Nevada Unit 281:bighorn sheep draw odds & harvest
5 hunt codes for bighorn sheep. Part of bighorn sheep herd unit 281. 2025: 4 tags, 88 applicants per hunt.
Nevada · Unit 281
Unit 281Neighbor units
Odds for:Nonresident · 0 pts
Harvest success, 3 yr
75%
Herd · 2025
150
84 rams / 100 ewes
Hardest draw in Unit 2812024 draw
Nelson (Desert) Bighorn Sheep Any Ram | Any Legal Weapon | 281 Unit Restrictions (See CR24-04A2) Additional requirement applies | Dec 21 - Jan 051 drew, 54 applied.
182nd hardest of 214 Nevada bighorn sheep draws in 2024.
Hunt codes
Bighorn sheep huntsin Unit 281
Whole-hunt draw results: applicants, tags and the share that drew.
| Hunt code | What it is | Draw result · 2025 | Tags | Success 3-yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 679 | Desert Bighorn Sheep Any Ram · any legal weapon · Dec 20–Jan 4 | 2 of 88 drew | 4 | 75% |
| Nelson (Desert) Bighorn Sheep Any Ram | Any Legal Weapon | 281 | Dec 16 - Jan 01 | 2 of 80 drew | |||
| Nelson (Desert) Bighorn Sheep Any Ram | Any Legal Weapon | 281 | Dec 17 - Jan 01 | 2 of 75 drew | |||
| Nelson (Desert) Bighorn Sheep Any Ram | Any Legal Weapon | 281 Unit Restrictions (See CR 25-07) Additional requirement applies | Dec 20 - Jan 04 | 2 of 88 drew | |||
| Nelson (Desert) Bighorn Sheep Any Ram | Any Legal Weapon | 281 Unit Restrictions (See CR24-04A2) Additional requirement applies | Dec 21 - Jan 05 | 1 of 54 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
% success67975%
75%
2025
45%+28–45%Under 28%
How the herd is doing
Herd unit 281
Population estimate 2025
150
Rams / 100 ewes 2024
84
Lambs / 100 ewes 2024
53
Population estimateFalling
202020212022202320242025
Rams per 100 ewesRising
2020202120222024
Lambs per 100 ewesRising
20182020202120222024
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
- 679Any Legal Weapon · Any Legal WeaponDec 20–Jan 4
Confirm in the regulations before you go.
Map & access
Unit 281and 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 281into your map app
Opens in onX, Gaia GPS, CalTopo, Google Earth, and Garmin. Works offline in those apps.
Members
Unit 281 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 281 · 679
2 of 88 drew
Success75%
Ask FarWide
Answers use the same figures as this page.
What did Nelson (Desert) Bighorn Sheep Any Ram | Any Legal Weapon | 281 Unit Restrictions (See CR24-04A2) Additional requirement applies | Dec 21 - Jan 05 take to draw in Nevada?Which Nevada bighorn sheep hunts in Unit 281 have the best success?Easiest Nevada bighorn sheep hunts to draw as a nonresident?
Units nearby
- Unit 2822 bighorn sheep huntsLong shot at your 0 pts (NR)
- Unit 2802 bighorn sheep huntsLong shot at your 0 pts (NR)
- Unit 2840 bighorn sheep hunts
- Unit 2833 bighorn sheep huntsLong shot at your 0 pts (NR)
- Unit 2862 bighorn sheep huntsLong shot at your 0 pts (NR)
- Unit 2542 bighorn sheep huntsLong shot at your 0 pts (NR)
Source: NDOW · Updated Nov 13, 2026