Unit 113

Key reference points include the Kern Mountains and Red Hills ranges, which provide elevation breaks and navigation landmarks across the flats. Dutchman Summit, Red Hills Pass, and Cedar Pass offer navigational waypoints and vantage points for glassing vast stretches of country. The major basins—Antelope Valley, Spring Creek Flat, and the numerous canyons including Black Canyon and Ferrys Canyon—serve as natural travel corridors and orientation markers.

Tippett Lake and the various reservoirs (Goshute, Sanford, Grass Valley) provide both water reference points and potential camping areas, though some may be seasonal or require verification of current status.

Elevations span from mid-5,000 feet in the valley bottoms to near 10,000 feet on the higher ridges, creating distinct habitat zones without extreme alpine terrain. Lower elevations support vast expanses of sagebrush flats and desert scrub, while mid-elevation slopes transition into scattered juniper and pinyon pine woodlands. The sparse forest coverage means open vistas dominate—most of the unit remains unforested high desert with scattered vegetation.

This creates excellent glassing country but limited thermal cover, making early morning and late-day hunting critical. The overall impression is wide-open basin and ridge terrain typical of the Great Basin's western edge.

The sparse road network—just over 271 miles total with no major highways—means access is genuinely limited. Roads are rough and likely four-wheel drive in poor conditions, especially seasonally. The lack of connected highway infrastructure forces hunters to stage from distant towns, creating a natural pressure buffer.

Most access points are in the western portion via Antelope Valley routes; the eastern reaches near the Utah line see minimal pressure simply due to remoteness. The terrain complexity of 7.5/10 reflects the navigation challenges and spacing of water and established routes. This unit rewards hunters willing to scout thoroughly and operate independently from established corridors.

Unit 113 occupies a substantial portion of White Pine County's northeastern corner, stretching from Antelope Valley and the Tippett Pass area on the west to the Utah state line on the east, with the Elko County line marking the northern boundary. The unit encompasses multiple desert basins and ridge systems in the Great Basin country, characterized by broad valleys separated by low mountain ranges. The terrain is remote and sparsely populated, with only historical community names remaining on maps.

The unit's vast area combined with limited development makes it a genuinely isolated hunting destination requiring significant planning and self-reliance.

Water is the limiting factor in Unit 113. Reliable sources include Spring Creek, Grass Valley Creek, and Chin Creek, though these vary seasonally and require verification before planning around them. Multiple named springs—Indian Spring, Sulphur Spring, Blue Mass Spring, Chokecherry Springs—dot the unit, but spacing and reliability vary considerably. Several small reservoirs (Goshute, Sanford, Grass Valley, North Chin Creek, Robison) exist but may be privately controlled or seasonal.

The washes (Antelope Valley Wash, Gravel Wash, Grass Valley Wash) are typically dry except after storms. Success here depends on pre-hunt scouting to identify functioning water sources; don't assume named springs are reliable without verification.

Unit 113 supports elk, mule deer, pronghorn, and mountain goat in its varied terrain. Elk likely inhabit the higher ridge systems and canyon country where scattered timber provides cover; autumn migration patterns between basins drive seasonal movement. Pronghorn thrive in the open sagebrush flats, particularly Antelope Valley and Spring Creek Flat.

Mule deer utilize the transition zones between basin and ridge, using canyon systems for travel and thermal cover. Mountain goat habitat exists on steeper sections of the Kern Mountains and Red Hills. Early-season hunting favors higher elevations and ridge systems; as temperatures drop, animals concentrate near reliable water sources.

The open nature of much terrain makes glassing essential, but thermal cover scarcity means success often requires hiking into canyons or ridge breaks to intercept movement between basins and water.