Your New Mexico  Backcountry Source 

We are not taking any new bookings for 2023. We will dedicate 2023 to address cancellations from 2021 and 2022 forced by the COVID crisis. While our COVID numbers are still very high in our area, we hope the effects will diminish in 2023 and we can safely conduct hunts. We leave the following instructions for information purposes, but we will not be processing new applications or bookings for 2023. If you have had a cancellation in 2021,2022, or you have a pending deposit in our “Basecamp” program, "*click here*" to register your hunt deposit. Please enter the dates your deposit was made, the amount, and the last 4 digits of the card it was charged to.

Thank you for visiting us here. I welcome you who are just making our acquaintance and all who’ve known us and joined us over the years in our camps and in the backcountry of New Mexico. San Juan River Outfitters and Livery Co. was born of our love for the outdoors and our appreciation of a good camp in a good place. We are here to serve your New Mexico backcountry needs and hope you’ll come to think of us as your outfitter of choice when your thoughts turn to the elk woods, big mule deer, a flashing trout, or a photography expedition into the legendary magic of New Mexico.

We are hands-on outfitters in the old fashioned mold. Most of our hunts are based in classic wall tent camps. We strive to bring you all the comfort and flavor of the camps of our grandfathers. Usually our camps are accessed by vehicle, but our horses and mules can get you and your camp into the most remote wilderness reaches of the state, if necessary. We have the best of equipment and I think you’ll find our camps the most comfortable and enjoyable you’ve been in. We appreciate suggestions from our hunters and strive every year to improve our services. I have a dedicated guide staff that bring you a love of the woods, and each, a unique brand of skill and enthusiasm for the hunt.

 We specialize in premium big game hunts. Our season is hardly over in late fall before we begin to plan (and daydream) another September, another elk and deer season, another camp, another rut, and another adventure. It all starts with our archery elk and deer hunts in early September and continues through the various combinations of rifle and muzzleloader hunts all through the fall. We end with our trophy mule deer hunts in our home unit , Unit 2 in northwest NM. Whenever old mule deer hunters gather the talk will eventually turn to the storied canyons near our home. San Juan and Rio Arriba counties comprise one of the most renowned mule deer units in the country and you will find the record books well represented (if not dominated) by big bucks from this area. The legend lives on here for great mule deer hunting.  We offer one the rarest hunt opportunities in the West; the chance for one of the big heavy horned mule deer bucks of old. A combination of great historical genetics and good game management has led to a resurgence of our trophy deer herd here and hunting has not been better for decades. I invite you visit our deer hunting page on this site. 

We offer one the rarest hunt opportunities in the West; the chance for one of the big heavy horned mule deer bucks of old. A combination of great historical genetics and good game management has led to a resurgence of our trophy deer herd here and hunting has not been better for decades. I invite you visit our deer hunting page on this site.

Please take some time to explore our site and get to know us. I'll try to get you as much information as possible here so you can make an informed decision on choosing a New Mexico hunt and hopefully build a relationship in which you'll feel comfortable booking a hunt with San Juan River Outfitters. I am confident we can tailor a trip to fit your needs. We offer services ranging from the most economical “drop camp”, or “semi guided“ plans to premium, full service, guided trophy hunt packages. Many of our most appreciative customers are independent minded, “do-it –yourself” type guys who come to us for an affordable basic camp and field support package, while leaving them the freedom to hunt on their own. Our early season scouting services are invaluable to the self-guided hunter. Our premium guided hunts are second to none in terms of services provided and trophy quality.

Our focus is on big game hunting expeditions and we have many years experience in placing you on good mountains in what we think are the best camps in the woods. We have our favorite hunt units for trophy elk and deer and will help you choose a good package.  

New Mexico is home to some of the best elk and deer hunting opportunities in the country. Our Game and Fish Department has done an excellent job in managing our herds and elk hunting has never been better. New Mexico has carefully controlled the numbers of licenses issued and has thus preserved good animal numbers and promoted excellent trophy quality.

 We are living “The Good Old Days” of elk hunting.  In recent years I have also seen a resurgence of truly trophy mule deer in our home units. A program, which limits vehicular access to large areas of Premium habitat has led to us to now, once again, seeing the big old heavy horned classic mulies which have made this area legendary. Take some time and look through the pages on this site to get a feel for what you can expect in a New Mexico elk or deer hunt. Learn what we do here at San Juan River Outfitters and Livery Co.

A New Mexico hunt is a rare and unique experience and requires a good measure of planning and preparation. Hunting licenses are limited and must be secured through the NM Game and Fish Department’s application and drawing process. One of our most important duties to you is to help you through the application process. We will help you decide on an area which offers the kind of hunt you want as well as good odds of drawing a tag. We study the drawing statistics thoroughly and will help you make an educated choice for your application.