San Juan Elk Ridge

S

SnkyHuntr

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We (Dad, Grandpa, & Myself) drew the Limited Entry Archery Deer tags for this unit. My grandpa hunted the unit every year back in the 60's & 70's before it was closed down and then re-opened as a Limited Entry Unit. So needless to say we are not very familiar with the unit as I am sure things have changed over the past 40+ years. We are familiar with the surrounding area though as we hunt general season Archery in the Abajo Mountain range. Anyone willing to give advice and areas to start looking? We will make several trips down during the summer to scout and familiarize ourselves with the area. Our plan is to also spend 1-2 weeks actually hunting as well.

Thanks--
 
IMO several trips will be fun but not needed and at 4.00/gallon not a wise use of $$ unless you have endless amounts of it in which case I would say hire BTO:). Spend time on google earth, learn the roads and use or trucks NOT ATVS to drive the roads, you should have lots of opportunities and 140-170 bucks right from the road.

Todd Black
DLL
 
Thanks Todd. We will make at least 2 trips down, just to see the area in person and see animals. I wish I had the funds to hire a guide. :) Great advice about using trucks and not ATV's. I have heard others mention that as well about the unit.

We Archery hunt on a certain mountain close to the unit. Spoke with your brother last year while he was up checking trail cameras for Elk. We both had cameras stolen last year from the same water hole. He was a great guy. I will have to send you guys some pics I got last year of some good bulls.

Brad
 
ATV's are a must on this unit. You can cover lots of ground and go after every nice buck on the unit every day. Just pattern the best bucks and make the rounds on them each day. The faster you drive the more bucks you can see each day. It's possible to get 5 or 6 shoots a day, if you work it right.
 
Thanks Roadless. We will have ATV's as well. The goal is to find a few bruisers and stay concentrated on them. I am guessing you mean 5-6 opportunities per day and not shots. ;)
 
+1 from Blanding Boy

Todd is right, although fun, scouting is not really necessary.

You will have a great hunt. We will be there for the Muzzleloader hunt. Save a bruiser or two for us.
 
LAST EDITED ON May-21-15 AT 10:09PM (MST)[p]Ask Todd from BTO if they killed this buck last year. I think he made it through the hunts. The guys we gave the coordinates to shot the deer's that was hanging with him, but never seen him during the hunt.



I Can't get the embed function to work so click on the link for the video.

https://youtu.be/Q3Hblje-3tI
 
Run them ATV's at 75 MPH for 14 Hours Per Day & You'll have it covered!






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Last time we hunted this area we put over 1600 miles on one ATV and 1000 miles on the other ATV in a week. My bro misses a 30 inch 4x4 from 19 yards and ended up getting a heavy 27 inch 4 with fairly nice points. The one he missed was a 190 class typical. I ranged him twice and it was 19 yards. Sadly the unit buck size and quality has taken a nose dived.
 
Video from a couple summers ago. Nothing giant, but it was only 2 hours one evening, so I was happy...


"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24
 
LAST EDITED ON May-22-15 AT 01:02PM (MST)[p]BrowningRage, That video pretty much sums up San Juan. They really need a management hunt on that unit. That would free up some room for true 4X4's and bigger. The genes are getting shot out of that herd.
 
Thanks Guys for all of the insight and videos. It really gets the blood pumping. I can't wait to get down there and start looking around. All of this rain we are getting just adds to the excitement as it will definitely help out with the early antler growth.

If anyone else has photos or videos from scouting or past success on the unit, let's see them.

Thanks--
 
>IMO several trips will be fun
>but not needed and at
>4.00/gallon not a wise use
>of $$ unless you have
>endless amounts of it in
>which case I would say
>hire BTO:). Spend time
>on google earth, learn the
>roads and use or trucks
>NOT ATVS to drive the
>roads, you should have lots
>of opportunities and 140-170 bucks
>right from the road.
>
>Todd Black
>DLL

If you ever got out of Blanding, you would know gas is $3 a gallon, not $4 ;-)
 
You guys should have a great time and hunt, If your hunting for a huge Buck then find one and stay on him from dawn to dusk and kill him opening morning because after that they start finding some holes to hide in.
If you are looking for a great time with family, hunt and have a ball. Great Unit to find deer in. VERY Good glass is your friend.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
roadless hunter,

the buck you posted a link from was gut shot by a HTO client with a muzzleloader. sad part was they undercut my brother when they knew he was positioned for a shot and waiting as it fed 150 yards away in and out of brush. after they blew his guts out, it hobbled by me at 25 yards dripping blood. they didn't even give it 10 minutes to bed down and die and chased it so hard they could no longer track it and spent just one day looking and gave up to shoot another buck... worthless waste of a giant buck.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jun-02-15 AT 04:17PM (MST)[p]I had a feeling that was the case with this buck. I figured we would have seen pictures of the buck by now, if someone had shot him.
 
oh he was shot alright. by a guide who gave not a second thought about ethics in the hunting community. no it was never found. we didn't waste anytime looking for it after we watched the guide and hunter literally spook him out of his dying bed minutes after being gut shot... when i saw they had posted pictures on facebook two days later of a buck they had killed the day before i almost puked.. sad
 
Part of me says I would have probably tried to find the buck... I mean, what is the law about such a case.?? You viewed the animal shot, and then the 'hunter' and his 'guide' left it and went and killed another buck.

If you had found the buck and reported its location, what would the DWR do..?? It wouldn't be ruled a poaching I don't think. And it wasn't hit by a car... So, couldn't they have determined it to be a "dead head" and awarded it to you..?? That could have been cool. You would have had two bucks from the unit... :)

Hey Billy, did you guys take another buck that year..?? Let's see a pic...

"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24
 
It doesn't seem to me that anything illegal occurred. Even if the hunter shot another. Too bad though, that their buck got away wounded.
 
685020130902220141.jpg

This is a buck I seen down there last year.
 
Wow Fred, that's a 200" buck man. I've never seen anything like that down there. Of course, I've only visited twice for short periods of time. Thanks for sharing your pic..!!

"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24
 
Yes he was a great deer, he had a 4x5 with him that was around 28 wide and both main beams dropped down in front of his face about six inches. I have a great video of both bucks
 
Fred, I would love to see the video of both bucks. I have an Archery tag this year for the unit. I am sure others would love to see the video as well.

Thx
 
He better check his dates! That buck was killed 2013! The buck with the double dropper was running alone last year and went waayyyy down hill. Don't get your hopes up on seeing that deer Shane!
Adam
 
Lol, Adam may be right, that pic is from 2013. But if he got kill there is a buck that looks alot like him still in the area. As far as the dropped main beam buck common sense would tell you he may be alone in 14 if his buddy got shot in 13. Keep in mind 2015 has been a much better year for antler growth so he may improve.
 

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