GMU 124 GMU 124 — Crowley/Pueblo Co.
Rolling pronghorn country between Pueblo and Ordway
Southeast Colorado plains — Arkansas River shortgrass prairie · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
586
sq mi
Public land
5%
approx.
Elevation
4,300–5,400
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
GMU 124 sits on the shortgrass and sand-sage plains of Crowley and eastern Pueblo counties, straddling the Arkansas River corridor between Pueblo and Ordway. This is classic Colorado pronghorn ground — open rolling prairie, dryland wheat, CRP, and irrigated bottomland — where antelope carry the harvest and deer hold in draws and river cottonwoods. Land is overwhelmingly private ranch and farm, so tag opportunity is real but access is the whole game.
Terrain
Gently rolling high plains dissected by the Arkansas River and shallow tributary draws; broad open sightlines with subtle terrain rolls that hide game.
Cover: Shortgrass prairie (blue grama, buffalograss), sand sagebrush, yucca and cholla flats, dryland wheat and fallow fields, CRP grass, plus cottonwood and tamarisk galleries along the Arkansas and irrigation ditches.
Landmarks: Arkansas River · Lake Meredith · Lake Henry · Ordway · Olney Springs
Access
Land is dominantly private; expect to knock doors, lease, or draw a landowner-preference situation. Public hunting is concentrated on a few CPW State Wildlife Areas (e.g., waterfowl/upland tracts near Lake Meredith and Lake Henry). Colorado State Trust Land here is NOT open to hunting unless the specific parcel is enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program — verify each parcel before hunting it.
Managers: Private ranch and farm, CPW State Wildlife Areas, Colorado State Trust Land (limited)
Access points: US 50 corridor · Highway 96 to Ordway · County roads off the Arkansas River bottoms · Lake Meredith / Lake Henry SWA access
Species notes
Pronghorn
common opportunityThe marquee species and the bulk of the harvest, with strong buck-tag success on the open prairie. A plains draw unit — good odds relative to mountain antelope units but hunting quality depends almost entirely on securing private access.
- →Glass rolling prairie at first and last light from high two-tracks
- →Use terrain rolls, ditch banks, and CRP edges to close the last 300 yards
- →Watch water — stock tanks, ditches, and lake margins concentrate bucks midday
- →Pattern feeding between wheat/CRP and open grass
Mule Deer
limited opportunityMule deer hold in prairie draws, yucca breaks, and shelterbelts away from the river. Limited draw with modest numbers — a bonus opportunity rather than a destination.
- →Hunt brushy draws and CRP edges at the margins of ag fields
- →Glass shelterbelts and yucca flats in early morning
- →Focus on cover breaks where prairie meets cropland
Whitetail Deer
limited opportunityWhitetails inhabit the Arkansas River cottonwood bottoms and irrigated corridor, mixing with mule deer near the river. A river-bottom hunt where access along the Arkansas is the limiting factor.
- →Still-hunt cottonwood and tamarisk bottoms along the Arkansas
- →Watch travel between river cover and adjacent ag at dawn/dusk
- →Focus effort where public or permission tracts touch the river
Rocky Mountain Elk
transient lowElk are incidental on these plains — a handful harvested annually by hunters catching wandering animals in river bottoms or ag country. Not a species to plan a hunt around.
- →Treat as opportunistic while pursuing pronghorn or deer
- →Check river-bottom cover and large private ag blocks where the few elk hold
Pro tips
- →Secure private permission or a lease months ahead — access, not tags, is the bottleneck on these plains
- →Focus pronghorn glassing on subtle terrain rolls; the prairie looks flat but bucks bed just out of sight
- →Hit water sources and ag/CRP edges midday when antelope shift to feed and drink
- →For deer, work the Arkansas River cottonwoods where whitetails and mule deer overlap
- →Verify any State Trust Land parcel is enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program before setting foot on it
Watch out for
- !Overwhelmingly private land — trespass risk is high without clear permission
- !State Trust Land is closed to hunting unless PAP-enrolled
- !Muddy dirt roads after rain or snow
- !Little natural shade and open exposure on hot early hunts
Logistics
Pueblo is the nearest full-service hub (fuel, lodging, groceries, processing) on the west edge; Ordway and La Junta offer smaller-town services. Cell coverage is decent along US 50 and near towns but patchy on ranch roads. Roads are mostly graded dirt and gravel that turn greasy when wet.
Nearest towns: Ordway, Sugar City, Olney Springs, Boone, Pueblo
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Colorado sources:
Research sources: Colorado Parks & Wildlife — Big Game Hunting · CPW Hunting Atlas (GMU boundaries & land status) · Colorado State Land Board — Public Access Program
FAQ
- How big is GMU 124 in Colorado?
- GMU 124 (GMU 124 — Crowley/Pueblo Co.) covers about 586 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,300 to 5,400 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 124?
- Approximately 5% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Private ranch and farm, CPW State Wildlife Areas, Colorado State Trust Land (limited). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 124?
- 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 124 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.