Delta County Hunting

Game management units in Delta County

7 big game GMUs reach into Delta County; the largest share belongs to GMU 52, which covers about 23% of the county. Only GMU 52 sits completely inside Delta County. Because units follow physical features rather than survey lines, check the brochure boundary text and the CPW map when hunting close to an edge.

In GMUs 52, 411, 521, 62, 53, 63, 64 bulls must carry four or more points on a side, or a brow tine of five inches or more, under the CPW point rule. Mandatory free CWD testing applies to elk taken on selected rifle hunt codes in GMUs 52, 411, 521, 62, 64; deer testing is not mandatory in 2026. The lion season (November 23 to March 31) closes group by group; here that means group 9 (limit 31) and group 13 (limit 25). The winter shed closure covers public land west of I-25, January 1 through April 30. For spring birds, GMUs 52, 411, 521, 62, 53, 63, 64 are on the OTC list.

GMU shares from the CPW GMU boundary layer over Census county lines; boundaries in the 2026 Big Game brochure GMU descriptions; point rule from brochure p. 36; CWD units from brochure p. 41; lion groups from the 2026-2027 Mountain Lion brochure; turkey lists from the 2026 Turkey brochure; shed closure from brochure p. 12. Checked November 5, 2026.

Delta County public hunting land

GIS layers map about 411,280 acres of public hunting ground in Delta County, close to 56.3% of its land, with bureau of Land Management the largest piece. Park, military and closed trust acres carry a star and are not in the total. The acre figures are measured from GIS polygons with large lakes removed.

Tracts the public can hunt in Delta County

Others here: Sweitzer Lake State Park, Crawford State Park, Roeber SWA.

Outside Delta County but close

• Vega State Park25 miles, state park, Mesa County
• Mogensen Ponds SWA27 miles, state wildlife area, Mesa County
• Plateau Creek SWA28 miles, state wildlife area, Mesa County
• Paonia State Park29 miles, state park, Gunnison County
• Cerro Summit SWA31 miles, state wildlife area, Montrose County
• Tilman Bishop SWA31 miles, state wildlife area, Mesa County

Everyone 16 or older on a state wildlife area or a CPW-leased trust parcel needs a valid Colorado hunting or fishing license, or a State Wildlife Area Pass. Trust parcels are mostly open September 1 to the end of February, but each parcel page lists its own dates and restrictions.

Acres from the CPW managed properties layer (SWA and STL), USGS PAD-US 4.1 (Forest Service, BLM, refuges, parks, military) and the BLM field office layer; places from the CPW SWA finder, the STL finder and each land page; access rules from the CPW property pages. Checked November 5, 2026.

Upcoming events in Delta County

Kinds ahead here: NWTF banquet. Count: 1 listing ahead.

Chapter banquet or course nearby that we lack? Send it

Delta County CPW contacts, towns and services

The Area 16 team under Brandon Diamond manages wildlife across most of the county. Bear and lion hunters present the animal at a CPW office within five working days for inspection, so keep these numbers handy.

Towns of Delta County

Remaining towns and CDPs, Delta County:

• Orchard City3,276
• Cedaredge2,432
• Hotchkiss942
• Crawford407
• Lazear

Delta County has 2 taxidermists, 3 gun and outdoor stores and 16 outfitters and guides in the directory; no game processors are listed. CPW publishes no processor or taxidermist list, so those rows are Yellow Pages listings; outfitters are from the state registration data.

Delta County game processors

Delta County taxidermists

Delta County outdoor stores

Outfitting near Delta County

Offices and area wildlife managers from the CPW Contact Us page and the CPW area layer; towns and places from the 2024 Census gazetteer; outfitters from the DORA licence data; other services from store locators and Yellow Pages listings. Checked November 5, 2026.

Delta County legal shooting light

Deer, elk, pronghorn, moose, bear and lion may be hunted from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset; turkey, small game and waterfowl stop at sunset.

The light goose conservation order runs to half an hour after sunset.

Hours rules from the 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure and the Small Game and Waterfowl brochure; sunrise and sunset worked out for this location with the NOAA solar formula (Mountain Time); checked November 5, 2026. Legal hours for every county.

Counties near Delta County

County centres closest to this one, with three Colorado-wide guides.

Delta County checks before the truck leaves

Near a GMU boundary road or creek in Delta County, the brochure boundary text decides which hunt code applies.

Sources: 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure, CPW hunting, Census and the sources in each section. Checked November 5, 2026.