GMU 119 GMU 119 — El Paso/Lincoln Co.
Pronghorn on the high plains, deer in the creek breaks
Eastern Colorado plains — Big Sandy shortgrass prairie · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
588
sq mi
Public land
5%
approx.
Elevation
4,900–5,800
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
GMU 119 sits on the shortgrass prairie of the eastern El Paso and Lincoln County line, a rolling sea of grass and dryland farm sections drained by the Big Sandy Creek system. This is pronghorn country first and foremost — antelope carry the unit, with a modest mule deer presence tied to the creek breaks and CRP edges. Elk are essentially absent. The defining challenge here is not terrain but access: the unit is a checkerboard of private ranch and cropland, and public ground is scarce.
Terrain
Gently rolling to nearly flat high plains cut by shallow creek drainages; long sightlines and few relief features.
Cover: Shortgrass prairie (blue grama, buffalograss), sand sage and yucca on the sandier ground, dryland wheat and fallow fields, CRP grass, and cottonwood/willow strips along Big Sandy Creek.
Landmarks: Big Sandy Creek · Karval · dryland wheat sections · sand-sage flats
Access
Overwhelmingly private ranch and dryland farm ground. Public opportunity is limited to CPW State Trust Lands enrolled in the Public Access Program and a handful of Walk-In Access / Public Access Program parcels — note that most Colorado State Trust Land is NOT open to hunting unless specifically enrolled. Knocking doors, trespass-fee arrangements, and leases are the realistic path to good ground. Verify every parcel boundary before hunting.
Managers: private ranch, private cropland, Colorado State Trust Land (generally closed unless in CPW Public Access Program), scattered BLM
Access points: County roads gridding the plains · CPW Public Access Program / Walk-In parcels (check the annual atlas) · US-40/CO-94 corridors
Species notes
Pronghorn
common opportunityThe marquee species and the reason to draw a tag here — a healthy plains herd spread across the grass and sage flats. Success rates are modest and buck quality is average, but tag odds and open country make it a solid spot-and-stalk or decoy hunt.
- →Glass from high points and windmills at first light, then plan a stalk using terrain folds and fencelines
- →Water sources, stock tanks, and CRP edges concentrate animals midday
- →Decoying rutting bucks can work in early seasons; long-range marksmanship matters on open ground
- →Secure private access early — the best antelope ground is behind a gate
Mule Deer
limited opportunityA thin but real mule deer presence tied to the Big Sandy breaks, sand-sage draws, and CRP cover. Limited-draw only. Harvest is small; this is an add-on opportunity rather than a destination deer unit.
- →Hunt the creek breaks and brushy draws at dawn and dusk
- →Sand-sage and CRP edges hold bedded bucks
- →Access to the right private bottom ground is the whole game
Whitetail Deer
limited opportunityA small whitetail component lives in the cottonwood bottoms and cropland edges along Big Sandy Creek, typical of far-eastern Colorado river-bottom habitat. Incidental to the mule deer hunt.
- →Focus on cottonwood bottoms and adjacent crop edges
- →Morning and evening movement between bedding cover and feed
- →Requires private creek-bottom access
Pro tips
- →This is an access unit, not a terrain unit — line up private permission or scout Public Access parcels before you draw
- →Do not assume State Trust Land is open; only enrolled parcels are huntable
- →Glass big and move efficiently — pronghorn cover ground fast on this open prairie
- →Water and CRP edges are the two magnets in dry early seasons
- →Whitetail and mule deer overlap only in the Big Sandy bottoms; know which you're looking at
Watch out for
- !Very low public land — trespass risk is real; verify boundaries with a GPS mapping layer
- !State Trust Lands are generally closed unless in the Public Access Program
- !Long distances between services and unreliable cell coverage
- !Fire danger and burn bans during dry early seasons
Logistics
Services are thin — fuel and basic supplies in Limon or Hugo, full outfitting back in Colorado Springs. Expect long drives on gravel county roads; carry recovery gear and water. Cell coverage is spotty off the highway corridors.
Nearest towns: Karval, Rush, Hugo, Limon, Colorado Springs (services, ~1.5 hr west)
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Colorado sources:
Research sources: CPW Big Game Hunting Statistics · CPW Hunting Atlas — GMU boundaries and public access · CPW Public Access Program / Walk-In Access
FAQ
- How big is GMU 119 in Colorado?
- GMU 119 (GMU 119 — El Paso/Lincoln Co.) covers about 588 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,900 to 5,800 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 119?
- Approximately 5% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: private ranch, private cropland, Colorado State Trust Land (generally closed unless in CPW Public Access Program), scattered BLM. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 119?
- Pronghorn, Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Colorado agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put GMU 119 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.