San Juan, Mancos Mesa, Utah

Rugged, westward-sloping mesa on the Colorado Plateau, bounded by canyon walls; the mesa is separated from adjacent landforms by canyon systems. Wind-blown sand accumulates across portions of the mesa surface and in canyon pockets. Elevation ranges from approximately 4,000 to 6,500 feet. Perennial water sources are scarce and the landscape is characterized by extremely remote, roadless terrain.

Access is primarily via Utah Highway 276, traveling southwest from Natural Bridges National Monument, then onto BLM roads to approach the mesa. The unit lies within Bears Ears National Monument and is managed by the BLM Monticello Field Office. For the San Juan, Elk Ridge (14B) subunit: BLM comprises approximately 62.9% of land, USFS 23.7%, NPS 6.6%, and state trust lands 6.0%; private and Native American trust lands total less than 1%. The overall unit is approximately 98% public land open to access. While a basic road network reaches some corners, large portions of the unit are entirely roadless and extremely difficult or impossible to traverse by vehicle, demanding hunters be prepared for extended backcountry travel. No CWMUs are documented within this boundary. Nearby landmarks include Natural Bridges National Monument to the northeast and Bears Ears Buttes to the north. The Mancos Mesa Wilderness Study Area (BLM) is contained within the hunt boundary; WSA status restricts motorized access but does not prohibit hunting.

Blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima) is the dominant vegetation across the mesa surface, characteristic of the lower Colorado Plateau desert shrub zone. Pinyon pine and Utah juniper woodlands appear at intermediate elevations and in sheltered draws; management efforts within the Elk Ridge unit have included pinyon-juniper removal via mastication (bullhog) and lop-and-scatter treatments to improve sagebrush and perennial grass understory. Sagebrush communities provide critical winter range for mule deer at Beef Basin and Black Mesa wintering areas within this unit complex. Riparian vegetation — willows, cottonwoods, sedges — is limited to intermittent drainages. There is no significant spruce-fir, aspen, or ponderosa component at these elevations.

Mule deer are the primary big game species; the Elk Ridge subunit (14B) supports a herd well below its 2,000-deer management objective, with the modeled 2024 winter population estimated at approximately 1,100 deer. Fawn production has remained at low levels for an extended period due to prolonged drought and poor summer range conditions. Sagebrush reduction at the Beef Basin and Black Mesa wintering grounds continues to limit carrying capacity. The unit is managed as limited entry to maintain a quality buck-to-doe ratio of 25-30 bucks per 100 does. Desert bighorn sheep are occasionally observed in the canyon systems associated with the Mancos Mesa Wilderness Study Area. Peregrine falcons and BLM-listed sensitive animal species have been documented in the WSA. Mountain lion and black bear are present in the broader San Juan County landscape. CWD has not been detected on the Elk Ridge (14B) subunit as of the September 2025 management plan; the adjacent Abajo Mountains subunit (14A) is CWD positive at low prevalence.

1. Hunt #DB1116, San Juan, Mancos Mesa HAMSS limited-entry buck deer, Nov 7–Nov 30. Established as a new hunt beginning in the 2025 season. 2. 2025 harvest data (first year of hunt): 4 permits issued, 4 hunters, 2 harvested, 50.0% success, avg 13.8 days afield. Tag quota listed as 5 reflects 2026 recommendation. 3. No weapon-mounted optics of any kind are allowed on HAMSS hunts (Utah Admin. Rule R657-5-47). 4. Multiseason San Juan, Elk Ridge permit holders (DB1046) may NOT hunt HAMSS hunts per 2026 guidebook. 5. CWD has not been detected on Elk Ridge subunit (14B); the adjacent Abajo subunit (14A) is CWD positive at low prevalence. 6. The unit is a sub-boundary of San Juan, Elk Ridge (Deer Herd Unit 14B); the 2,000-deer objective and population data refer to the full 14B subunit. 7. Desert bighorn sheep are occasionally observed but there is no established sheep hunt for this specific boundary. 8. Portions of the unit overlap Bears Ears National Monument; normal hunting rules apply within monument boundaries.