Quick Tips
- Scout before the season for access routes
- Cell phone service is spotty throughout the unit
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Elk | Raghorn-250" | 280"+ |
On The Ground
Bordering Colorado and southeast of Monticello, this unit is not typical elk habitat. It has a low number of dispersed animals that feed on bean fields and hide in rough desert canyons and in patches of pinyon-juniper woodland.
Hunters occasionally take a good bull in this unit, but numbers are low and animals are scattered. The best hunting takes place on and near private land in the northern third of the unit. Most bulls taken are spikes and raghorns.
Terrain
Bordering Colorado, the Navajo Indian Reservation, and the San Juan Elk Ridge limited-entry elk unit, this area features flat and rolling agricultural fields divided by dry canyons. The canyons rise from dry and live creeks and rivers flowing from 5,500 to below 4,400 feet in elevation. The San Juan River forms part of the southern boundary. The agricultural mesas are typically 6,000 to 7,000 feet above sea level. The south end has a lot of barren desert terrain between the creek bottoms and the mesas. Some canyons are steep, but most elevation changes are gradual to moderate. There are several exposed rock outcroppings and talus slopes.
Roughly 725 square miles
70% public land
Elevations from 4,400-7,200 feet
Vegetation
Most elk bed in pinyon-juniper woodlands or oakbrush thickets and feed on grasses in sagebrush parks and on agriculture crops. Besides sagebrush, browse plants include mountain mahogany, cliffrose and serviceberry. Along the rivers and creeks grow willows, cottonwoods, tamarisk brush, cattails, bulrushes and other riparian plants. Some local plants include Mormon tea and Naturita milkvetch.
Access
Most elk feed on private land and spend daylight on public land. Some public land cannot be reached easily except through private ground, but some roads are open to the public. Horsehead, Coalbed, and Monument Canyons are on the Northeast side of the unit and can be good ways to access elk. Squaw-Papoose Wilderness Study Area on the Colorado line is closed to vehicles. Isolated parts of the Ute Mountain Indian Reservation are inside the unit and are closed to hunting. The northern third of the unit is mostly private, while the remainder is mostly BLM land or state sections with private properties along river bottoms.
Most roads are open to ATV use
Some public roads are graded and graveled
Carry a GPS to avoid trespassing
Camping and Lodging
Sand island Campground about three miles west of Bluff is just outside the unit and offers 24 campsites with picnic tables and fire grates. The private Mountain View RV Park & Campground is in Monticello at the northeast corner. Most hunters camp along dirt roads on BLM or state land. Lodging is available in Monticello and Blanding. Options include Stone Lizard Lodging, the oldest motel in Blanding, and Inn at the Canyons in Monticello.
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