Unit 87

Simpson Mesa and Crow Valley Hill provide reliable glassing vantage points for surveying the open country. The Chalk Bluffs form a notable south-facing feature visible for navigation. Several named drainages including Cow Creek, Willow Creek, and Indian Creek serve as natural travel corridors and water sources.

Eastman Basin offers a focal point in the western portion. Multiple reservoirs—Hinkley Lake, the Gray Reservoirs, and Indian Creek Reservoir—dot the landscape and mark water availability. Springs like Rattlesnake Springs and Oasis Spring offer reliable water points where game congregates.

These landmarks become navigation anchors in seemingly uniform prairie country.

Terrain spans the lower to moderate elevation band, rising from around 4,800 feet in the eastern plains to just over 6,400 feet on western ridges. This creates a distinct transition zone where ponderosa pines and juniper scattered across rolling foothills give way to open grassland plateaus. The sparse forest coverage means most terrain is sagebrush, native grass, and agricultural land interspersed with draws and canyon breaks.

These breaks provide crucial cover and thermal refuges for game animals, especially in summer. The relatively gentle topography—rolling rather than steep—makes access easier but also concentrates hunting pressure in predictable patterns.

The unit benefits from Fair accessibility through an extensive network of county roads totaling over 1,200 miles, though most follow a grid pattern rather than penetrating deep canyon systems. Access concentrates along County Roads 390 and 105, with secondary ranch roads branching throughout. Most terrain is private or mixed ownership with public access limited, creating a pressure pattern where hunting success depends on securing permission and understanding local access protocols.

Small communities provide camping and support logistics. The relatively straightforward terrain and multiple entry points mean pressure can concentrate quickly along creek bottoms and obvious draws, but the vast open plateaus receive less attention.

Unit 87 occupies a vast swath of Larimer and Weld counties, bounded on the north by the Wyoming state line, on the east by County Roads 390 and 105 between Keota and Colorado 14, on the south by Colorado 14, and on the west by Interstate 25. This placement puts the unit squarely in the transitional zone between the Front Range foothills and the eastern plains. Small communities like Grover, Nunn, and Carr dot the landscape, providing orientation points and access corridors. The unit's size and position make it a significant hunting area despite lower elevation and sparse forest coverage.

Water sources are limited but identifiable, requiring strategic planning. The creek systems—Willow Creek, Cow Creek, Indian Creek, and Eastman Creek—provide reliable water during spring and early season but can become seasonal by midsummer. Multiple reservoirs scattered across the unit offer dependable water points: Hinkley Lake, Baker Lake, Heart Reservoir, and the Gray Reservoirs all attract game.

Named springs including Rattlesnake Springs, Antelope Spring, and Boyd Springs offer smaller water sources worth investigating. The irrigation canals and laterals that crisscross the landscape indicate agricultural water infrastructure that may supplement natural sources. Water knowledge is critical here—knowing reliable sources separates productive hunting from dry days.

Unit 87 holds elk, mule and white-tailed deer, pronghorn, moose, black bear, and mountain lion across its elevation range. Elk use the forested breaks and creek bottoms during summer, migrating to open ridges in fall. Mule deer favor the scattered timber and sagebrush transitions, while white-tailed deer concentrate in willow drainages and juniper draws.

Pronghorn hunt the open plains, particularly around grass flats and draws. Early season requires focusing on timber edges and water sources as animals remain at higher, cooler elevations. During the rut, bulls range more openly across ridges and plateaus.

Late season pushes remaining animals toward reliable water and sheltered draws. Success hinges on glassing open country from hills like Crow Valley, then working toward animals spotted in breaks and creek systems. Understanding private land boundaries and securing access is equally critical as terrain knowledge.