San Juan elk unit: draw, harvest and public land
San Juan is a 4,365-square-mile limited-entry bull elk unit in DWR's Southeastern Region of Utah. Limited-entry bull elk hunters here took 94 bulls on 136 permits in 2025, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary). The unit is 76.8% public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (1,597,282 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)DWR wildlife landNational park or monument (NPS, no hunting)Tribal land (tribe's rules)State park (park rules)State sovereign land (lake and river beds)San JuanNeighboring elk unitsLake or riverHighway
| DWR region | Southeastern Region (Price office) |
|---|---|
| Size | 2,793,348 acres (4,365 square miles) |
| Public land | 76.8% (2,144,076 acres) |
| 2026 hunts on this unit | 7 (DWR guidebook) |
| Bulls harvested, 2025 | 94 on 136 permits |
| Harvest per 100 hunters, 2025 | 71 (from DWR's figures) |
| 2025 first-choice applicants | 2,761 residents, 3,211 nonresidents (122 drew) |
| Towns in and near it | Bluff, Blanding, Halls Crossing, Monticello, Moab and Castle Valley |
When are the 2026 elk hunts on San Juan?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 7 limited-entry bull elk 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3019 | Archery | Aug. 15-Sept. 15 | 293 | 25 | 848 | 3 |
| EB3066 | Early rifle | Sept. 16-Sept. 20 | 1,366 | 10 | 1,669 | 1 |
| EB3067 | Late rifle | Nov. 7-Nov. 15 | 209 | 18 | 172 | 2 |
| EB3097 | Muzzleloader | Sept. 21-Oct. 2 | 197 | 15 | 253 | 2 |
| EB3121 | Multiseason | Limited-entry seasons | 315 | 3 | ||
| EB3193 | Late archery | Nov. 28-Dec. 13 | 16 | 9 | 19 | 1 |
| EB3194 | Midseason rifle | Oct. 3-Oct. 15 | 365 | 31 | 250 | 2 |
Source: 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook, hunt tables, pages 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59 and 60; 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 bulls are taken on San Juan each year?
DWR's harvest reports cover San Juan's limited-entry bull elk hunts in 13 years from 2013 to 2025. In 2025, 132 hunters afield took 94 bulls, 71 for every 100 hunters. In 2024: 76 from 120 hunters on 121 permits.
| Year | Hunts reported | Permits | Hunters afield | Bulls harvested | Harvest per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7 | 136 | 132 | 94 | 71 |
| 2024 | 7 | 121 | 120 | 76 | 63 |
| 2023 | 7 | 103 | 102 | 70 | 69 |
| 2022 | 5 | 82 | 82 | 57 | 70 |
| 2021 | 5 | 82 | 82 | 61 | 74 |
| 2020 | 5 | 76 | 76 | 60 | 79 |
| 2019 | 5 | 77 | 77 | 62 | 81 |
| 2018 | 5 | 68 | 68 | 48 | 71 |
| 2017 | 5 | 71 | 71 | 62 | 87 |
| 2016 | 5 | 69 | 69 | 52 | 75 |
| 2015 | 5 | 65 | 63 | 51 | 81 |
| 2014 | 5 | 60 | 60 | 51 | 85 |
| 2013 | 5 | 74 | 74 | 51 | 69 |
Source: DWR harvest reports, 2013 to 2025, every limited-entry bull elk 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
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bulls harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3019 | Archery | 30 | 29 | 16 | 55.2% | 15.1 | 3.4 |
| EB3066 | Early rifle | 19 | 19 | 15 | 78.9% | 3.9 | 3.8 |
| EB3067 | Late rifle | 21 | 20 | 14 | 70% | 5.4 | 4 |
| EB3097 | Muzzleloader | 17 | 17 | 13 | 76.5% | 6.5 | 3.8 |
| EB3121 | Multiseason | 4 | 4 | 4 | 100% | 14 | 4.5 |
| EB3193 | Late archery | 10 | 8 | 1 | 12.5% | 8 | 3.7 |
| EB3194 | Midseason rifle | 35 | 35 | 31 | 88.6% | 5.4 | 4 |
Source: DWR 2025 harvest report (preliminary).
San Juan by weapon, year by year
Bulls harvested of permits issued, by weapon, for each year DWR reported since 2018:
| Weapon | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 16 of 30 | 12 of 26 | 13 of 25 | 8 of 20 | 8 of 20 | 8 of 18 | 9 of 17 | 4 of 13 |
| Early rifle | 15 of 19 | 16 of 20 | 13 of 14 | 28 of 31 | ||||
| Late archery | 1 of 10 | 0 of 5 | 1 of 4 | |||||
| Late rifle | 14 of 21 | 12 of 17 | 10 of 14 | 12 of 16 | ||||
| Midseason rifle | 31 of 35 | 20 of 32 | 14 of 27 | |||||
| Multiseason | 4 of 4 | 4 of 4 | 4 of 4 | 2 of 3 | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 | 4 of 4 | 2 of 2 |
| Muzzleloader | 13 of 17 | 12 of 17 | 15 of 15 | 7 of 12 | 7 of 11 | 10 of 10 | 9 of 11 | 5 of 10 |
| Rifle (any legal weapon) | 43 of 48 | 39 of 45 | 40 of 45 | 37 of 43 |
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 permits?
In DWR's 2025 draw, 2,761 residents put a San Juan elk hunt first and 111 drew a permit, 4% of them; 3,211 nonresidents applied first choice and 11 drew (0.3%). In 2024, 3,009 residents applied first choice and 96 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3019 | Limited-entry archery bull elk | 293 | 25 | 848 | 3 |
| EB3066 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) bull elk - early | 1,366 | 10 | 1,669 | 1 |
| EB3067 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) bull elk - late | 209 | 18 | 172 | 2 |
| EB3097 | Limited-entry muzzleloader bull elk | 197 | 15 | 253 | 2 |
| EB3121 | Limited-entry multi-season bull elk | 315 | 3 | ||
| EB3193 | Limited-entry archery bull elk - late | 16 | 9 | 19 | 1 |
| EB3194 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) bull elk - mid | 365 | 31 | 250 | 2 |
| Hunt | Residents, reserved permits: points | Residents, random permits: points | Nonresidents, reserved permits: points | Nonresidents, random permits: points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3019 | 17 to 28 | 2 to 16 | 24 to 25 | 16 |
| EB3066 | 28 to 29 | 2 to 26 | 23 | |
| EB3067 | 15 to 20 | 5 to 14 | 27 | 6 |
| EB3097 | 24 to 27 | 7 to 24 | 30 | 19 |
| EB3121 | 30 | 17 | ||
| EB3193 | 3 to 17 | 1 to 2 | 4 | |
| EB3194 | 21 to 26 | 6 to 19 | 26 | 6 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3019 | Limited-entry archery bull elk | 319 | 22 | 809 | 3 |
| EB3066 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) bull elk - early | 1,485 | 9 | 2,030 | 1 |
| EB3067 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) bull elk - late | 200 | 16 | 199 | 2 |
| EB3097 | Limited-entry muzzleloader bull elk | 215 | 14 | 241 | 2 |
| EB3121 | Limited-entry multi-season bull elk | 334 | 3 | ||
| EB3193 | Limited-entry archery bull elk - late | 8 | 4 | 19 | 1 |
| EB3194 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) bull elk - mid | 448 | 28 | 288 | 3 |
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 is public land?
76.8% of the San Juan elk unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 2,144,076 of 2,793,348 acres. The largest share is BLM, 1,597,282 acres or 57.2% of the unit. 4,139 acres are tribal land, hunted only under the tribe's own rules. 424,151 acres are National Park Service land, closed to hunting.
| Manager | Acres | Share of San Juan |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 1,597,282 | 57.2% |
| National park or monument (NPS, no hunting) | 424,151 | 15.2% |
| National forest | 366,029 | 13.1% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 180,765 | 6.5% |
| State sovereign land (lake and river beds) | 4,331 | 0.2% |
| Tribal land (tribe's rules) | 4,139 | 0.1% |
| Other public land (highways, other state land) | 180 | under 0.1% |
| State park (park rules) | 77 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 216,394 | 7.7% |
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 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 it covers |
|---|---|---|
| San Juan | general-season spike elk (over the counter) | 100% |
| San Juan, Elk Ridge | limited-entry deer | 71% |
| San Juan, Abajo Mountains | general-season deer | 29% |
| San Juan, Mancos Mesa | limited-entry deer | 22% |
| San Juan, South | once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep | 19% |
| San Juan, Hatch Point | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 18% |
| San Juan, San Juan River | once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep | 17% |
| San Juan, North | once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep | 14% |
| San Juan, Lockhart | once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep | 10% |
How do you get to the San Juan unit?
Highways through the unit: UT 276 and US 191 (one road, about 36 miles inside it) and US 163 (about 21 miles inside it). Towns inside: Bluff, Blanding, Halls Crossing and Mexican Hat. Nearby: Monticello (on the line), Moab (4 miles) and Castle Valley (13 miles). Rivers: Colorado River (84 miles) and San Juan River (27 miles).
Which elk units border or overlap San Juan?
| Unit | Square miles | Public land | Bulls harvested (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barney Top/Kaiparowits | 3,389 | 69.5% | 7 (2025) |
| La Sal Mountains | 2,477 | 78.4% | 86 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
When are the 2026 elk hunts on San Juan?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 7 limited-entry bull elk hunts on San Juan: Archery Aug. 15-Sept. 15 (EB3019), Early rifle Sept. 16-Sept. 20 (EB3066), Late rifle Nov. 7-Nov. 15 (EB3067), Muzzleloader Sept. 21-Oct. 2 (EB3097), Multiseason Limited-entry seasons (EB3121) and Late archery Nov. 28-Dec. 13 (EB3193), and 1 more in the table above.
How many bulls were harvested on San Juan in 2025?
94, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary): 132 hunters afield on 136 permits, 71 bulls for every 100 hunters. In 2024 the count was 76.
How many people apply for San Juan elk permits?
2,761 residents and 3,211 nonresidents made a San Juan hunt their first choice in DWR's 2025 draw; 111 residents and 11 nonresidents drew (DWR 2025 drawing results).
Is San Juan mostly public land?
Yes. 76.8% of the unit is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (1,597,282 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
What is the closest town to the San Juan elk unit?
Bluff, Blanding and Halls Crossing are inside the unit. Just outside: Monticello (on the line), Moab (4 miles) and Castle Valley (13 miles).
DWR's boundary description for San Juan
Grand and San Juan counties: Boundary begins at the confluence of the San Juan and Colorado rivers; north along the Colorado River to Kane Springs Creek; southeast along this creek to Hatch Wash; southeast along this wash to US-191; south on US-191 to the Big Indian road; east and north on this road to the Lisbon Valley road; southeast on this road to the Island Mesa road; east on this road to the Utah-Colorado state line; south on this state line to US-491; west on US-491 to US-191; south on US-191 to the San Juan River; west on this river to the Colorado River. EXCLUDES ALL NATIVE AMERICAN TRUST LANDS WITHIN THIS BOUNDARY. EXCLUDES ALL NATIONAL PARKS. EXCLUDES ALL CWMUs. USGS 1:100,000 Maps: Blanding, La Sal, Hite Crossing, Bluff. 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 Barney Top/Kaiparowits La Sal Mountains