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Nevada

Hunting

Hunting

General Hunting Laws & Regulations

Definitions (as used in these regulations)

Antlerless deer — any deer without antlers (NAC 502.008).

Antlerless elk — any elk without antlers (NAC 502.009).

Antler Point — The Department interprets the exclusion of the first antler point on the main beam, as described in the definition of "antler point" in NRS 501 3855, to be limited to mule deer. (Refer to NRS 501.3855 and NAC 502.006)

Antelope with horns longer than its ears — any pronghorn antelope having at least one horn that is longer than either ear of the antelope (NAC 502.002).

Antelope with horns shorter than its ears — any pronghorn antelope without horns or with both horns that are shorter than its ears (NAC 502.003).

Antlered deer — Any deer having at least one antler that is visible above the hairline of the deer (NAC 502.007).

Antlered elk — any elk having at least one antler that is visible above the hairline of the elk (NAC 502.0074).

Spike elk — Spike Elk means any antlered Elk having not more than two antler points on either antler. (NAC 502.1045 and CGR 508).

Ewe — any female bighorn sheep having a horn or horns of at least 5 inches in length each as measured on the outside curve of the horn from the skull to the tip (NAC 502.345).

Junior hunt — a hunt authorized by a regulation of the Commission which is limited to an applicant who (NAC 502.063):

  1. Possesses a hunting license or a combined hunting and fishing license;
  2. Will attain his or her 12th birthday before the first day of each hunting season to which his or her application relates; and
  3. Will not attain his or her 18th birthday until after the last day of each hunting season to which his or her application relates.

Note: A person who is otherwise eligible to apply for a junior hunt may apply for a junior hunt not more than 5 years (NAC 502.333).

Unlawful Use of Aircraft, Helicopter, Motor-driven Vehicle or Boat

  1. It is unlawful to harass any game mammals or game birds by any means, including, without limitation, with a manned or unmanned aircraft, firearm, helicopter, horse, motorboat, motor-driven vehicle, noisemaker, or sailboat.
  2. It is unlawful to shoot at any game mammals or game birds with a weapon from a manned or unmanned aircraft, helicopter, or motor-driven vehicle. A person who is a paraplegic, has had one or both legs amputated or has suffered a paralysis of one or both legs which severely impedes the person’s walking may shoot from a stopped motor vehicle which is not parked on the traveled portion of a public highway, but the person may not shoot from, over or across a highway or road specified in NRS 503.175.
  3. It is unlawful to spot or locate game mammals or game birds with any kind of manned or unmanned aircraft or helicopter and communicate that information, within 24 hours after the aircraft or helicopter has landed or in violation of a regulation of the Commission, by any means to a person on the ground for the purpose of hunting or trapping. The provisions of this subsection do not prohibit an employee or agent of the Department from providing general information to the public concerning the location of game birds or game mammals.
  4. It is unlawful to use any information obtained in violation of the provisions of subsection 3 to hunt or kill game mammals or game birds.
  5. It is unlawful to use a helicopter to transport game, hunters or hunting equipment, except when: (a) The cargo or passengers, or both, are loaded and unloaded at airports, airplane landing fields or heliports, which have been established by a department or agency of the Federal or State Government or by a county or municipal government and which are accessible by a public road; or (b) The loading or unloading is done in the course of an emergency or search and rescue operation.

(Refer to NRS 503.010)

Scouting from Aircraft

  1. A person shall not, for the purpose of hunting or trapping, locate or observe or assist a person in locating or observing any big game mammal, game bird or fur-bearing mammal in a management unit described in NAC 504.210 during the period beginning on July 1 and ending on the last day of February of each calendar year with the use of:
    1. An aircraft, including, without limitation, any device that is used for navigation of, or flight in, the air:
    2. A hot air balloon or any other device that is lighter than air;
    3. An unmanned aerial vehicle; or
    4. A satellite or any other device that orbits the earth and is equipped to produce real-time images.
  2. Evidence of an act constituting a violation of subsection 1 includes, without limitation;
    1. Flying slowly at low altitudes;
    2. Hovering;
    3. Circling; or
    4. Repeatedly flying over a forest, marsh, field, woodland or rangeland where a big game mammal, game bird or fur-bearing mammal is likely to be found.

(Refer to NAC 503.148 and CGR 496-R-009-21)

Radio Telemetry and Satellite Transmitter

  1. It is unlawful to hunt any wildlife using a radio signal or other transmission received from any transmitting device that is attached to the wildlife.
  2. If you harvest any wildlife with a transmitting device, notify the Department of Wildlife without undue delay. Devices must be returned to the Department.
  3. Do not intentionally break, destroy or damage any transmitting device. Transmitting device means any collar or other device which:
    1. Is attached to any wildlife; and
    2. Emits an electronic signal or uses radio telemetry or a satellite transmission to determine the location of the wildlife.

(Refer to NAC 503.1475)

Baiting Big Game Animals

A person may not bait big game mammals for the purpose of hunting; or knowingly hunt big game mammals that were baited by another person.

Bait means the intentional placing, exposing, depositing, disturbing or scattering of salt, minerals, grain or any other food material, whether natural or manufactured, that could attract, entice or lure wildlife to an area.

(Refer to NAC 503.149)

Transportation Permits And Use Of Tags As Transportation Permits

A person in legal possession of a game tag may use the tag as a transportation permit once the tag has been validated and attached to the carcass of the harvested animal.

A person may transport the harvested animal or portions of the animal for the legal tag holder if the transportation permit included on the tag is complete with the transporter’s information.

(Refer to NAC 502.401)

Transportation permits are required when transporting harvested animals or portions of animals taken by trapping or whenever a person will be transporting more than one legal limit of animals taken by trapping. Permits may be obtained from the Department free of charge.

(Refer to NRS 503.040)

Disguising Sex of Animals

It is unlawful for a person to disguise or attempt to disguise the sex characteristics of any harvested animal if sex characteristics are a determining factor in regulation of hunting seasons or possession of the animal.

(Refer to NAC 503.175)

Cape and Horns/Antlers of Wildlife Must Be Maintained with Carcass

Except as otherwise provided in NAC 502.403, any person who kills a deer, elk, mountain goat, antelope or bighorn sheep shall, until the carcass is frozen, smoked, dried, consumed or accepted by a commercial processing plant for processing, maintain possession of at least that portion of the cape or scalp that includes the ears to the base of the muzzle and any antlers or horns. The cape or scalp and any antlers or horns from the animal must be possessed in such a manner that they remain or are kept together with the carcass of the animal.

(Refer to NAC 503.173)

Highway Wildlife Crossing

A designed construction made to facilitate the safe passage of wildlife across a highway is known as a "wildlife highway crossing." It is unlawful to hunt or take game mammals within 1/2 mile of a wildlife highway crossing, or discharge any firearm from, upon, over or across a wildlife highway crossing.

(Refer to NAC 504.105)

Firing Firearm from/over Roads

A person may not discharge a firearm from, upon, over or across any federal, state, main or general county road as described in NRS 408.285 and 403.170.

(Refer to NRS 503.175)

Unlawful to Waste Game

It is unlawful to waste any edible portion of any game bird, game mammal, game fish or game amphibian. Heads, antlers, horns or tusks cannot be the only part of an animal taken from the field. You can leave the carcass of a carnivore.

(Refer to NRS 503.050, NAC 503.004)

Reasonable Effort Required to Take Wildlife

Each person who shoots and wounds any wildlife while hunting shall make a reasonable effort to take that wildlife, including, without limitation, pursuing and tracking it.

(Refer to NAC 503.191)

Hunting on Posted Lands Without Permission

It is unlawful for any person to hunt, trap or fish on private property without permission obtained by the owner or occupant of the private property. Any person using that property to hunt, fish or trap shall comply with the provisions of NRS 207.200.

(Refer to NRS 503.240)

Shed Antler Hunting

A person may not take or gather shed antlers from public land in Elko, Eureka, Lander, Lincoln, Nye, or White Pine counties from January 1 - April 30 of each year.

A certificate is needed to be carried on a person taking sheds from the above mentioned counties from May 1 - June 30 of each year. The certificate is available after the completion of a class offered to the public, free of charge at ndowlicensing.com. It is unlawful to pick up antlers still attached to a skull (deadhead).

(Refer to NAC 503.172 and CGR 475)

Camping Near Water Hole

It is unlawful for any person to camp within 100 yards of a water hole in such a manner that wildlife or domestic stock will be denied access to such water hole.

(Refer to NRS 503.660).

Sale of Nonedible Parts

The sale of the hide, head, antlers or horns or other nonedible parts of game animals which were legally killed is permitted.

Note: The sale of bear gall bladders is unlawful.

(Refer to NAC 503.174)

Hunter Education Requirements

Anyone born after January 1, 1960 is required to provide proof of Hunter Education, in order to purchase a Nevada hunting license. Proof of Hunter Education is an official Hunter Education card or certificate from any state or Canadian province, with the Hunter Education number and state or provincial logo or seal or a previous year’s hunting license with the Hunter Education number or mark. If you have taken a hunter education class in another state or Canadian province, verification must be provided.

(Refer to NRS 502.330)

Trail Cameras

With certain exemptions, it is illegal to place, maintain, or use a trail camera on public land from August 1 – December 31 of each year. It is illegal to use a trail camera July 1 - December 31 of each year if the camera is capable of transmitting images, video, or location of wildlife. (Refer to NAC 503.1485)

Attention Spike Elk Hunters!

Spike elk hunts continue to be a useful tool for managing bull ratios and providing additional hunter opportunity. Beginning with the 2023-2024 hunting seasons, the legal definition of a spike has been revised to mean any antlered elk having no more than 2 antler points on either antler (NAC 502.104 to 502.1045).

Previous definitions of spike elk were confusing and increased the likelihood of unintentional infractions. An antler point is defined as any antler projection, which is at least 1 inch in length, with the length exceeding the width of its base (NAC 502.006). Please ensure your intended target meets these criteria.