253. 2025: 1 to 5 tags, 1,028 to 2,119 applicants per hunt.
Nevada · Unit 253
Unit 253Neighbor units
Odds for:Nonresident · 0 pts
Harvest success, 3 yr
100%
Herd · 2025
110
53 rams / 100 ewes
Compare species at a glanceShow
Hunt codes
- Deer19
Best draw odds
- Deer83% drew
- Bighorn sheep<1% drew
Harvest success, 3 yr
- Deer0–20%
- Bighorn sheep100%
Hardest draw in Unit 2532024 draw
Nelson Desert Bighorn Management Ram - One Horn | Any Legal Weapon | 253, 254, 261 | Jan 05 - Feb 200 drew, 173 applied.
One of Nevada's hardest bighorn sheep draws: 1st hardest of 214 in 2024.
Hunt codes
Bighorn sheep huntsin Unit 253
Whole-hunt draw results: applicants, tags and the share that drew.
| Hunt code | What it is | Draw result · 2025 | Tags | Success 3-yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 645 | Desert Bighorn Sheep Any Ram · any legal weapon · Nov 20–Jan 1 | 3 of 1,028 drew | 5 | 100% |
| 8375914 | Desert Bighorn Sheep Any Ram · any legal weapon · Nov 20–Jan 1 | 1 of 1,091 drew | 1 | 100% |
| Nelson (Desert) Bighorn Sheep Any Ram | Any Legal Weapon | 253 | Nov 20 - Jan 01 | 3 of 1,028 drew | |||
| Nelson Desert Bighorn Management Ram - One Horn | Any Legal Weapon | 253, 254, 261 | Jan 05 - Feb 20 | 0 of 173 drew |
Some hunt codes cover several units; the hunt page lists them all.
Harvest & herd
How hunters didand how the herd is doing.
Harvest success by hunt, 2025–2025
% success645100%
100%
2025
8375914100%
100%
2025
45%+28–45%Under 28%
How the herd is doing
Herd unit 253
Population estimate 2025
110
Rams / 100 ewes 2023
53
Lambs / 100 ewes 2023
17
Average age of harvested rams 2016
6.5 yrs
Average Boone and Crockett score of harvested rams 2016
167.8
Population estimateFalling
202020212022202320242025
Rams per 100 ewesFalling
202120222023
Lambs per 100 ewesRising
2018202120222023
Average age of harvested rams (years)Falling
20132016
Average Boone and Crockett score of harvested ramsFalling
20132016
Before you apply
- Tag fee
- “Nonresident bighorn sheep tag......................................................................... 1,200”
- Tag fee
- “Resident bighorn sheep tag................................................................................... 120”
- Points
- “may electronically submit an application for a bonus point for that species or category of species”
Rules for 2026.
Season dates · 2025
- 645Any Legal Weapon · Any Legal WeaponNov 20–Jan 1
- 8375914Any Legal Weapon · Any Legal WeaponNov 20–Jan 1
Confirm in the regulations before you go.
Map & access
Unit 253and the units around it
Neighbors with a FarWide page open on click.
Public land & access
Each program opens on the state's site. Check on-the-ground signage.
Offline maps
Take Unit 253into your map app
Opens in onX, Gaia GPS, CalTopo, Google Earth, and Garmin. Works offline in those apps.
Members
Unit 253 hunt pack
One file, layered: the unit boundary, with each bighorn sheep hunt's draw odds and harvest success attached to the unit.
- Unit boundary
- Draw odds per hunt
- Harvest success per hunt
Unit 253 · 645
3 of 1,028 drew
Success100%
Ask FarWide
Answers use the same figures as this page.
Units nearby
- Unit 2542 bighorn sheep huntsLong shot at your 0 pts (NR)
- Unit 2612 bighorn sheep huntsLong shot at your 0 pts (NR)
- Unit 2520 bighorn sheep hunts
- Unit 2802 bighorn sheep huntsLong shot at your 0 pts (NR)
- Unit 2812 bighorn sheep huntsLong shot at your 0 pts (NR)
- Unit 2822 bighorn sheep huntsLong shot at your 0 pts (NR)
Source: NDOW · Updated Nov 13, 2026