Unit 310 San Juan, South
Vast slickrock desert south of the Abajos where opportunity mule deer share canyon country with a native desert bighorn herd
Southeastern Utah — Cedar Mesa & the San Juan River (Bears Ears) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
814
sq mi
Public land
90%
approx.
Elevation
3,700–7,100
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
San Juan, South is the low desert half of the San Juan deer herd unit, sprawling across Cedar Mesa, Grand Gulch, Comb Ridge and the White Canyon country down to the San Juan River in Utah's far southeastern corner. This is big, remote, overwhelmingly public canyon-and-mesa terrain inside the Bears Ears landscape — a place where deer numbers run lower and buckskin is worked hard, but solitude is guaranteed. The unit's real prize is desert bighorn: the San Juan is Utah's original wild sheep unit (the first modern hunt was held here in 1967), and rams still live along the San Juan River gorge and the broken rims of Cedar Mesa as a once-in-a-lifetime tag.
Terrain
Deeply dissected slickrock desert — high sagebrush-and-pinyon mesas cut by sheer sandstone canyons dropping to the San Juan River. Cedar Mesa forms a broad tableland walled by Grand Gulch and its tributaries; Comb Ridge runs as a giant tilted reef across the country to the east.
Cover: Pinyon-juniper woodland and sagebrush on the mesa tops, blackbrush and desert scrub on the benches, cottonwood and tamarisk in the canyon bottoms and along the river. Cliff, ledge and slickrock dominate the breaks.
Landmarks: Cedar Mesa · Grand Gulch · Comb Ridge · San Juan River gorge · White Canyon · Valley of the Gods · Muley Point · Bears Ears buttes · Moki Dugway
Access
Overwhelmingly BLM and SITLA public land, most of it within Bears Ears National Monument, so access is broad but travel is dictated by canyon terrain. UT-95, UT-261 (the Moki Dugway) and UT-276 are the paved spines; countless dirt and slickrock tracks branch off but many dead-end at canyon rims. The Navajo Nation lies south of the San Juan River and is not open to general hunting. Cultural and archaeological sites are everywhere — stay on established routes.
Managers: BLM (Bears Ears National Monument), SITLA, USFS Manti-La Sal NF (northern fringe), tribal (Navajo Nation south of the river), private
Access points: UT-95 (Blanding to Hite) · UT-261 / Moki Dugway · UT-276 (Halls Crossing road) · Comb Wash Road (BLM 262) · Cedar Mesa / Kane Gulch Ranger Station · Butler Wash Road
Species notes
Bighorn Sheep
limited trophyNative desert bighorn along the San Juan River corridor and the broken rims of Cedar Mesa — the historic core of Utah sheep hunting. Managed once-in-a-lifetime with very few permits; the herd has been augmented with transplants from Zion and Potash to build numbers.
- →Glass the sheer sandstone rims and side canyons above the San Juan River where rams hold to escape terrain
- →Plan a multi-day backcountry effort — sheep country here is remote, waterless on top and brutally rugged
- →Work the canyon breaks at first and last light when rams feed off the cliffs onto benches
Mule Deer
common opportunityA lower-density desert mule deer herd scattered across the mesas and canyon heads. Bucks can surprise in age class thanks to light pressure and rough country, but this is a work-for-it opportunity hunt, not a numbers unit — deer are tied to water and the better pinyon-juniper stringers.
- →Hunt near reliable water — desert deer orbit springs, potholes and the few stock tanks
- →Glass the pinyon-juniper edges and sage benches at the heads of canyons early and late
- →Get away from the roads on foot; the canyon rims and mesa fingers hold the undisturbed bucks
- →Focus effort into the rut when mature bucks move and become huntable in open country
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityElk filter down from the Abajo/Elk Ridge high country onto the northern mesas of this unit, thinning out fast toward the desert. Numbers are modest and distribution patchy, tied to the timbered fringe and better water.
- →Concentrate on the higher, timbered northern edge nearest the Bears Ears and Elk Ridge
- →Locate water and pinyon-juniper/ponderosa transition benches
- →Be mobile — elk here are scattered and seasonal
Cougar
common opportunityThe canyon-and-mesa maze holds a healthy lion population feeding on the desert deer herd. Broken terrain and good tracking snow at elevation make it viable pursuit country.
- →Cut tracks on the mesa-top roads and canyon-rim two-tracks after fresh snow
- →Focus on deer-concentration areas along the pinyon-juniper breaks
Pro tips
- →Treat this as a water-and-solitude unit — find the reliable water and you find the game
- →For sheep, budget a genuine backcountry expedition along the San Juan River rims, not a road hunt
- →Respect the archaeology — Bears Ears is dense with cultural sites; stay on established routes and camp on durable ground
- →A satellite communicator and self-recovery gear are non-negotiable out here
- →Scout with a spotting scope from the mesa rims; you cover far more country glassing than walking
Watch out for
- !Extreme remoteness — long distances to fuel, water and help
- !Backcountry roads become impassable slickrock grease when wet; flash floods in canyons
- !Navajo Nation south of the San Juan River is closed to general hunting — know the river boundary
- !Scattered private and SITLA parcels near Bluff/Blanding — verify before hunting
- !Little to no cell service across the unit
Logistics
Blanding is the practical base — the last full-service town with fuel, groceries and lodging before the mesa country; Bluff and Mexican Hat offer limited services closer to the river. Carry everything: this is remote desert with long distances between fuel and no services once you leave the highways. Water is the limiting factor — haul your own and know where the few reliable sources are. Cell coverage is spotty to nonexistent across the mesas and canyons; carry a satellite communicator. High-clearance and often 4WD is needed on the backcountry tracks, which turn to grease when wet.
Nearest towns: Blanding, Bluff, Mexican Hat, Monticello, Halls Crossing
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: UDWR Deer Herd Unit Management Plan #14 San Juan · UDWR Bighorn Sheep Unit Management Plan — San Juan WMU #14 · BLM San Juan River Recreation / Bears Ears · GOHUNT — Utah San Juan Deer Limited-Entry Unit Profiles
FAQ
- How big is Unit 310 in Utah?
- Unit 310 (San Juan, South) covers about 814 square miles, ranging from roughly 3,700 to 7,100 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 310?
- Approximately 90% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM (Bears Ears National Monument), SITLA, USFS Manti-La Sal NF (northern fringe), tribal (Navajo Nation south of the river), private. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 310?
- Bighorn Sheep, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 310 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.