East of Raton and bordering Colorado, this mainly private unit has good numbers of elk, mule deer and pronghorn antelope. Chief features are Johnson and Bartlett mesas. The volcanic peak Capulin Mountain is just off of the southeast corner and can be seen from miles away. A low distribution of public lands are found here and can prove to be a big hurdle for those not interested in gaining private access.

Bucks and bulls of good trophy quality can be found here but few will ever reach exceptional size. Hunting pressure is moderate because of the predominant percentage of private land. Lightly hunted properties will typically produce bigger and more mature animals.

Driving east from Raton to Capulin, hunters can see thousands of acres of flats and foothills below rocky slopes that form the sides of mesas, but namely the Johnson and Bartlett mesas. Some drainages off of those mesas form canyons that are narrow and steep at the top, but gradually become wider and more moderate as elevations decline. In the western third of the unit are several small mesas and sharp peaks within view of Capulin Volcano National Monument, which features 8,182-foot-high Capulin Mountain. The peak is less than a mile from this unit and towers 1,300 feet above the surrounding plains.

Lowlands have flat pastures covered in prairie grasses with sagebrush and other high desert browse plants. Above the flat lands are sagebrush and oak brush-covered hills with willows and tall oak brush found along dry and intermittent streams. Canyons below mesas are heavily covered in oak brush and scattered junipers, while ponderosa pines, aspens and other conifers grow in stands on eastern and northern slopes. Mesa tops have sagebrush and grassy parks surrounded by aspens and various conifers.

The western two-thirds is almost entirely private. Perhaps 20% of the eastern third is state land, but most tracts are landlocked by private property. Private ranches can be reached on public roads, and landowners use many unimproved roads to reach various parts of their properties.

Many motels and hotels are in Raton with national chains well represented. Several RV parks are also in Raton, including a KOA campground. If you buy a landowner voucher, don’t forget to ask for permission on the property. Campsites are available at Sugarite Canyon State Park, which is northeast of Raton.