Quick Tips
- Use the best optics you can afford
- Be a patient hunter
- Oil and gas exploration can lead to heavy truck traffic
- Use a GPS and land ownership maps
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Mule Deer | 140"-160" | 160"+ |
| Elk | 260"-280" | 290"+ |
| Antelope | 70"-80" | 80"+ |
On The Ground
This unit stretches from Fort Collins to the Wyoming line, providing opportunities to hunt mule deer and pronghorn antelope on large private ranches or on thousands of acres of the Pawnee National Grasslands.
This unit is known for producing record book pronghorn antelope and mule deer though elk are rarely seen. There is extensive oil and gas exploration in Weld County.
Terrain
Prominent mesas, the Chalk Bluffs and some steep, rugged canyons are near the Wyoming border, rising more than 1,000 feet above a vast, rolling prairie that is carved by many creeks.
Roughly 1,117 square miles
25.7% public land
Elevations from 4,900-6,000 feet
Vegetation
Most land is covered by prairie plants, including short grasses, junipers and sagebrush. A lot of private lands are enrolled in the federal government’s Conservation Reserve Program and have been replanted with crested wheatgrass and other plants that serve as wildlife feed and cover in an arid environment. Near Chalk Bluffs are some steep canyons and rolling breaks, where junipers grow. Irrigated alfalfa and corn fields draw game near Ault and Grover.
Access
Hunters have good access to much of the Pawnee National Grassland, almost 200,000 acres of mostly prairie land in Units 87 and 88. ATVs no wider than 50” are allowed on designated roads Nov. 1-April 9. Hunting is not allowed on Central Plains Experimental Range, which covers more than 14,000 acres. Roads branch from Interstate 25 along the western border, County Road 302 on the eastern boundary and Colorado Route 14 on the southern border.
Some secondary roads can get slick and muddy
Four-wheel-drive traction recommended
Camping and Lodging
Dispersed camping is allowed year round on Pawnee National Grassland. Crow Valley Recreation Area east of Ault opens April 6 and closes November 1. Briggsdale, which is about a mile away, has a small general store, Grover, which is about 22 miles northeast of the unit, has a large store. Ault, which about 14 miles west on Highway 14 has a couple of restaurants and gasoline. Fort Collins, population 150,000, is 17 miles west of Ault.
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