Unit 111

Key reference points include Matheson Hill for visual orientation, and several named creeks—Antelope Creek, Adobe Creek, North Fork Horse Creek, and Skull Creek—that serve as drainage corridors and navigation guides. Deadman Gulch is a notable topographic feature. Multiple small reservoirs including Charles Golding, Glen Lawson, and several Big Sandy Creek Watershed impoundments provide both water landmarks and potential staging areas.

Small populated places like Simla, Yoder, and Kutch anchor the perimeter. These distributed features help with orientation in otherwise uniform prairie, though open visibility means distant landmarks are useable for glassing.

Elevations span the mid-5000s to just under 7,000 feet, placing the entire unit in the high plains ecological zone with minimal forest cover. The landscape consists primarily of grassland and sagebrush prairie punctuated by scattered ponderosa pine and juniper stands, mostly concentrated in draws and gulches where water collects. Vegetation is typical shortgrass prairie—blue grama, buffalo grass, and yucca dominate.

Timber increases slightly in riparian corridors along major drainages like Antelope Creek and Horse Creek, but open country prevails. This is fundamentally grassland habitat with islands of timber rather than forested terrain.

The unit benefits from connected road access via three paved highway boundaries (US 24, Colorado 71, Colorado 94), making it relatively accessible from multiple approach angles. Over 900 miles of roads traverse the unit, though exact density is unavailable—sufficient infrastructure suggests moderate to fair access without extreme remoteness. This accessibility likely concentrates pressure around populated perimeter areas (Simla, Yoder) and reservoir access points.

The low terrain complexity and open grassland character mean pressure distributes widely rather than concentrating in specific valleys or canyons. Mid-unit areas without road proximity offer potential refuge from hunters preferring vehicle access.

Unit 111 spans portions of El Paso, Lincoln, and Elbert Counties on Colorado's eastern plains. The north and west boundary runs along US 24, a major east-west corridor; the east side follows Colorado 71, and the south edge runs along Colorado 94. El Paso County Road 523 (Calhan Highway) forms part of the western boundary. This positioning places the unit between the Front Range and the Kansas border, roughly 60 miles northeast of Colorado Springs.

The unit encompasses classic Colorado high plains terrain—a transition zone between developed Front Range foothills and the open prairie stretching toward Kansas.

Water is scattered and requires strategic planning. Perennial streams include Antelope Creek, Adobe Creek, and North Fork Horse Creek, which drain through the unit and likely hold water year-round in deeper sections. Skull Creek and Lone Tree Creek are seasonal.

Several constructed reservoirs—Charles Golding Reservoir, Glen Lawson Reservoir, and Big Sandy Creek Watershed impoundments (S-12, S-16, S-19, S-22, S-23)—provide reliable summer water sources if accessible. Multiple ditches (Burton Hass, Deadman Gulch, Southside, Viaduct) indicate irrigation infrastructure. Early season and post-water development periods require identifying which creeks and reservoirs are actually holding water.

Unit 111 supports elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, pronghorn, moose, black bear, and mountain lion. Elk and mule deer favor the scattered timber patches and drainages where cover exists; Antelope Creek and Horse Creek corridors likely concentrate animals during dry periods. Pronghorn utilize open prairie extensively.

White-tailed deer prefer riparian timber and draw bottoms. Early season benefits from water-source hunting—glassing reservoirs and creek confluences during hot periods. Rut season shifts focus to timber patches where elk concentrate.

Late season sees animals dropping toward lower elevations and remaining water. The open terrain demands glassing skills and patience; success comes from locating animals at distance, then using draws and sparse timber for approach routes rather than relying on dense cover.