Unit 136

Courthouse Rock serves as a prominent navigation landmark and glassing point across the northern section. The canyon systems—particularly Tobe Canyon, Poitrey Canyon, and Plum Canyon—are natural travel corridors and game concentration areas. Long Canyon Hill and the ridges around Wagon Gap provide vantage points for scanning the open country.

Round Prairie on the eastern side offers orientation reference and pronghorn habitat. These named features help break up the expansive terrain and guide hunters to likely game use areas, particularly where canyon systems create water-holding potential.

Elevations range from roughly 4,200 feet in the lower drainages to 5,900 feet on the higher ridges—modest elevation change that characterizes the lower Colorado plateau transition zone. The dominant habitat is piñon-juniper woodland interspersed with sagebrush flats and dry grassland. Vegetation is sparse; water-dependent shrubs cluster in canyon bottoms while ridge tops support scattered piñon stands.

Lower elevations near the Purgatoire River drainage support more robust riparian vegetation and willow thickets. This is classic mule deer and pronghorn country with pockets suitable for elk in canyon systems and forested benches.

The unit has fair road access via county roads and ranch roads totaling over 300 miles, creating reasonable logistics for vehicle-based hunting. However, the vast size means roads are dispersed rather than dense, leaving significant acreage requiring foot access. Public land percentage is limited, creating access complexity and requiring hunters to understand ownership patterns and gain permission where needed.

Pressure is moderate rather than heavy due to the remoteness and lower elevation (less premium than high country). The straightforward terrain means pressure concentrates along accessible canyon systems and known water sources; larger portions remain underutilized.

Unit 136 spans three counties—Otero, Bent, and Las Animas—across the lower Arkansas River drainage in southeast Colorado. The northern boundary follows Colorado 109 and the Purgatoire River; the eastern edge runs along 109; the southern border is U.S. 160; and the western side is defined by Chacuaco Creek and the Purgatoire River. The unit encompasses vast acreage of typical high-desert country, anchored by Round Prairie on the eastern side and numerous canyon systems cutting through the landscape.

This is working ranch country with scattered private holdings interspersed through public land.

Water is the critical limiting factor in 136. Reliable sources include Turkey Spring, Sumpter Spring, Brown Spring, and several named waterholes like Twentymile Waterhole and Goat Ranch Spring scattered throughout. Small reservoirs—Seven D Tank, Funk Reservoir, Lawson Reservoir, Two Buttes Pond—exist but may be seasonal or cattle-focused. The Purgatoire River provides perennial flow along the western and northern boundaries but much of it runs through private or difficult terrain.

Success depends on scouting and locating active springs; game congregates near reliable water in this arid environment, making water sources primary hunting focus points.

GMU 136 supports mule deer, white-tailed deer, pronghorn, elk, moose, bear, and mountain lions across its terrain. Pronghorn hunting focuses on the open flats and grasslands, particularly Round Prairie and adjacent areas where glassing from ridges reveals feeding animals. Mule deer use the piñon-juniper slopes and canyon breaks; early season finds them on higher ridges, while later seasons push them to canyon bottoms and water sources.

Elk occupy piñon-covered benches and canyon systems but are limited in distribution. Water-dependent hunting—locating active springs and waterholes—drives success across the unit. Late season and rut periods concentrate game near reliable moisture, making water scouting essential.