At a Glance
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.
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

