Nevada Unit 281: draw, harvest & access

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 05

1 drew, 54 applied.

182nd hardest of 214 Nevada bighorn sheep draws in 2024.

See the hunt

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		No harvest report
Nelson (Desert) Bighorn Sheep Any Ram \| Any Legal Weapon \| 281 \| Dec 17 - Jan 01		2 of 75 drew		No harvest report
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		No harvest report
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		No harvest report

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

% success

67975%

75%

2025

45%+28–45%Under 28%

How the herd is doing

Herd unit 281

2020–2025

Population estimate 2025

150

Rams / 100 ewes 2024

84

Population estimateFalling

202020212022202320242025

Rams per 100 ewesRising

2020202120222024

Before you apply

Tag fee: “Nonresident bighorn sheep tag......................................................................... 1,200”
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

Wildlife management areas

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.

Free

Unit boundary

The unit outline only.

Unit 281

KMZ GPX GeoJSON

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

Download hunt pack (KMZ) GPX

Unit 281 · 679

2 of 88 drew

Success75%

Email me when 2027 boundaries post

Nevada Unit 281:bighorn sheep draw odds & harvest

Bighorn sheep huntsin Unit 281

How hunters didand how the herd is doing.

Unit 281and the units around it

Take Unit 281into your map app