GMU 117 GMU 117 — Kit Carson/Cheyenne Co.
Small hard-private prairie block where a drawn pronghorn tag is the play
Eastern Colorado plains — Kit Carson / Cheyenne County, Kansas line · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
450
sq mi
Public land
1%
approx.
Elevation
3,900–4,400
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
GMU 117 is a compact eastern-plains unit hard against the Kansas border in Kit Carson and Cheyenne counties, a mosaic of shortgrass prairie, dryland and irrigated farm ground, and shallow creek draws. Pronghorn are the primary big-game opportunity — concentrated in the southern half of the unit — with plains mule deer a secondary draw and elk merely incidental. Because the unit is small and almost entirely private, hunter numbers and harvest are modest and success is tightly bound to landowner access.
Terrain
Flat to gently rolling high plains near the Kansas line, broken only by shallow drainages and farm-field edges. Cover is minimal and sightlines are long.
Cover: Shortgrass prairie with sand sage and yucca, extensive dryland wheat and irrigated crop circles, CRP grasslands, and sparse cottonwood/willow along the creek bottoms.
Landmarks: Kansas state line (eastern boundary) · Big Sandy Creek drainage · US 40 / US 385 near Cheyenne Wells and Burlington · section-line road grid · center-pivot fields
Access
Almost entirely private agricultural land with negligible federal ground. Colorado State Trust Lands are NOT open to public hunting unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program. Plan on securing written landowner permission or hunting an enrolled walk-in tract; there is little else. Pronghorn permission is generally easier to obtain than deer permission.
Managers: private farm, private ranch, Colorado State Land Board (mostly closed to public)
Access points: county road grid off US 40 and US 385 · Burlington / Cheyenne Wells as staging hubs · CPW Public Access Program walk-in properties (confirm enrollment in the Atlas each year)
Species notes
Pronghorn
common opportunityThe core hunt, with animals concentrated in the southern half of the unit around crop ground and open prairie. Success has run lower here than in neighboring units — roughly a third of hunters — reflecting the small, heavily private land base. All Colorado pronghorn tags are limited-draw.
- →Focus effort on the southern half of the unit
- →Glass at first light and spot-and-stalk through draws
- →Hunt crop-field edges and water sources
- →Line up permission on several parcels before opening day
Mule Deer
common opportunityPlains mule deer use the creek breaks, CRP, and crop margins. The deer harvest is small but success among drawn hunters is decent. Every tag is limited-draw and access-limited.
- →Hunt CRP and creek-bottom edges dawn and dusk
- →Glass subtle draws where bucks bed off the fields
- →Rut-hunt cover edges in November
- →Access permission is the deciding factor
Whitetail Deer
limited opportunityA few whitetail hold in the cottonwood and willow riparian stringers along the creek bottoms, mixed with the plains mule deer.
- →Focus on the thickest creek-bottom timber
- →Watch trails between bedding and crop fields
- →Hunt the timber edges during the November rut
Rocky Mountain Elk
transient lowElk are incidental — a stray plains wanderer rather than a resident herd, with only a token animal harvested most years. Any elk tag is limited-draw with very low encounter odds.
- →Not a realistic target; treat sightings as a bonus
- →If hunting, cover the largest CRP/creek blocks a stray group might use
Pro tips
- →Concentrate scouting and permission efforts on the southern half of the unit where pronghorn are densest
- →Ask for pronghorn permission first — it's granted far more readily than deer permission
- →Treat State Trust Land as closed unless it's a signed CPW walk-in property
- →Small unit means low hunter density — a good permission relationship can mean uncrowded hunting
- →Watch the weather; wet dirt roads become impassable gumbo fast
Watch out for
- !State Trust Lands are NOT huntable unless enrolled in the Public Access Program
- !Nearly all private — do not hunt without documented permission
- !Small land base can mean limited opportunity even with a tag in pocket
- !Muddy roads after rain/snow strand vehicles
- !Long service gaps; carry fuel and water
Logistics
Burlington (I-70, Kit Carson County seat) and Cheyenne Wells offer fuel, lodging, and processing. Roads are a section-line grid but distances add up; carry a plat/ownership map, water, and a spare tire. Cell service is unreliable away from the highways.
Nearest towns: Burlington, Cheyenne Wells, Kit Carson, Bethune
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Colorado sources:
Research sources: CPW Colorado Hunting Atlas (GMU boundaries, public land, walk-in access) · CPW Big Game Statistics · HuntScore — GMU 117 (Kit Carson & Cheyenne Counties) access overview
FAQ
- How big is GMU 117 in Colorado?
- GMU 117 (GMU 117 — Kit Carson/Cheyenne Co.) covers about 450 square miles, ranging from roughly 3,900 to 4,400 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 117?
- Approximately 1% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: private farm, private ranch, Colorado State Land Board (mostly closed to public). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 117?
- Pronghorn, Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Colorado agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put GMU 117 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.