Unit 153

Daisy Peak and Mount Moses serve as prominent reference points for orientation across the expansive basins. The Fish Creek Mountains form a natural backbone running north-south through the unit. Major drainages—Fish Creek, North Indian Creek, Rock Creek, and Willow Creek—provide travel corridors and navigation aids.

Daisy Pass and Cottonwood Pass offer routes between basins. Hot springs including Buffalo Valley Hot Springs and Home Station Ranch Hot Spring mark reliable water sources and landmark locations. Lone Canyon, Butcher Canyon, and Jersey Canyon cut through the terrain and assist route-finding across the open country.

The unit spans lower-elevation desert country with a broad elevation range from just under 4,000 feet to over 8,600 feet, though most terrain clusters in the 4,500 to 5,500-foot zone. Sagebrush plains dominate the valley floors and basins—Fish Creek, Cottonwood, Horseshoe, and the Valley of the Moon all contain open rangeland. Higher ridges and the Fish Creek Mountains support scattered juniper and pinyon pine rather than dense forest.

The terrain is essentially open high desert transitioning to sparse timber at elevation, offering excellent visibility across the basins but limited shade and shelter.

Fair road access via 320 miles of dirt and ranch roads provides reasonable entry to most drainages and basin areas. However, low road density combined with the unit's vast size means access is scattered rather than comprehensive—some valleys and ridges require significant foot travel or stock work. Ranch roads near Jersey, McCoy, and Bailey provide logical staging points.

The sheer scale and terrain complexity keep pressure light; most hunters concentrate near road-accessible spots, leaving interior basins and canyons quieter. Navigation requires careful map work and potentially GPS—the open country looks simpler than it is, and distances between reliable water sources can exceed a day's travel.

Unit 153 occupies a broad swath of northern Lander County bounded by the Willow Creek and Buffalo Valley roads to the north and west, State Route 305 to the east, and the Antelope Valley road complex to the south. It encompasses portions extending into Pershing County along the Jersey Valley drainage. The unit is anchored by major basins including Cottonwood and Fish Creek, with numerous canyons and valleys providing drainage corridors.

The landscape is characterized by isolated mountain ranges rising from extensive sagebrush flats, creating a fragmented terrain that rewards patience and local knowledge.

Water is the limiting factor across Unit 153. Perennial creeks include Fish Creek and its South Fork, North Indian Creek, Rock Creek, and Willow Creek—these are critical for hunting strategy and stock movement. Alkali Lake provides seasonal water but its name suggests salinity concerns. Buffalo Valley Hot Springs and Home Station Ranch Hot Spring offer reliable warm-water sources.

Most other drainages are intermittent, flowing only seasonally or after precipitation. Hunters must locate and verify water sources before committing to backcountry moves; the vast sagebrush basins can isolate quickly if reliable water isn't found.

Unit 153 supports elk, mule deer, pronghorn, moose, mountain goat, bighorn and desert sheep, mountain lion, and bear. Pronghorn utilize the open basins and sage flats extensively; glassing from ridges overlooking Fish Creek, Cottonwood, and Horseshoe basins can be productive early and late in season. Elk tend to summer on higher ridges where scattered timber provides cover, moving into canyons and draws during hunting pressure.

Mule deer use canyon bottoms and brush-filled drainages for thermal cover. Moose favor areas near the more reliable creeks, particularly Fish Creek and its tributaries. Sheep country exists on steeper portions of the Fish Creek Mountains.

The limited water and vast terrain favor mobile hunters who can locate reliable sources and commit to multi-day trips away from road access.