Unit 109

Valley Mountain anchors the central area and serves as a reliable glassing platform and navigation reference. Lone Butte and the West Buttes rise as distinctive features across the sagebrush, breaking up the horizon and providing additional vantage points. Delcer Buttes add another prominent landmark useful for orientation.

Goshute Pass to the east marks the transition toward Highway 93. These features, scattered across the unit, help hunters navigate the open country and identify likely elk and pronghorn concentration areas based on proximity to water and terrain breaks.

The terrain clusters around moderate elevations where sagebrush flats dominate the landscape. Sparse timber appears scattered across the country rather than in dense blocks, creating a mosaic of open sagebrush interspersed with juniper and pinyon. The flatness badge reflects the overall gentle topography—not pancake-flat, but rolling rather than steep, with subtle elevation changes across the basin.

This open country means long sight-lines and a landscape where animals are visible from distance; water and thermal cover become the strategic focuses rather than steep terrain.

Fair road access via 118 miles of maintained routes gives reasonable entry without creating corridor-hunting pressure. The network isn't densely packed, so positioning around specific roads and springs keeps hunters spread out. Main access follows ranch roads and the boundary routes rather than dense cross-country networks.

Most successful hunting involves using roads to reach the periphery, then hunting on foot into the sagebrush. This moderate accessibility means pressure is real but manageable—the open terrain means visible, mobile animals, so quiet foot-hunting and early morning glassing pay dividends over road-bound approaches.

Unit 109 occupies the high desert country in northeastern Elko County, Nevada, bookended by Highway 93 to the east and the CCC Road to the west. State Route 229 forms the northern boundary while ranch roads—Butte Valley and Quilici Spring—define the southern edge. The unit sits in the Great Basin transition zone where interior valleys meet the high desert ranges.

At roughly 6,000 feet median elevation, it's positioned between lower desert basins and higher mountain country, making it a distinct geographic pocket with its own character and hunting patterns.

Water is the limiting factor in this sagebrush country. Fasano Spring, Hill Spring, and Curtis Spring are the named reliable sources, making their locations critical for both hunter logistics and understanding where wildlife concentrates. Springs become thermal and water refuges during warm months, pulling animals predictably.

The scarcity means knowing spring locations isn't optional—it's the foundation of the hunt. Seasonal reliability varies, making pre-season reconnaissance essential. Most of the unit lacks perennial surface water, so elk and pronghorn movement patterns radiate outward from these known sources.

Elk in this unit favor the scattered timber patches and terrain breaks near water sources. Pronghorn use the open sagebrush throughout, making them glassable from butte vantage points and road approaches. Mule deer concentrate near spring areas and any rougher terrain.

Moose, if present, stick to riparian cover where available. Mountain goats and sheep use the higher breaks and rough terrain. Early season demands high-country focus as animals use cooler terrain; rut timing shifts elk toward timber and calling positions.

Late season concentrates animals at reliable water. Success hinges on spring location knowledge, patience glassing from elevated positions, and quiet foot-hunting that doesn't alert visible game across the open flats.