GMU 123 GMU 123 — El Paso/Pueblo Co.
Pronghorn and plains deer where the mountains meet the prairie
Front Range foothills-to-plains — El Paso/Pueblo south of Colorado Springs · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
525
sq mi
Public land
5%
approx.
Elevation
4,700–6,200
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
GMU 123 lies in the transition country of southern El Paso and northern Pueblo counties, south of Colorado Springs and north of Pueblo, where the Front Range foothills give way to shortgrass plains along Fountain Creek and toward the Arkansas River. Pronghorn drive the harvest across the open ground, mule deer work the drainages and mesa breaks, and a genuine — if limited — elk presence spills out of the foothills, making this the most elk-relevant of the nearby plains units. Land ownership is a mosaic of private ranches, ex-urban development and military ground, so access takes homework.
Terrain
Rolling shortgrass plains rising westward into foothill mesas, bluffs and shallow canyons near the Front Range edge. Fountain Creek and its tributaries drain the unit toward the Arkansas.
Cover: Blue grama and shortgrass prairie grading into pinyon-juniper and scrub oak on the mesas and foothills, with cottonwood and willow along Fountain Creek and cropland/ranchland in between.
Landmarks: Fountain Creek corridor · Front Range foothill mesas · City of Fountain · Pueblo West / Arkansas River to the south
Access
Public hunting land is limited and fragmented. Fort Carson and other military ground border/overlap this area and are not open to general public hunting. State Trust Lands are NOT huntable unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program — check each parcel in the Hunting Atlas. Realistic access is via private permission, leases, scattered BLM, and CPW Public Access properties, and development near Colorado Springs and Pueblo further fragments huntable ground.
Managers: Private ranch and ex-urban land, Military (Fort Carson / adjacent — not general public hunting), Colorado State Trust Land (generally closed), Small BLM parcels
Access points: I-25 / US 85 corridor · County roads off Fountain and Pueblo West · Small BLM parcels and CPW Public Access properties (verify yearly)
Species notes
Pronghorn
common opportunityAntelope post the largest harvest in the unit, ranging the shortgrass flats and ag ground between the foothills and the Arkansas. Five-year success has run in the high-40% range — a solid opportunity buck-antelope hunt for those with access.
- →Glass from mesa rims and rises, then spot-and-stalk using terrain
- →Hunt water sources and green ag in warm early season
- →Ambush fence crossings and decoy during the rut
Mule Deer
common opportunityMule deer are a limited-draw resource concentrated in the mesa breaks, pinyon-juniper foothills and creek drainages, with five-year success around 50% — good numbers where you can hunt.
- →Work the foothill mesa edges and pinyon-juniper pockets at first and last light
- →Hunt the Fountain Creek breaks and side drainages
- →Glass the timber-to-grass transition where bucks feed
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityElk are present in real but limited numbers, filtering out of the Front Range foothills onto the mesas and ranch ground — the most elk any of these southeastern plains units offers, though harvest stays modest. This is limited-draw plains/foothill elk, not an over-the-counter mountain hunt.
- →Focus on the western foothill mesas and pinyon-juniper near the range front
- →Hunt private ranch elk with permission — most elk here live on private ground
- →Watch feed-to-cover routes in the foothill drainages at dawn and dusk
Whitetail Deer
limited opportunityA minority of the deer are whitetails using the wooded Fountain Creek and Arkansas River bottoms, staying tight to cover and water along the corridors.
- →Hunt the cottonwood and willow bottoms rather than the open plains
- →Set up on funnels between river cover and adjacent fields
- →Still-hunt the corridors during the rut
Pro tips
- →This unit offers the best plains elk odds of the group, but the elk are largely on private ground
- →Pronghorn carry the harvest — apply here for antelope with elk/deer as a bonus
- →Work the western foothill mesas and pinyon-juniper for deer and elk
- →Development, military land and private ranches shrink the huntable footprint — scout access early
- →Verify State Trust and BLM parcels in the CPW Atlas before relying on them
Watch out for
- !Fort Carson and other military land is NOT open to general public hunting
- !State Trust Lands generally CLOSED outside the Public Access Program
- !Fragmented private and ex-urban ground near Colorado Springs/Pueblo — trespass and safety-zone risks
- !Fire danger in the pinyon-juniper foothills during dry stretches
Logistics
Unlike the deep-plains units, full services are close — Colorado Springs and Pueblo bracket the unit with fuel, lodging, groceries and gear. Cell coverage is generally good near the I-25 corridor. The catch is finding huntable land amid private, military and developing ground, so scout access first.
Nearest towns: Fountain, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Pueblo West
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Colorado sources:
Research sources: CPW Big Game GMU Boundaries and Statistics · CPW Public Access Program (Walk-In Access)
FAQ
- How big is GMU 123 in Colorado?
- GMU 123 (GMU 123 — El Paso/Pueblo Co.) covers about 525 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,700 to 6,200 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 123?
- Approximately 5% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Private ranch and ex-urban land, Military (Fort Carson / adjacent — not general public hunting), Colorado State Trust Land (generally closed), Small BLM parcels. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 123?
- Pronghorn, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, 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 123 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.