San Juan (Elk Ridge) limited-entry deer unit: draw, harvest and public land
San Juan, Elk Ridge is a 3,082-square-mile limited-entry deer unit in DWR's Southeastern Region of Utah. Limited-entry deer hunters here took 73 bucks on 82 permits in 2025, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary). The unit is 78.1% public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (1,190,542 acres), measured from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
Data updated October 2026. Seasons: DWR's 2026 guidebook. Harvest: DWR's reports, 2013 to 2025. Draw: DWR's 2024 and 2025 results. Land: UGRC, 2023.
National forestBLMState trust land (SITLA)National park or monument (NPS, no hunting)Tribal land (tribe's rules)State sovereign land (lake and river beds)San Juan, Elk RidgeNeighboring limited-entry deer unitsLake or riverHighway
| DWR region | Southeastern Region (Price office) |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,972,256 acres (3,082 square miles) |
| Public land | 78.1% (1,539,458 acres) |
| 2026 hunts on this unit | 4 (DWR guidebook) |
| Bucks harvested, 2025 | 73 on 82 permits |
| Harvest per 100 hunters, 2025 | 90 (from DWR's figures) |
| 2025 first-choice applicants | 1,705 residents, 798 nonresidents (76 drew) |
| Towns in and near it | Bluff, Halls Crossing, Mexican Hat, Blanding and Monticello |
When are the 2026 limited-entry deer hunts on San Juan, Elk Ridge?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 4 limited-entry deer hunts on this unit, shown here with the 2025 draw for the same hunt number where DWR used it.
| Hunt number | Hunt | 2026 season | 2025 first-choice applicants (residents) | 2025 permits drawn (residents) | 2025 first-choice applicants (nonresidents) | 2025 permits drawn (nonresidents) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1014 | Archery | Aug. 15-Sept. 11 | 496 | 14 | 272 | 2 |
| DB1022 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Oct. 17-Oct. 25 | 864 | 39 | 434 | 3 |
| DB1037 | Muzzleloader | Sept. 23-Oct. 1 | 240 | 14 | 92 | 2 |
| DB1046 | Multiseason | All limited-entry seasons | 105 | 2 |
Source: 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook, hunt tables, pages 50, 51 and 53; boundaries from DWR Hunt Planner hunt table. DWR can change a season during the year: check the Utah Hunt Planner before you go.
How many bucks are taken on San Juan, Elk Ridge each year?
DWR's harvest reports cover San Juan, Elk Ridge's limited-entry deer hunts in 13 years from 2013 to 2025. In 2025, 81 hunters afield took 73 bucks, 90 for every 100 hunters. In 2024: 57 from 76 hunters on 76 permits.
| Year | Hunts reported | Permits | Hunters afield | Bucks harvested | Harvest per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | 82 | 81 | 73 | 90 |
| 2024 | 4 | 76 | 76 | 57 | 75 |
| 2023 | 4 | 74 | 73 | 60 | 82 |
| 2022 | 4 | 72 | 72 | 57 | 79 |
| 2021 | 4 | 63 | 62 | 58 | 94 |
| 2020 | 4 | 59 | 58 | 50 | 86 |
| 2019 | 4 | 59 | 57 | 48 | 84 |
| 2018 | 4 | 52 | 52 | 42 | 81 |
| 2017 | 4 | 56 | 56 | 49 | 88 |
| 2016 | 4 | 50 | 50 | 43 | 86 |
| 2015 | 4 | 57 | 56 | 47 | 84 |
| 2014 | 3 | 54 | 52 | 44 | 85 |
| 2013 | 3 | 54 | 54 | 46 | 85 |
Source: DWR harvest reports, 2013 to 2025, every limited-entry deer hunt DWR printed for this unit's name each year, added up by FilledTag. CWMU, landowner, conservation and sportsman permits are not included. Harvest per 100 hunters is worked out from DWR's own two numbers.
Each 2025 hunt on San Juan, Elk Ridge
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bucks harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1014 | Archery | 17 | 17 | 17 | 100% | 5.3 | 3.7 |
| DB1022 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | 45 | 45 | 40 | 88.9% | 4.8 | 3.9 |
| DB1037 | Muzzleloader | 17 | 16 | 14 | 87.5% | 4.6 | 3.8 |
| DB1046 | Multiseason | 3 | 3 | 2 | 66.7% | 20 | 2.7 |
Source: DWR 2025 harvest report (preliminary).
San Juan, Elk Ridge by weapon, year by year
Bucks harvested of permits issued, by weapon, for each year DWR reported since 2018:
| Weapon | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 17 of 17 | 11 of 15 | 14 of 15 | 12 of 14 | 13 of 13 | 11 of 12 | 9 of 11 | 11 of 11 |
| Multiseason | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 2 of 2 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 2 | 2 of 2 | 2 of 2 | 0 of 0 |
| Muzzleloader | 14 of 17 | 14 of 17 | 11 of 18 | 14 of 17 | 11 of 12 | 12 of 14 | 14 of 14 | 10 of 12 |
| Rifle (any legal weapon) | 40 of 45 | 30 of 42 | 33 of 39 | 30 of 39 | 32 of 36 | 25 of 31 | 23 of 32 | 21 of 29 |
Source: DWR harvest reports, 2018 to 2025. An empty cell means DWR printed no hunt of that kind on this unit that year.
How many hunters apply for San Juan, Elk Ridge limited-entry deer permits?
In DWR's 2025 draw, 1,705 residents put a San Juan, Elk Ridge limited-entry deer hunt first and 69 drew a permit, 4% of them; 798 nonresidents applied first choice and 7 drew (0.9%). In 2024, 1,926 residents applied first choice and 65 drew. Limited-entry and once-in-a-lifetime permits are drawn on bonus points: DWR reserves half of each hunt's permits for the applicants with the most points and draws the rest at random (Utah Admin. Rule R657-62-8).
| Hunt | DWR's hunt name | Resident applicants | Residents drawn | Nonresident applicants | Nonresidents drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1014 | Limited-entry archery buck deer | 496 | 14 | 272 | 2 |
| DB1022 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) buck deer | 864 | 39 | 434 | 3 |
| DB1037 | Limited-entry muzzleloader buck deer | 240 | 14 | 92 | 2 |
| DB1046 | Multi-season limited-entry buck deer | 105 | 2 |
| Hunt | Residents, reserved permits: points | Residents, random permits: points | Nonresidents, reserved permits: points | Nonresidents, random permits: points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1014 | 20 to 22 | 5 to 18 | 27 | 8 |
| DB1022 | 19 to 21 | 3 to 19 | 24 to 26 | 7 |
| DB1037 | 20 to 22 | 7 to 19 | 22 | 16 |
| DB1046 | 25 | 23 |
From DWR's 2025 drawing results, which list each point level's permits from the reserved half (most points first) and from the random half. A blank cell means no permit of that kind went to the group.
| Hunt | DWR's hunt name | Resident applicants | Residents drawn | Nonresident applicants | Nonresidents drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1014 | Limited-entry archery buck deer | 551 | 13 | 338 | 2 |
| DB1022 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) buck deer | 947 | 37 | 641 | 3 |
| DB1037 | Limited-entry muzzleloader buck deer | 302 | 13 | 160 | 2 |
| DB1046 | Multi-season limited-entry buck deer | 126 | 2 |
Source: DWR 2025 drawing results and DWR 2024 drawing results, first-choice applications only, as DWR reports them; DWR leaves out second to fifth choices. The share who drew in a past year is not a forecast for the next draw. Deadlines and fees: Utah draw deadlines and fees.
How much of San Juan, Elk Ridge is public land?
78.1% of the San Juan, Elk Ridge limited-entry deer unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 1,539,458 of 1,972,256 acres. The largest share is BLM, 1,190,542 acres or 60.4% of the unit. 166 acres are tribal land, hunted only under the tribe's own rules. 417,628 acres are National Park Service land, closed to hunting.
| Manager | Acres | Share of San Juan, Elk Ridge |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 1,190,542 | 60.4% |
| National park or monument (NPS, no hunting) | 417,628 | 21.2% |
| National forest | 233,823 | 11.9% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 115,093 | 5.8% |
| State sovereign land (lake and river beds) | 3,265 | 0.2% |
| Tribal land (tribe's rules) | 166 | under 0.1% |
| Other public land (highways, other state land) | 78 | under 0.1% |
| State park (park rules) | 10 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 11,651 | 0.6% |
Measured by FilledTag inside DWR's 2026 boundary from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023). State trust land (SITLA) is open to hunting where it can be reached legally; many sections touch no public road. A permit does not allow hunting on CWMUs, tribal land or national parks.
What other hunts share the San Juan, Elk Ridge limited-entry deer unit's ground?
Utah draws a separate map of units for each species and hunt type. These units cover part of the same ground, measured from DWR's 2026 boundaries:
| Unit | Hunt type | Share of San Juan, Elk Ridge it covers |
|---|---|---|
| San Juan | limited-entry bull elk | 100% |
| San Juan | general-season spike elk (over the counter) | 100% |
| San Juan, South | once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep | 26% |
| San Juan, San Juan River | once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep | 24% |
| San Juan, North | once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep | 20% |
How do you get to the San Juan, Elk Ridge unit?
Highways through the unit: UT 276 (about 36 miles inside it) and US 163 (about 7 miles inside it). Towns inside: Bluff, Halls Crossing and Mexican Hat. Nearby: Blanding (5 miles) and Monticello (15 miles). Rivers: Colorado River (55 miles) and San Juan River (15 miles).
Which limited-entry deer units border or overlap San Juan, Elk Ridge?
| Unit | Square miles | Public land | Bucks harvested (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder/Kaiparowits | 5,344 | 75.7% | 693 (2025) |
| Henry Mountains | 1,299 | 88.6% | 57 (2025) |
| Kaiparowits HAMSS | 3,148 | 67.9% | |
| La Sal Mountains | 2,477 | 78.4% | 673 (2025) |
| Manti/San Rafael | 7,649 | 81.5% | 2,518 (2025) |
| San Juan, Abajo Mountains | 2,010 | 72.1% | 990 (2025) |
| San Juan, Mancos Mesa | 968 | 63% | 2 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
When are the 2026 limited-entry deer hunts on San Juan, Elk Ridge?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 4 limited-entry deer hunts on San Juan, Elk Ridge: Archery Aug. 15-Sept. 11 (DB1014), Rifle (any legal weapon) Oct. 17-Oct. 25 (DB1022), Muzzleloader Sept. 23-Oct. 1 (DB1037) and Multiseason All limited-entry seasons (DB1046).
How many bucks were harvested on San Juan, Elk Ridge in 2025?
73, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary): 81 hunters afield on 82 permits, 90 bucks for every 100 hunters. In 2024 the count was 57.
How many people apply for San Juan, Elk Ridge limited-entry deer permits?
1,705 residents and 798 nonresidents made a San Juan, Elk Ridge hunt their first choice in DWR's 2025 draw; 69 residents and 7 nonresidents drew (DWR 2025 drawing results).
Is San Juan, Elk Ridge mostly public land?
Yes. 78.1% of the unit is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (1,190,542 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
What is the closest town to the San Juan, Elk Ridge limited-entry deer unit?
Bluff, Halls Crossing and Mexican Hat are inside the unit. Just outside: Blanding (5 miles) and Monticello (15 miles).
DWR's boundary description for San Juan, Elk Ridge
San Juan County: Boundary begins at the junction of US-163 and South Cottonwood Creek (near Bluff); north along this creek to Allen Canyon; north along this canyon bottom to Chippean Canyon; north along this canyon bottom to Deep Canyon; north along this canyon bottom to Mule Canyon; north along this canyon bottom to the Causeway; north from the Causeway to Trough Canyon; north along this canyon bottom to North Cottonwood Creek; north along this creek to Indian Creek; north along this creek to the Colorado River; south on this river to the San Juan River; east on this river to US-163; east on US-163 to South Cottonwood Creek. USGS 1:100,000 Maps: Blanding, Hite Crossing, La Sal, Bluff, Navajo Mountain. Boundary questions? Call the Price office, 435-613-3700.
From DWR's 2026 unit layer.
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Where these numbers come from
- Harvest, permits, hunters, days and satisfaction: DWR harvest reports, 2013 to 2025 (2025 preliminary).
- 2026 hunts and season dates: 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook; boundary names: DWR Hunt Planner hunt table.
- Applicants and permits drawn: DWR drawing results, 2024 and 2025.
- Unit boundary: DWR 2026 hunt unit boundaries. Public land: UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023). WMAs: DWR public access properties (WMAs). Walk-In Access: DWR Walk-In Access properties (December 17, 2025).
- Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Numbers are copied from DWR and the State of Utah, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
Utah hunting units Southeastern Region Utah draw deadlines Boulder/Kaiparowits Henry Mountains La Sal Mountains Manti/San Rafael San Juan, Abajo Mountains