Pueblo County Hunting

Game management units in Pueblo County

9 big game GMUs reach into Pueblo County; the largest share belongs to GMU 128, which covers about 37% of the county. All of the units continue beyond Pueblo County into other counties. Because units follow physical features rather than survey lines, check the brochure boundary text and the CPW map when hunting close to an edge. GMUs 128, 123, 124, 129, 135, 133 are plains units; the rest are foothill or mountain units with different elk rules.

In GMUs 59, 591 bulls must carry four or more points on a side, or a brow tine of five inches or more, under the CPW point rule. Elk and deer from these units need no compulsory CWD test in 2026. The lion season (November 23 to March 31) closes group by group; here that means group 11 (limit 9), group 15 (limit 47), group 19 (limit 5) and group 20 (limit 22). The winter shed closure covers public land west of I-25, January 1 through April 30. For spring birds, GMUs 128, 84, 123, 59, 591, 135, 133 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.

Pueblo County public hunting land

GIS layers map about 108,685 acres of public hunting ground in Pueblo County, close to 7.1% of its land, with trust land, public access the largest piece. Most State Land Board ground is leased to ranchers and closed; only CPW-leased trust parcels count as public here. 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 Pueblo County

Others here: Hungerford STL, Turkey Ridge STL.

Outside Pueblo County but close

• Pine Arroyo STL24 miles, state trust land parcel, Huerfano County
• Tinaja Canyon STL26 miles, state trust land parcel, Huerfano County
• Rattlesnake STL28 miles, state trust land parcel, Huerfano County
• Upper Red Cliff Ranch SWA32 miles, state wildlife area, Custer County
• Apishapa North STL35 miles, state trust land parcel, Las Animas County
• Turkey Track Ranch STL35 miles, state trust land parcel, El Paso 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. Walk-In Access parcels in Pueblo County open private fields to foot hunters holding a small game license and Habitat Stamp.

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 Pueblo County

Kinds ahead here: NWTF banquet, RMEF banquet, bowhunter education and hunter education course. Count: 7 listings ahead. Seats were gone or sign-up closed for 3 courses when checked.

Chapter banquet or course nearby that we lack? Send it

Pueblo County CPW contacts, towns and services

The Area 11 team under Mike Brown 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.

Pueblo County towns with their own guides

Remaining towns and CDPs, Pueblo County:

• Boone308
• Rye203
• Avondale
• Beulah Valley
• Blende
• Colorado City
• Salt Creek
• Vineland

Pueblo County has 4 taxidermists, 17 gun and outdoor stores and 7 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.

Pueblo County game processors

Pueblo County taxidermists

Pueblo County outdoor stores

Outfitting near Pueblo 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.

Pueblo County hours on key season dates

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.

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.

Counties near Pueblo County

Four counties nearby and three statewide references.

Pueblo County checks before the truck leaves

Near a GMU boundary road or creek in Pueblo 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.