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Ranger district · 2026-27 seasons
Norwood Ranger District, Uncompahgre NF hunting, unit by unit
National forest ranger district in San Miguel County and 2 more counties, 338,551 acres.
Photo: Nicolas Raymond (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Norwood Ranger District, Uncompahgre NF
Norwood Ranger District by the numbers
Norwood Ranger District takes in 338,551 acres according to the USFS EDW Lands Area Statistics. Size places it 23rd out of 32 ranger districts in Colorado. 2 ranger districts touch San Miguel County, and Norwood Ranger District is one of the set.
Hunting opportunities on record: Elk, Deer, Moose, Bighorn sheep, Mountain goat, Black bear, Mountain lion, Wild turkey, Waterfowl, Doves, Dusky grouse, Upland birds.
From the agency page (USDA Forest Service); retrieved 2026-11-04, checked November 5, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Norwood Ranger District, Uncompahgre NF
What Norwood Ranger District allows and forbids
State licenses and CPW seasons govern hunting on the federal land of Norwood Ranger District. 36 CFR 261.10(d) sets a 150-yard buffer around dwellings, camps and developed sites and forbids shooting across roads or water. Check the Motor Vehicle Use Map before driving any forest road or trail.
The USFS page says: The GMUG National Forests provide millions of acres of diverse habitat across stunning landscapes. These areas offer exceptional opportunities for hunting and recreational shooting in a beautiful natural setting.
Big game hunting draws hunters from just about every state to southwestern Colorado and to the GMUG National Forests. The major big-game species that live in the GMUG National Forests are mule deer, elk, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, moose, black bear and mountain lion. Game bird species include turkey, blue grouse, rock and mourning dove and various waterfowl species.
While the Forest Service does not sell hunting licenses, a license is required to hunt in Colorado. The Colorado Parks and Wildlife and local retailers sell licenses. Visit the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website for more hunting information.
Target shooting is a fun sport that is allowed on the GMUG National Forests under certain conditions:
From the agency source; checked November 5, 2026.
Directions and maps for Norwood Ranger District
Norwood Ranger District is plotted at 38.2839, -108.2819 on the statewide map.
point from CPW Hunting Atlas Land Management (COMaP) Forest Service polygons inside the USFS EDW Ranger Districts boundary (polygon centroid of the largest part); checked November 5, 2026.
GMUs and unit rules on Norwood Ranger District
Big game licenses here are sold by unit, and Norwood Ranger District touches 3 GMUs: GMU 61, GMU 62, GMU 70.
Elk antler point restrictions apply in GMU 62 and GMU 70. Mandatory free CWD testing applies to listed rifle elk hunt codes in GMU 61, GMU 62 and GMU 70. For lions, the units fall in harvest-limit groups 12 and 13. Inside the lynx area: GMU 70.
| Unit | Where | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| GMU 61 | Montrose, Mesa, San Miguel | elk CWD testing, lion group 12, spring turkey OTC |
| GMU 62 | Montrose, Mesa, Ouray | elk antler point rule, elk CWD testing, lion group 13 |
| GMU 70 | San Miguel, Montrose, Dolores | elk antler point rule, elk CWD testing, lion group 12 |
CPW publishes harvest by GMU, not by property. In 2024, GMU 70 led these units with 1,275 elk taken.
| Unit | Animal | Harvest | Hunters | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMU 61 | Elk | 727 | 1,296 | 56% |
| GMU 61 | Deer | 137 | 240 | 57% |
| GMU 61 | Black bear | 23 | – | – |
| GMU 62 | Elk | 1,024 | 5,669 | 18% |
| GMU 62 | Deer | 599 | 1,374 | 44% |
| GMU 62 | Black bear | 41 | – | – |
| GMU 70 | Elk | 1,275 | 3,448 | 37% |
| GMU 70 | Deer | 859 | 1,249 | 69% |
| GMU 70 | Black bear | 58 | – | – |
GMU overlay from the CPW Big Game GMU layer; unit rules from the 2026 Big Game brochure; 2024 elk harvest by GMU, 2024 deer harvest by GMU, 2024 pronghorn harvest by GMU, 2024 bear harvest by GMU; checked November 5, 2026.
Norwood Ranger District season calendar by GMU
The units of Norwood Ranger District carry 36 big game seasons this year. You can buy an OTC license for black bear, elk and wild turkey here; other rows are limited. We dropped 17 rows valid only on private land or enrolled ranches. Spring 2027 turkey dates are not published yet, so the spring row is last year's.
| Species | Season | Sex | Kind | From | To | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk | Archery | bull | Limited draw | Sep 2, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | 70 |
| Elk | Archery | cow | Limited draw | Sep 2, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | 70 |
| Elk | Archery | either sex | Limited draw | Sep 2, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | 61 |
| Elk | Archery | either sex | Limited, nonresident | Sep 2, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | 62 |
| Elk | Archery | either sex | OTC, residents | Sep 2, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | 62 |
| Elk | Muzzleloader | bull | Limited draw | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | 61, 62, 70 |
| Elk | Muzzleloader | cow | Limited draw | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | 61, 62, 70 |
| Elk | Rifle | either sex | Limited, early | Oct 1, 2026 | Oct 7, 2026 | 61 |
| Elk | Rifle | bull | Limited draw | Oct 14, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | 61, 62, 70 |
| Elk | Rifle | cow | Limited draw | Oct 14, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | 61, 62 |
| Elk | Rifle | bull | Limited draw | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 61 |
| Elk | Rifle | cow | Limited draw | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 61, 62 |
| Elk | Second rifle | bull | OTC | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 62, 70 |
| Elk | Rifle | bull | Limited draw | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | 61 |
| Elk | Rifle | cow | Limited draw | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | 61, 62 |
| Elk | Third rifle | bull | OTC | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | 62, 70 |
| Elk | Rifle | bull | Limited draw | Nov 18, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | 61 |
| Elk | Rifle | cow | Limited draw | Nov 18, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | 61, 62 |
| Elk | Rifle | either sex | Limited draw | Nov 18, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | 62 |
| Deer | Archery | buck | Limited draw | Sep 2, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | 61, 62, 70 |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | buck | Limited draw | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | 61, 62, 70 |
| Deer | Rifle | buck | Limited draw | Oct 14, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | 61, 62, 70 |
| Deer | Rifle | buck | Limited draw | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 61, 62, 70 |
| Deer | Rifle | buck | Limited draw | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | 61, 62, 70 |
| Deer | Rifle | buck | Limited draw | Nov 18, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | 61, 62, 70 |
| Black bear | Archery | either sex | Limited draw | Sep 2, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | 61, 62, 70 |
| Black bear | Archery | either sex | OTC | Sep 2, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | 61, 62, 70 |
| Black bear | Rifle | either sex | Limited draw | Sep 2, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | 61, 62, 70 |
| Black bear | Muzzleloader | either sex | Limited draw | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | 61, 62, 70 |
| Black bear | Muzzleloader | either sex | OTC | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | 61, 62, 70 |
| Black bear | Rifle | either sex | OTC | Oct 1, 2026 | Oct 7, 2026 | 61 |
| Black bear | Rifle | either sex | Limited draw | Oct 14, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | 61 |
| Black bear | Rifle | either sex | OTC | Oct 14, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | 62, 70 |
| Mountain lion | All methods | – | Group harvest limit | Nov 23, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | 61, 70 |
| Wild turkey | Spring | – | OTC | Apr 11, 2026 | May 31, 2026 | 61, 62, 70 |
| Wild turkey | Fall | – | OTC | Sep 1, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | 61, 62, 70 |
Seasons for the smaller game on the list
| Species | Season | Zone | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pheasant | Season 2 | West of I-25 | Nov 14, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 |
| Quail | Season 3 | West of I-25 | Nov 14, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 |
| Dusky grouse | Season | West of I-25 | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 |
| Mourning dove | Season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 |
| Ducks and coots | Season (split) | Western zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 |
Season rows and hunt codes from the 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure, the 2026 Small Game and Waterfowl brochure, the Turkey brochure and the Mountain Lion brochure; property access dates still apply; checked November 5, 2026.
Norwood Ranger District acres by county and forest
Norwood Ranger District belongs to Uncompahgre National Forest.
| County | NFS acres |
|---|---|
| San Miguel County | 172,033 |
| Montrose County | 165,861 |
| Ouray County | 657 |
From the agency source, USFS EDW Lands Area Statistics; checked November 5, 2026.
Mapped neighbours of Norwood Ranger District
Carter Place STL sits 16 miles southwest of the Norwood Ranger District point. Nearby public places include 4 trust land parcels and 2 SWAs. Neighbours closed to hunting: San Miguel State Wildlife Area (Fishing Easement: Applebaugh) (CPW lists no hunting).
| Name | Kind | Size (ac) | County | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carter Place STL | State trust land | 320 | San Miguel | 16 miles | southwest |
| Hamilton Mesa STL | State trust land | 640 | San Miguel | 20 miles | southwest |
| Poison Spyder STL | State trust land | 640 | San Miguel | 20 miles | southwest |
| Dan Noble SWA | SWA | 2,223 | San Miguel | 22 miles | south |
| Dry Creek Basin SWA | SWA | 12,775 | San Miguel | 22 miles | southwest |
| Dry Creek Basin STL | State trust land | 640 | San Miguel | 24 miles | southwest |
Point: CPW Hunting Atlas Land Management (COMaP) Forest Service polygons inside the USFS EDW Ranger Districts boundary (polygon centroid of the largest part). Straight-line distances. Closed places from lands.json closed rows. Statewide public land map.
Norwood Ranger District: nearby towns, shops and the CPW office
Measured in a straight line, Redvale is 10 miles from Norwood Ranger District. For a full-size grocery run, Montrose (21,646 people) is the pick. You can reach the Montrose CPW office in about 26 miles of straight line.
| Town | County | 2024 population | Away | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redvale | Montrose | – | 10 miles | southwest |
| Norwood | San Miguel | 523 | 11 miles | south |
| Montrose | Montrose | 21,646 | 26 miles | northeast |
| Colona | Ouray | – | 27 miles | east |
| Delta | Delta | 9,688 | 34 miles | north |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); CPW offices from the CPW Contact Us page; businesses from services.json listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 5, 2026.
Clock times for hunting Norwood Ranger District
Big game light near Norwood Ranger District starts 30 minutes before sunrise and ends 30 minutes after sunset; turkeys, small game and ducks end at sunset.
| Day | Marker | Sun up | Sun down | Elk and deer | Turkey and ducks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:44 a.m. | 7:44 p.m. | 6:14 a.m. to 8:14 p.m. | 6:14 a.m. to 7:44 p.m. |
| Sep 12, 2026 | Muzzleloader opens | 6:52 a.m. | 7:29 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 7:59 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 7:29 p.m. |
| Oct 3, 2026 | Duck season opens | 7:10 a.m. | 6:55 p.m. | 6:40 a.m. to 7:25 p.m. | 6:40 a.m. to 6:55 p.m. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Second rifle opens | 7:30 a.m. | 6:26 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 6:56 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 6:26 p.m. |
| Nov 23, 2026 | Lion season opens | 7:03 a.m. | 4:58 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 5:28 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 4:58 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:26 a.m. | 4:57 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 5:27 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 4:57 p.m. |
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.
Landscape and game around Norwood Ranger District
Range stops on the way to Norwood Ranger District (Uncompahgre National Forest)
Cameo Shooting and Education Complex (per the CPW page) is 60 miles from Norwood Ranger District (Uncompahgre National Forest). Beside it sit the closest club ranges inside 30 miles.
From the CPW Shooting Range Finder, ranges’ own pages and directory listings, checked November 5, 2026.
Questions about Norwood Ranger District, answered
Is elk on Norwood Ranger District draw only?
Yes, for part of the elk calendar: 3 rows, including archery (OTC, residents). Leftover licenses went on sale August 4.
Which special elk rules cover Norwood Ranger District?
Free mandatory CWD tests apply to some rifle elk codes in GMU 61, GMU 62 and GMU 70. GMU 62 and GMU 70 carry the elk antler point restriction.
Which community sits nearest to Norwood Ranger District?
Redvale (10 miles).
Where do I report trouble on Norwood Ranger District?
CPW Montrose Office in Montrose, (970) 252-6000 (26 miles away); CPW offices close on state holidays.
Must I wear blaze orange or pink on Norwood Ranger District?
Yes for firearm big game: 500 square inches of fluorescent orange or pink on the upper body and a matching head covering. Camo orange does not count.
What does the bait law mean on Norwood Ranger District?
You may not hunt big game over salt, minerals, grain, animal parts or other food, whether or not you placed it.
When does big game light begin and end on Norwood Ranger District?
Big game 6:15 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. on November 7, 2026 at the San Miguel County centre; turkey, small game and ducks stop at sunset.
Which agency page should I check for Norwood Ranger District?
The USDA Forest Service page has the current rules.
What does it take to hunt Norwood Ranger District legally?
No extra permit; buy the Colorado license for the GMU and season.
What acreage does the record give for Norwood Ranger District?
All told it takes in 338,551 acres.
What part of Colorado holds Norwood Ranger District?
Look in San Miguel County, Montrose County and Ouray County.
What hunt code unit applies to Norwood Ranger District?
It overlaps GMU 61, GMU 62 and GMU 70.
What game can be hunted on Norwood Ranger District?
The agency lists elk, deer, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, black bear, mountain lion, wild turkey, waterfowl and doves.
Plan the Norwood Ranger District trip
Property rules, closures and reservation needs on Norwood Ranger District can change mid-season; posted signs and the agency page have the last word.
Sources: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4; seasons from the 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure. Checked November 5, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Ben Cappellacci (CC BY 2.0); Alabama Extension (CC0 1.0); Paul VanDerWerf (CC BY 2.0); James St. John (CC BY 2.0); Cindy Sue Causey (CC BY 2.0).