Quick Tips
- Quality optics can be helpful
- Prepare for rugged terrain
- Some areas are foot or horseback only
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep | 160"-170" | 170"+ |
On The Ground
West and northeast of Ouray in the San Juan Mountains you will find some rough country along with a healthy herd of Rocky Mountain bighorns. Colorado Parks and Wildlife allocate both resident and nonresident ram and ewe limited licenses.
The terrain is very challenging with some areas restricted to foot or horseback. Plan on seeing a number of rams, so be patient and glass multiple basins and drainages until you find the right one. Be prepared for extreme terrain, both physically and mentally.
Terrain
San Miguel River drains the mountain basins surrounding Telluride. The San Juan Mountains with peaks exceeding 14,000 feet complement the surrounding valleys of the San Miguel, Cimarron and Uncompahgre Rivers. The 355-foot high Bridal Veil Falls near Telluride also creates a good setting for that historic town. Deep Creek Mesa, Red Mountain Pass and Cimarron Ridge all add to the uniqueness of the area.
Roughly 636 square miles
66.2% public land
Elevations from 7,500-13,200 feet
Vegetation
Alpine basins typically have a lot of wildflowers, barren ground willow, moss and lichens. Steep slopes are covered with pine, fir and spruce with lower elevations consisting of oak brush, mountain mahogany, lodgepole, ponderosa pine, aspen and more open grassy parks. Cottonwoods and willows line the river while drainages and pinyon/juniper cover the lower foothills.
Access
US Highway 550 and US Highway 50 are the major highways through and near this area. Uncompahgre National Forest, BLM, Uncompahgre and Mount Sneffels Wilderness Area on the Uncompahgre National Forest near the communities of Telluride, Ridgway and Ouray in Colorado provide thousands of acres of public lands. A good forest service road, county road and trail system is established here.
Camping and Lodging
A number of improved campgrounds are available on national forest and state lands. Dispersed camping is available on national forest, wilderness and BLM lands. Telluride, Ouray, Ridgeway and Montrose offer motels, hotels, restaurants, cafes, bistros, medical facilities, two regional airports, gas and diesel to meet the budgets of any tag holders.
Historical Temperatures
High
Low
Moon Phases
March 2025
23
24
25
26
27
28
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
1
2
3
4
5