It's hunt application time again. Every year we choose our favorite hunting spots, make our selections, and mail them in. Then we wait, and wait, and wait, hoping for that 1st choice number to show up on our tags, or for any tag to show up at all.
NDOW has once again compiled their list of mule deer hunt stats, and we're digging into last year's figures. In an effort to make things easier, I've distilled the numbers down to the top five units for the resident rifle, archery, and muzzleloader seasons for each of the following categories: best draw odds, highest percentage of hunter success, and most number of 4-point or bigger bucks killed.
And just like last year, we've compared the stats of every unit in the state against each other to come up with a completely theoretical "Dream Hunt Score." It works like this: if the odds of getting a tag were 1 to 1 (guaranteed,) and 100% of the hunters who got those tags got a deer (100% Success) and every buck killed by those hunters was a 4-point or bigger (100%), then the ideal Dream Hunt Score would be 200.
In other words:
100 percent of bucks killed were 4-point or bigger, plus
100 percent of hunters were successful, divided by
1:1 draw odds, equals 200. (100+100/1=200)
So without further ado, here are the facts:
Best Draw Odds
If you're not much of a gambler and would simply prefer to have a tag anywhere, these were the easiest units to draw in Nevada in 2014:
Rifle
1 to 1 Odds
101-109 Early
101-109-Mid
2 to 1 Odds
032
035
051
061, 062, 064, 066-068 Early
071-079, 091 Early
111-113 Early
114, 115 Early
141-145 Early
151-156 Early
161-164 Early
171-173 Early
Archery
1 to 1 Odds
032
034
035
051
071-079, 091 Early
101-109 Early
101-109 Late
114, 115
141-145
151-156
161-164
171-173
211-212
Muzzleloader
1 to 1 Odds
101-109
271-272
2 to 1 Odds
032
033
035
043-046
051
071-079, 091
114-115
141-145
151-156
171-173
181-184
202, 205, 206
211-212
251-253
Best Chance of Hunter Success
If you're a new hunter or just aren't that familiar with many hunting spots in the state, take heart and give these units a look. Nevada mule deer hunters had the best success in these areas in 2014.
Rifle
194, 196 82% Success
121 Late 78% Success
131-134 Late 69% Success
022 67% Success
121 Early 65% Success
Archery
081 100% Success
121 Late 75% Success
131-134 68% Success
194, 196 Late 63% Success
261-268 60% Success
Muzzleloader
261-268 100% Success
201-204 100% Success
131-134 70% Success
121 67% Success
022 60% Success
081 60% Success (tie)
Most 4-Point or Bigger Bucks Killed
Sure, trophies can be found anywhere there's food, water, shelter, and minimal hunting pressure. Based on successful hunt return cards, these were the units that gave up the most 4-point or bigger bucks.
Rifle
195 88% of bucks killed were 4+ points.
081 86% of bucks killed were 4+ points.
221-223 Late 80% of bucks killed were 4+ points.
251-253 77% of bucks killed were 4+ points.
061, 062, 064, 066 068 Late 71% of bucks killed were 4+ points.
Archery
033 100% of bucks killed were 4+ points.
034 100% of bucks killed were 4+ points.
114, 115 100% of bucks killed were 4+ points.
194, 196 Early 100% of bucks killed were 4+ points.
195 100% of bucks killed were 4+ points.
201, 202, 204-206 Early 100% of bucks killed were 4+ points.
211-212 100% of bucks killed were 4+ points.
251-253 100% of bucks killed were 4+ points.
Muzzleloader
081 100% of bucks killed were 4+ points.
202, 205, 206 100% of bucks killed were 4+ points.
014 75% of bucks killed were 4+ points.
114, 115 68% of bucks killed were 4+ points.
011-013 67% of bucks killed were 4+ points.
022 67% of bucks killed were 4+ points.
The Dream Hunt Score for 2014
Using the formula described at the beginning of the article, each unit in the state had its hunt success, draw odds, and 4+ point buck harvest percentage calculated and compared against all the others. According to the numbers, the following areas were - statistically speaking - the best areas to hunt muley bucks in 2014.
As always, I must put the disclaimer out there. These stats can be affected by a host of different factors, including hunter skill, hunter numbers, weather, and others. Also, the fewer the number of hunt return cards, the less accurate these figures will be. When tracked over time, however, as I intend to do, we may start to see some interesting trends.
Stay tuned for next year's stats, and good luck hunting this year!
Do you agree with these stats? If so or if not, tell us why.
NDOW did a great thing this year. They gave the hunt return statistics for antlered mule deer for every unit in Nevada over the last ten years. Working with these greater numbers gives a much cleaner estimate about the quality of bucks harvested over time, and where those bucks were taken. 
