Unit 116

Twin Buttes and Landsman Hill offer subtle high points for orientation and glassing across the plains. Merritt Blowout marks a notable terrain feature in the otherwise gentle landscape. Little Spring Creek, Cow Creek, and Rock Creek define the major drainage corridors and serve as practical navigation guides—follow the water if you need to reorient.

Amy R Foote Reservoir provides a fixed landmark and potential water source. These features are modest by mountain standards but critical in open country where visual anchors matter for keeping your bearings across rolling prairie.

The entire unit sits between roughly 4,100 and 4,900 feet, staying well below the transition into significant forest. Expect open prairie grassland broken by scattered ponderosa pine and pinyon-juniper woodlots. Ground cover is predominantly short grass and forbs typical of the High Plains Transition Zone.

Timber patches are sparse enough that you're always glassing open country—there's no dense canopy here. The landscape is genuinely flat to gently rolling; you won't encounter steep slopes or dramatic elevation changes. It's honest country where terrain is measured in vegetation type, not vertical relief.

The road network is extensive and well-connected, with over 1,300 miles of roads crossing the unit. Most hunting pressure will concentrate near major creeks and accessible public land near those roads. The checkerboard ownership pattern means that while the road network feels inviting, many parcels are private, requiring careful map work.

Access is easy logistically—you won't struggle to reach starting points. But that same ease means opening weekend will see decent pressure in areas with reliable water and public access. Remote pressure tends to be lighter; the straightforward terrain means most hunters stick to convenient spots rather than penetrating deep.

Unit 116 spans the high plains of Kit Carson and Cheyenne counties in Colorado's far eastern reach. Bounded by Interstate 70 on the north, U.S. Highway 385 on the east, U.S. 40 on the south, and Colorado Highway 59 on the west, the unit sits between the state's industrial backbone and Oklahoma. The towns of Cheyenne Wells and Mount Pearl provide local reference points.

This is working ranch country interrupted by public land—private holdings are scattered throughout, creating a checkerboard access pattern that hunters must navigate carefully.

Water is the limiting resource across this unit. Cow Creek and Rock Creek are the most reliable perennial sources, flowing through lower sections of their drainages. Little Spring Creek and South Fork Landsman Creek are secondary options but may run seasonally.

Amy R Foote Reservoir is worth investigating early in the season, though private land access can complicate approach. Springs are scattered but not abundant. Plan water strategy carefully—reliable creek access will determine where you spend time versus where you pass through.

Dry periods can concentrate game around known seeps and creek bottoms.

Elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, and pronghorn are all historically present. Elk prefer the sparse timber and creek bottoms where they can find cover and water; early season glassing from high points near Landsman Hill or Twin Buttes can locate them before pressure pushes them deeper. Mule deer work the sage and grass transitions; water sources in late summer will draw them.

Pronghorn are plains animals here—early season offers best opportunities before they shift behavior with hunting pressure. Moose and mountain lion are rare but possible. White-tailed deer frequent creek corridors and timber patches.

Water management is key; focus on Cow Creek and Rock Creek basins where game concentrates, especially if drought limits other sources. This is straightforward country—success depends more on scouting specific access points and water sources than on navigating complex terrain.