GMU 77
Unit 77 sits in the heart of the San Juan region. Like most areas west of the divide, it is mostly all public. It offers everything from rugged wilderness hunting in the Weminuche Wilderness in the north, to great vehicle access to the south. According to District Wildlife Manager Mike Reid, the elk hunting isn't too bad either. You might want to listen to this 25-year wildlife veteran, too. Not only is this his office, but in his free time, he likes to chase elk in there with his longbow.

Because the Weminuche Wilderness bleeds into this unit to the north -- and limited-entry Unit 76 is also nestled next to the unit -- many older bulls migrate into Unit 77 during those later seasons. Every year, hunters get into these mature bulls, and some even come away with one for the wall.

During winter flights this past year, Reid saw some dandy bulls. Although he feels that not all of them live in Unit 77 year 'round, he did say it's a good bet some of them do. To find them, Reid suggests hunters spend some time in the wilderness and the Piedra River areas to the north.

He says all of the major drainages in the region hold elk, so if you find an area you like, spend some time there. "If you see fresh sign, stay in that area, if not move to the next drainage," said Reid.

Some of your better access points are First Fork (FR 622), Piedra Road (FR 631) and Turkey Springs Road (FR 629). All can be found west of Pagosa Springs off of Hwy 160.

GMU 78
This unit stretches across the entire eastern side of the region and is flanked by the spectacular Continental Divide. It has everything any would-be elk hunter might want: the physical challenge of wilderness hunting, or roads that reach all the way to the lofty peaks of the Divide. Pick your poison.

District Wildlife Manager Doug Purcell spends lots of time in this unit, too. He said there are a lot of bulls in there, well distributed throughout the area. However, he insists if you are looking to wrap your hands around some hefty headbone, you might want to spend time in the Weminuche and South San Juan wilderness areas, which skirt the north and east sides of the unit.

"No question about it, elk in general tend to hang out in these tougher-to-reach areas," said Purcell. "And it's in these areas that the older-class bulls are usually found."

Purcell reports that elk usually start heading out of the higher reaches during the third and fourth rifle seasons, but snow dictates the timing of their exodus. Elk tend to head west down the major drainages. When they get about a mile from Highway 84, they start heading south towards New Mexico. So when the elk are moving, it's a good idea to hang out in these migration corridors.

Some of the better access points are Navajo River Road (FR 382), Blance Basin Road (FR 326), Buckles Lake Access (FR 663) and Mill Creek Road (FR 302). All are located off of Highway 84, which runs south out of Pagosa Springs.

GMU 751
District Wildlife Manager Cary Carron said they have a lot of elk in this unit. But because a big chuck of the area is wilderness, it is a physically demanding place to hunt.

Despite this difficult access, hunters really hammered the bulls last year. "There were lots of bulls, and some really nice ones, killed last fall," said Carron. "There was not too much snow to keep the hunters out, but just enough snow to get the elk moving."

Because of this banner harvest, he feels it might take a year or two before you start seeing the usual number of mature bulls again.

"We still have good numbers of elk, just not as many older bulls," he said. "In order to get into them, hunters just need to get back into those tougher-to-reach areas."

Carron says elk are well distributed throughout the unit. But one of the areas where hunters seem to do well in is the Missionary Ridge area, which spreads from Unit 75 into Unit 751. Good numbers of elk have been living and migrating into this area.

"A lot of the elk tend to summer in the wilderness to the north and then migrate south towards the Missionary Ridge area when the snow accumulates up high," he said.

Some of the better access points are Lemon Reservoir (FR 240), Middle Mountain Road (FR 603) and Vallecito Road (FR 501). They are all accessed off of highways 160 or 550.

GMU 771
Out of all the units, this one has the most limited access. Compared to the other units, in fact, this one offers very little public ground. Located south of Hwy 160, between Pagosa Springs and Bayfield, with the Southern Ute Indian Reservation encompassing most of the unit's southern half, this unit provides a lot of wintering ground for elk

Usually by third and fourth rifle seasons, they start piling in from the north. District Wildlife Manager James Romero said that the key to hunting elk here is finding the larger chunks of public land and being there when the elk move through.

Some hunters have figured this out over the years and have taken some nice bulls, says Romero.

Although these public areas are few and far between, here are a couple you can try: Fosset Gulch off of Highway 160, and Burns Canyon off of Trujillo Road.

Before hunting here, however, make sure you have a set of Forest Service maps and know where you are at all times. A trespassing ticket would sure make for a lousy hunt.