Moffat County Hunting Overview

Moffat County hunting units

On the CPW unit map Moffat County is cut into 12 GMUs, led by GMU 2 at about 25% of the county area. GMUs 2, 3, 301, 201, 1 never leave the county, unlike the other units listed. GMU boundaries run along highways, county roads, ridgelines and rivers described in the big game brochure, so a hunter near an edge should read the written boundary before choosing a hunt code.

Spikes and small raghorns are off limits in GMUs 3, 11, 301, 4, 211, 12, 13, 5, where bulls need four points on one side or a five-inch brow tine. Heads from elk killed on the green-shaded rifle codes in GMUs 3, 10, 11, 301, 4, 211, 12, 13 and 1 more go to CPW for a free chronic wasting disease test. CPW counts lion harvest against group 1 (limit 85) and group 2 (limit 75) for these units. West of I-25, public land is closed to shed hunting from January 1 through April 30. Spring turkey licenses sold over the counter are valid in GMUs 3, 10, 11, 301, 4, 211, 12, 1 and 2 more. No spring turkey hunting in GMU 201.

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.

Moffat County SWAs, forest and nearby areas

Mapped public ground totals near 1,785,201 acres, about 58.8% of the county, with BLM acres the leading kind. Starred acreage is context only, because park, military and closed trust land is not general public hunting ground. These are GIS measures of map polygons, not official acreages; each land page gives the agency figure.

Mapped hunting areas within Moffat County

Also listed: Bakers Peak STL, Pole Gulch STL, Crooked Wash Ranch SWA (Access Easement), Maybell STL, Bitter Brush SWA, Bald Mountain STL, Little Snake SWA, Axial Basin SWA, Greasewood STL, Big Hole Gulch STL, Pothook Ranch SWA (Fishing Easement: Slater Creek), Iles Grove STL, Elk Springs No. 3 STL, Pot Creek SWA (Access Easement), Elk Springs Ranch SWA (Private Property Access Easement), Browns Park STL, Elkhead Reservoir State Park, Triangle STL, Fortification STL, Monument Butte STL, The Sloughs STL, Thompson Draw STL, Baking Powder Ridge STL, Ben Morgan Canyon STL, Big Hole Butte STL, Box Elder North STL, Buckwater Draw STL, Bull Canyon STL, Castor Gulch STL, Cedar Springs STL, Cedars STL, Citadel STL, Coal Creek STL, Coal Ridge STL, Cross Mountain STL, Dobbins Spring STL, Douglas Mountain STL, East Boone Draw STL, Elk Springs No. 1 STL, Fourmile STL, Godiva Rim STL, Great Divide STL, Hiawatha STL, Hightower STL, Homestead STL, Horse Gulch STL, Jack Springs STL, Jeffway Gulch STL, Little Snake STL, Maverick Flats STL, Middle Wolf Creek STL, Miner's Draw STL, Moosehead Mountain STL, Morapos Creek STL, Morgan Gulch STL, Oxbow STL, Peck Mesa STL, Pine Tree Gulch STL, Pinon Ridge STL, Powder Wash STL, Rattlesnake Hill STL, Red Wash STL, Reservoir Draw STL, Robinson Draw STL, Scandinavian Gulch STL, Sevenmile Ridge STL, Sheephead Basin STL, Sheepherder Springs STL, Simsberry Draw STL, South Duffy Mountain STL, Spencer Draw STL, Ted's Canyon STL, Thornburg Draw STL, Trowel STL, Turner's Creek STL, Vaughn Draw STL, Vermillion Creek STL, Willow Creek STL, Winter Valley Gulch STL, Youghal STL, Skull Creek STL, Jubb Creek STL, Lone Tree Gulch STL, Temple Canyon STL, Box Elder STL, Juniper Hot Springs STL, North Scandinavian Gulch STL, Brown's Park SWA, Boston Flats STL, South 80 STL, Louisiana Purchase Ranch SWA (Access Easement).

State wildlife areas and leased trust parcels require a Colorado license or SWA Pass for visitors aged 16 or more. Check the parcel dates: many trust lands open in August or September and close at the end of February.

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.

Moffat County offices, towns and shops

Mike Swaro is the area wildlife manager for CPW Area 6, the team that covers most of Moffat County; the area office is the first call for local questions. Licenses are also sold online, by phone and at more than 650 sales agents, not just at CPW offices.

Moffat County towns with their own guides

The services list shows 2 game processors, 4 taxidermists, 2 gun and outdoor stores and 33 outfitters and guides in Moffat County. Outfitter entries are state-registered businesses with no street address on file; the rest come from locators and directories.

Processing near Moffat County

Moffat County taxidermy

Moffat County gear shops

Moffat County outfitters

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.

Moffat County hours on key season dates

Walk-In Access properties open an hour before sunrise and close an hour after sunset, two hours for waterfowl, deer, elk and pronghorn hunters.

Furbearer night rules are in the CPW small game brochure.

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.

Moffat County and its nearest neighbours

Four counties nearby and three statewide references.

Moffat County closing notes

The Parks and Wildlife Commission can change dates after the brochures print, so recheck the CPW hunting pages before a Moffat County trip.

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