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SWA · Bent County
Setchfield State Wildlife Area, a guide for Colorado hunters
State wildlife area in Bent County, 2,438 acres.
Photo: Carol M. Highsmith / rawpixel (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Setchfield State Wildlife Area
Setchfield SWA by the numbers
Setchfield SWA takes in 2,438 acres according to the CPW SWA page. Size places it 53rd out of 224 state wildlife areas in Colorado. 5 state wildlife areas touch Bent County, and Setchfield SWA is one of the set. Southeast Region, Area 12, La Junta S district: that is the CPW chain for Setchfield SWA. Contact on the property page: Area CPW Office, Lamar, phone 719-336-6600. The 2026 Recreation Lands brochure gives the hunting line for Setchfield SWA as pronghorn, rabbit, bobwhite quail, scaled quail, dove. The brochure also notes picnicking, wildlife viewing. Overnight stays: not an offered amenity here.
Hunting opportunities on record: Pronghorn, Doves, Scaled quail, Bobwhite, Rabbits.
Page activities: Hunting, Nature Viewing, Picnicking.
From the agency page, 2026 Recreation Lands brochure, p. 25 (Colorado Parks and Wildlife); retrieved 2026-11-04, checked November 5, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Setchfield State Wildlife Area
What Setchfield SWA allows and forbids
At 16 and older, entry to Setchfield SWA takes a Colorado hunting or fishing license or the SWA Pass. Vehicles stay on roads signed open, and camping is limited to authorized spots. Leave permanent stands at home: portable blinds and stands only, set up within 30 days of the opener. Never fire a gun or loose an arrow in a parking, camping or picnic area.
From the agency source, CPW SWA finder; checked November 5, 2026.
Finding Setchfield SWA on the ground
Brochure directions: From Hwys. 50 and 101 in Las Animas, take Highway 101 S for 16 miles to CR P. Go W on CR P for 1 mile to CR 11, then go S for 6 miles on CRs 11 and 10.
Setchfield SWA is plotted at 37.7470, -103.2574 on the statewide map.
Directions from the 2026 Colorado State Recreation Lands brochure; map files from the CPW property page; point from CPW Managed Properties (public access only) layer, CPWAdminData (1 polygon) (polygon centroid); checked November 5, 2026.
GMUs and unit rules on Setchfield SWA
Big game licenses here are sold by unit, and Setchfield SWA touches 1 GMU: GMU 130.
These GMUs sit outside the elk antler point restriction. For lions, the units fall in harvest-limit group 20.
CPW publishes harvest by GMU, not by property. In 2024, GMU 130 led these units with 58 pronghorn taken.
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.
Setchfield SWA season calendar by GMU
The units of Setchfield SWA carry 5 big game seasons this year. No over-the-counter big game row reaches these units. We dropped 3 rows valid only on private land or enrolled ranches. The table follows the species list for Setchfield SWA, which removes 18 rows.
| Species | Season | Sex | Kind | From | To | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pronghorn | Muzzleloader | buck | Limited draw | Sep 21, 2026 | Sep 29, 2026 | 130 |
| Pronghorn | Muzzleloader | doe | Limited draw | Sep 21, 2026 | Sep 29, 2026 | 130 |
| Pronghorn | Rifle | buck | Limited draw | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | 130 |
| Pronghorn | Rifle | doe | Limited draw | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | 130 |
| Pronghorn | Rifle | doe | Limited, late | Dec 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | 130 |
Seasons for the smaller game on the list
| Species | Season | Zone | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quail | Season 1 | East of I-25 | Nov 14, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 |
| Mourning dove | Season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 |
| Cottontail | Season | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 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.
Mapped neighbours of Setchfield SWA
Carrica STL sits 10 miles northwest of the Setchfield SWA point. Nearby public places include 6 trust land parcels. Neighbours closed to hunting: Dawn Pond State Wildlife Area (CPW lists no hunting).
| Public land | Kind | Acres | County | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrica STL | State trust land | 640 | Otero | 10 miles | northwest |
| Higbee Canyon STL | State trust land | 640 | Otero | 12 miles | west |
| Alkali Arroyo STL | State trust land | 640 | Otero | 14 miles | northwest |
| Dixie Bluffs STL | State trust land | 630 | Otero | 15 miles | west |
| Jack Canyon STL | State trust land | 7,564 | Otero | 16 miles | west |
| David Canyon STL | State trust land | 640 | Otero | 18 miles | west |
Point: CPW Managed Properties (public access only) layer, CPWAdminData (1 polygon) (polygon centroid). Straight-line distances. Closed places from lands.json closed rows. Statewide public land map.
Setchfield SWA: nearby towns, shops and the CPW office
Measured in a straight line, Las Animas is 22 miles from Setchfield SWA. For a full-size grocery run, Lamar (7,641 people) is the pick. You can reach the Lamar CPW office in about 41 miles of straight line.
| Town | County | 2024 population | Away | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Animas | Bent | 2,361 | 22 miles | north |
| La Junta | Otero | 6,986 | 23 miles | northwest |
| Hasty | Bent | – | 29 miles | northeast |
| Kim | Las Animas | 65 | 35 miles | south |
| Lamar | Prowers | 7,641 | 42 miles | northeast |
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.
Legal light on Setchfield SWA, opener by opener
Big game light near Setchfield SWA 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 | 6:22 a.m. | 7:22 p.m. | 5:52 a.m. to 7:52 p.m. | 5:52 a.m. to 7:22 p.m. |
| Oct 28, 2026 | Duck season opens | 7:13 a.m. | 5:59 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. to 6:29 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. to 5:59 p.m. |
| Nov 23, 2026 | Lion season opens | 6:41 a.m. | 4:37 p.m. | 6:11 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. | 6:11 a.m. to 4:37 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:04 a.m. | 4:36 p.m. | 6:34 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. | 6:34 a.m. to 4:36 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 Setchfield SWA
Public and private ranges before Setchfield State Wildlife Area
Prowers County holds the CPW-listed range nearest Setchfield State Wildlife Area: Two Buttes State Wildlife Area Shooting Range (38 miles). 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.
Quick answers about Setchfield SWA
Where do I report trouble on Setchfield SWA?
Area CPW Office in Lamar, 719-336-6600; CPW offices close on state holidays.
Must I wear blaze orange or pink on Setchfield SWA?
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.
Is it legal to hunt over bait on Setchfield SWA?
No. It is illegal to hunt big game, turkey, small game or migratory birds over bait in Colorado, whoever placed it.
When does big game light begin and end on Setchfield SWA?
Big game 5:54 a.m. to 5:19 p.m. on November 7, 2026 at the Bent County centre; turkey, small game and ducks stop at sunset.
Where do hunters sleep when they hunt Setchfield SWA?
Off the property: no camping icon shows on the CPW page.
Which agency page should I check for Setchfield SWA?
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife page has the current rules.
What does it take to hunt Setchfield SWA legally?
The SWA rule applies: 16 and older need a Colorado hunting or fishing license, or the wildlife area pass.
What acreage does the record give for Setchfield SWA?
All told it takes in 2,438 acres.
Which county sheriff and county roads serve Setchfield SWA?
GIS puts it in Bent County.
What hunt code unit applies to Setchfield SWA?
It overlaps GMU 130.
What game can be hunted on Setchfield SWA?
The agency lists pronghorn, doves, scaled quail, bobwhite and rabbits.
Which special elk rules cover Setchfield SWA?
Outside the mandatory CWD elk units; deer testing is not required anywhere in 2026. Antler points do not matter for legality here.
What is the closest town with services to Setchfield SWA?
The closest town with a page here is Las Animas (22 miles).
Setchfield SWA: the final check
Property rules, closures and reservation needs on Setchfield SWA 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: ImagePerson (CC BY 4.0); Jim, the Photographer (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain).