Nevada Overview – Do’s And Don’ts

2021 is here and application season is in full swing! What makes this year unique is that TagHub is now one year old and we have made some very cool refinements, one in particular that you will enjoy, a 30 day free trial that will let you see the 2020 harvest data incorporated into the data sorting tool. TagHub has been updated with the latest information from the 2020 season. 

The other TagHub feature that I am excited to tell everyone who is hoping to be lucky enough to draw a coveted tag in Nevada is our drought layer. With the incredibly dry summer that most of the West saw in 2020 this is on everyone’s mind. With a quick look through the feature I can tell that we are looking at a fairly dry winter thus far. Antler growth starts NOW and that is something to keep in mind if you are sitting on a lot of points. When the bucks and bulls don’t start well overall quality can be a challenge. Watch for an update on western drought conditions at blog.eastmans.com. 

Other than the drought map looking rough, what is the overall condition of big game hunting in Nevada? Based on my research and contacts in the state there is no time like the present to hunt Nevada. Sure, you may have drought and all the associated challenges but with all the weird going on across the country we all need a little sanity. What better way to find it than looking for the best hunting opportunities in the state of Nevada and gambling on a chance at a great buck or bull? My name will be in the hat this year, may the odds be ever in your favor!

As always scouting will be the difference between success and failure for most hunters and with the drought likely playing out through the summer find that water! The animals will be moving to and from water supplies so dial up those guzzler and spring locations in your mapping tools and scout them hard. This is key in Nevada in a normal year will be even more important heading into the next year. 

Now let’s move on to the draw! Nevada hasn’t made any significant changes to their system or price structures for 2021. Residents will pay $38.00 for a license and non-residents will pay $155.00. Make sure you take a look at the other assorted fees that are associated with applying such as the $1.00 processing fee, the $3.00 predator fee per application and the $10.00 application fee. These are the little fees that can add up quickly so be prepared and take a look at the chart on this page to make sure you know the prices for the tags themselves.

Nevada’s draw system has not changed this year and it is pretty straight forward…well kind of. Let’s start at the application level, and pretend that I have built 10 bonus points in Nevada. With 10 bonus points it means that I will have 101 applications placed into the system as Nevada squares the number of bonus points, plus your application for the current year to give you that many applications in the draw. Then every one of those applications is assigned a random number. After the random number assignment the system looks at applications from lowest to highest going through your ENTIRE application to see if there is a hunt on your list that has not been emptied of its tag quota. For instance unit 231 for mule deer may not have any tags left when my lowest number application is cycled through, my second choice hunt 111-113 may have tags available and I would be awarded a 111-113 tag. My advice to any of you with 10 plus points is to shoot for the moon on every application!

Nevada’s deadline for 2021 is May 10th and results are tentatively scheduled to be available on May 26. This still falls before the Wyoming deadline of May 31 which means that if you aren’t successful in Nevada there are still a few opportunities to cycle those application fees into the Wyoming system.

Elk Prospects:

Let’s be honest, if big bull elk are your thing, then you need to be in the draw every year for Nevada. Even in the drought years the trophy potential is very high. The random odds should keep you applying!

Mule Deer Prospects:

This looks to be somewhat of a wildcard this year. With the higher number of overall applications in every state so far I won’t be surprised if I am writing about Nevada being one of those casualties. My advice, if you already have a mule deer tag in your pocket, I would sit this one out. If you don’t play you won’t win, however if you have a tag in hand this might be a year to up your odds with points and let a few of the high point owners get out of the system. 

Pronghorn antelope Prospects:

Because Nevada manages for quality with their Pronghorn population I would certainly enter this draw. The 14 inch or better prospects are always strong, even if the population is not as high as some of the other states like Wyoming. Play the odds if you are an antelope junky and use the 30 day free trial of TagHub to find the unit you are looking for.

Will you be one of the lucky ones to draw a coveted tag in Nevada? Well, I’m rooting for you and hope this is your best season ever! If I didn’t answer your question here feel free to drop me an email at [email protected] or visit ndow.org for more information.