Unit 90

Navigation relies on distinctive features in relatively uniform terrain. Haystack Butte and Twin Buttes serve as visible reference points from distance. The Peetz Table dominates the landscape's western section and offers vantage for glassing surrounding country.

Julesburg Reservoir and several smaller impoundments like Dickinson and Jumbo Reservoirs mark water concentrations worth investigating. Key drainage systems—Johnson Draw, Ramsey Draw, McCracken Draw—funnel game movement and provide corridors worth hunting. Slaughter Pond and McKenzie Pond, along with springs like Weeping Rock Springs, indicate reliable water in an otherwise dry region.

The extensive irrigation canal network, while extensive, is primarily logistical reference rather than hunting feature.

Terrain here sits entirely below 4,500 feet, creating a low-elevation plains environment with sparse timber. The landscape is predominantly open grassland and agricultural land with scattered cottonwood stands in drainages and around homesteads. Sagebrush and short-grass prairie dominate the uplands; irrigated fields and hay meadows occupy valley bottoms.

The Peetz Table provides the only topographic relief—a modest plateau rising above the surrounding plains. This isn't timbered country; trees cluster around water sources and agricultural developments. The habitat supports pronghorn in open country and elk and deer in riparian corridors and draw systems.

Road density indicates well-developed access throughout the unit. County roads and ranch roads crisscross the plains, making most areas reachable by vehicle. This accessibility means the unit absorbs hunting pressure, particularly near water sources and known game concentrations.

However, the open, relatively simple terrain means successful hunting relies more on glassing and stalking than escaping pressure. Most hunters follow roads; those willing to walk ridges and glass distant drainages find less competition. The unit's straightforward navigation means you can cover country efficiently without extensive preparation.

Private land interspersed throughout requires attention to boundaries and access agreements.

Unit 90 sits in Colorado's extreme northeast corner across Logan and Sedgwick Counties, bounded by Nebraska to the north and U.S. 138 defining most of the south and east perimeter, with Colorado 113 marking the western edge. The unit encompasses the transition zone between Great Plains grassland and the lower reaches of Colorado's northeastern plateaus. Small towns like Sedgwick, Iliff, and Julesburg anchor the area's agricultural character.

This is ranch and irrigated farmland country, fundamentally different from higher Colorado terrain—a lower-elevation hunting environment dominated by open space and water management infrastructure rather than forested slopes.

Water scarcity shapes hunting strategy in Unit 90. Natural perennial sources are limited; most reliable water comes from irrigation infrastructure—Settlers Ditch, Highline Canal, Powell Ditch, and the North Sterling canal system dominate. These ditches and reservoirs concentrate game, particularly during dry periods. Natural drainages like Corral Creek, West Fork Cottonwood Creek, and Duck Creek support riparian vegetation and seasonal water.

Johnson Draw and other shallow valleys sometimes hold water after precipitation but can't be counted on. Jumbo Reservoir and Julesburg Reservoir are focal points. For pronghorn hunting, water sources dictate movement patterns.

For elk and deer, riparian areas around reliable water and draws are productive during early and late seasons.

Unit 90 suits glassing-intensive hunting for pronghorn and mule deer across open plains, with secondary opportunities for elk in riparian corridors. Early season finds elk and mule deer using Cottonwood stands and draws before water stress concentrates them. Pronghorn inhabit open grassland year-round; successful hunting requires spotting at distance and executing careful stalks.

Water sources—particularly reservoirs and canal systems—become critical in late season as natural drainages dry. White-tailed deer concentrate in riparian areas and around agricultural edges. The unit's low complexity and open terrain reward hunters with quality optics and patience over those seeking steep-country advantage.

September and October provide best access before rifle season crowds arrive. Late season focuses heavily on remaining water sources and remaining vegetation cover.