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Nevada

Hunting

Hunting

Big Game Identification

Antelope Horns Shorter Than Ears

Antelope Horns Shorter Than Ears

  • Adult female antelope have ears about 5 to 5 ½ inches long
  • Female horns (if present) are usually less than 4 inches long
  • Female antelope do not have a black patch on cheek
  • Female antelope do not have black band from eyes to nose
  • Juvenile males may be legally harvested (horns must not be longer than ears)
  • Typically yearling bucks and fawn bucks have black cheek patch
Antelope Horns Longer Than Ears

Antelope Horns Longer Than Ears

  • Adult male antelope have ears about 5 ½ to 6 inches long
  • Mature males have horns from 12 to 19 inches long
  • Presence of black patch of hair on cheek
  • Adult males typically have a black band on face from eyes down to the nose
Elk

Elk

  • Smaller than moose
  • Size: 4-5 ft at the shoulder, females weigh 400-500 lbs, males weigh 700-800 lbs
  • Body is light brown in color with long, dark brown hair on neck and a distinct light tan rump patch
  • Males have branched antlers with each antler point originating from a main beam
Moose

Moose (Illegal to Harvest)

  • Larger than elk with a noticeable hump on the shoulders
  • Size: 5-7 ft at the shoulder, females weigh 600-800 lbs, males weigh 850-1,100 lbs
  • Body is uniformly brown to black in color. Lower legs can be light tan or white
  • Long nose, overhanging upper lip, and a prominent dewlap (flap of skin) hanging from the neck
  • Males have palmate antlers with each tine originating from a broad, flat surface
Bighorn Ram

Bighorn Ram

  • Mature rams weigh 175–300 lbs, with Rocky Mountain bighorn the heaviest and desert bighorn the lightest
  • Mature rams have ¾ to full (circle) curl horns that are 28-40 inches long with base circumference of 13-16 inches
  • Horns are a heavy hard sheath that grow on top of a bony core that angle back from the skull about 15 inches
  • Entire body pelage color is light tan for deserts to dark brown for Rocky Mountain except for white muzzle and rump patch
  • Have prominent visible testicles
Ewe

Ewe

  • Narrow, sickle shaped horns with base same width as eye
  • Ears are 4-41/2 inches in length
  • Relatively wide space between base of horns
  • Squat to urinate
  • No testicles

The Nevada Bighorn Ewes Identification Course is online and available at the following website: hunter-ed.com/nevada-sheep-id/

Ram Lamb and Yearling Ram

Ram Lambs and Yearling Ram (Illegal to Harvest)

  • Wide, triangular-shaped horn bases twice the width of eye
  • Desert ram lambs in the fall-horn base wider than eye and 5- to 6-inch horn with little curve if any and gray horns vs. tan curved ewe horns
  • Wider, pronounced forehead
  • Narrow spacing between horn bases
  • Stretch rear legs during urination
  • Testicles visible, especially from rear
  • Belly spot or penis seen from side view
Mountain Goat

Mountain Goat

  • Fur is long, coarse, dense hair with off-white color over entire body with a beard
  • Adults stand about 31/2 feet tall with stocky front torso and pronounced hump between front shoulders
  • Legs are relatively short but with proportionally large hooves for sure-footedness along vertical cliffs
  • Both sexes have narrow sharply pointed black horns that flare back and to the side above the ears less than 12 inches long
  • Billies (males) urinate by stretching while standing and Nannies (females) urinate by squatting their rear legs
Wolf

Wolf (Illegal to Harvest)

  • Nose is broad and blocky
  • Ears are more rounded and relatively short
  • Weighs 50-90 pounds
  • Legs are longer
  • Fur color is similar to coyotes; gray, black, rust, or buff
  • Moves more fluidly
  • Resembles a German shepherd with longer legs and larger feet
Coyote

Coyote

  • Nose is slender and pointed
  • Ears are prominent, pointed and relatively long
  • Weighs 20-35 pounds
  • Legs and feet are smaller
  • Fur color is similar to wolves: grizzled gray, rust, or buff; rarely white or black
  • Moves in a manner that appears to be hopping or bouncing