Quick Tips
- Waterfowl hunting is allowed on the northwest side of El Vado Lake State Park
- Try trout fishing in El Vado and Heron lakes
- Be wary of buying landowner vouchers that include little land to hunt
- Trout fishing in the San Juan River is world famous
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Mule Deer | 130"-160" | 170"+ |
| Elk | 260"-300" | 330"+ |
On The Ground
Wrapped around the northeastern part of the Jicarilla Apache Indian Reservation and bordering Colorado, this unit is almost all private land except for state wildlife management areas. Hunters take many mule deer and elk here.
This unit is in Rio Arriba County, which has many record book deer. Some record book bucks today are harvested on the bordering Jicarilla reservation. If snow gets deep, elk leave high-elevation properties. In hotter weather, few elk are on low-elevation ranches.
Terrain
Some farm fields are at low elevations along with sagebrush flats and knolls. Rio Chama runs from Colorado down through Chama and to the Rio Chama State Wildlife Area, which borders El Vado Lake in the southwest corner. 6,500 feet in elevation. The high peaks are between 6,500 and 7,215 feet. Many alfalfa and hay fields are along the San Juan, Animas and Los Pinos rivers, providing food and water for game. Major oil fields underlie this unit with hundreds of pump jacks and oil wells scattered like ant hills in these desert foothills.
Roughly 694 square miles
11.7% public land
Elevations from 6,837-10,915 feet
Vegetation
Much of the low terrain is exposed dirt, rock, gravel and sand. Grasses grow thinly in dry years and more densely in wet years. River bottoms contain cottonwood trees, tamarisk, willows, and some marshy areas. Many farm fields are along rivers. Junipers and pinyon pines are scattered in lowlands and grow thick at higher altitudes. Oak brush and other browse plants grow mostly at middle to high elevations.
Access
Good gravel and dirt roads provide access to most areas. Truck traffic is heavy. Rattlesnake Canyon is closed to hunting. Not all Indian reservation boundaries or private land boundaries are well-marked, so carry good maps to help you keep track of where you are.
Camping and Lodging
Many hunters on private land have lodging included in the price of their hunts. Large ranches typically have cabins or lodges. Hunters who are hunting on their own often camp along dirt or gravel roads. An RV park is in Chama along with motels. Camping is allowed at El Vado Lake State Park and Heron Lake State Park.
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