Quick Tips
- Warm water species fishing in reservoirs and lakes
- Teal and mallard hunting
- Some pheasant hunting
- Historical Museum in Fort Morgan
species | general Size | trophy potential |
---|---|---|
Mule Deer | 140"-160" | 170"+ |
Whitetail Deer | 130"-150" | 160"+ |
On The Ground
The South Platte River between Fort Morgan and Sterling is known for quality whitetails. Mule deer make up less that 10% of the deer herd. There are numerous state lands that provide access to some excellent cover in a unit that is over 90% private.
The extreme floods of 2013 may have displaced many deer into Units 91 and 92, which are northeast of Unit 96, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. You must pay a trespass fee to access private land.
Terrain
The South Platte River winds some 58 miles through the heart of this unit. Irrigated crops are on both sides of the river on fairly level fields. The elevation changes some 600 feet from the western edge to the eastern boundary.
Roughly 250 square miles
7.1% public land
Elevations from 3,900-4,547 feet
Vegetation
River bottoms consist of Cottonwood, timbered banks and islands with willows, Russian olives and marsh grass are scattered along the length of the South Platte. Farmlands grow crops of corn, wheat and alfalfa with some prairie grasses, yucca and silver sage around the edges.
Access
Interstate 76 forms the southern boundary and U.S. Highway 6, Country Road 7 and Colorado Route 114 mark the northern and western boundary. U.S. Highway 40 and Colorado Route 318 run along the southern border intersecting with County Road 21 which heads north along the Little Snake River creating the western boundary. County Road 19 heads north out of Maybell through the middle of the unit until it connects with Road 21. Wet weather turns dirt roads into deeply rutted, slippery mud trails that are almost impassable even with four-wheel-drive trucks and tire chains. ATVs are handy on primitive roads.
Much of the good habitat is private land, where ranchers and outfitters offer guided hunting trips. Private land prevents access to many public tracts. Some state lands known as the Raftopoulos Hunting Lease are controlled by a rancher/outfitter. The following state lands are open to public hunting. Locations, directions and restrictions are listed in Colorado State Recreation Lands and Colorado State Trust Lands.
Knudson, 581 acres
Dune Ridge, 400 acres
Overland Trail, 192 acres
Atwood State Trust Land, 160 acres
Atwood State Wildlife Area, 180 acres
Elliott, 2,576 acres on County Road W7 is made up of defined tracts
Cottonwood, 884 acres
Brush, 588 acres
Jean K. Tool, 903 acres
Camping and Lodging
Sterling in the east and Fort Morgan in the south west have many restaurants, motels, fast food, gas, shopping and medical facilities for any hunters budget. There are many small communities that might provide gas or a small café. They are Atwood, Merino, Synder, Brush, Wiggins, Orchard and Weldona.
Historical Temperatures
High
Low
Moon Phases
February 2025
26
27
28
29
30
31
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
1