Three trucks, seven people, heading out hunting. 18 miles north of Montello, Nevada. Stars shining brightly. No evidence of dawn yet. We observed a singular, dark cloud about 8 miles to the east in the dark sky. There was a beam of red light about 100 feet across shining straight down to the ground from the base of the cloud. The red shaft of light was visible for about one minute. Vehicles were stopped, lights and engines off, to watch the event. A retired naval flight crew member said that in twenty years of flying he had never seen anything like it. When the red light went out, it became dark once again. Sunrise occurred about 45 minutes later.