GMU 135 GMU 135 — Las Animas/Pueblo/Otero Co.
High-plains pronghorn on Comanche grassland with canyon-rim mule deer
Southeast Colorado plains — Timpas grassland and Arkansas River pronghorn country · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
744
sq mi
Public land
15%
approx.
Elevation
4,000–5,600
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
GMU 135 spreads across the shortgrass and sandsage plains where Pueblo, Otero, and Las Animas counties meet, straddling the lower Arkansas River near La Junta and Las Animas and reaching south into the Timpas country of the Comanche National Grassland. Pronghorn are the marquee tag — this unit produces the most antelope of the three neighboring GMUs — scattered across open shortgrass and fallow ground, while mule deer hold the sandsage draws and shallow canyon rims. Elk are a thin, growing presence rather than a target. The Comanche National Grassland gives this unit real public access, but the rest is private ranch and farm ground, so lining up ground matters as much as the tag.
Terrain
Open, gently rolling high plains broken by the Arkansas River bottom and the shallow rock-rimmed canyons and arroyos that drain toward the Purgatoire and Timpas Creek.
Cover: Shortgrass prairie and sandsage, dryland and irrigated farm ground along the Arkansas, cholla flats, and juniper/pinon on the canyon rims and rock breaks.
Landmarks: Arkansas River · Timpas Creek · Comanche National Grassland (Timpas Unit) · La Junta · Las Animas
Access
The Timpas Unit of the Comanche National Grassland provides genuine open public hunting in the southern part of the unit, but Grassland ownership is checkerboarded with private ranch sections — read boundaries carefully. Colorado State Trust Lands are NOT open to hunting unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program, so do not treat trust sections as huntable. Off the Grassland this is private farm and ranch country where you must secure permission, a lease, or a Walk-In Access parcel.
Managers: USFS Comanche National Grassland (Timpas Unit), private ranch, private farm, Colorado State Trust Land (access-restricted), CPW State Wildlife Areas / Walk-In Access
Access points: Comanche NG Timpas Unit access roads south of La Junta · US 350 and US 50 corridors · County road grid off the highways · CPW Walk-In Access properties (annual atlas)
Species notes
Pronghorn
common opportunityThe signature hunt here and the strongest antelope unit of its neighbors. Bucks scatter across open shortgrass and fallow fields; tags are limited-draw and success runs moderate. Access and finding the right permission or Grassland ground concentrate the hunt more than animal numbers.
- →Glass wide shortgrass flats and fallow ground at first and last light
- →Use terrain folds, arroyos, and windmills to close the distance
- →Ambush water on hot early-season days
- →Focus on huntable Grassland sections and secured private ground
Mule Deer
common qualityMule deer work the sandsage draws, cholla flats, and the juniper-studded canyon rims. Fully limited-draw in Colorado; mature bucks come off the breaks and river bottoms with the right access, though deer harvest is modest.
- →Glass sandsage draws and canyon rims at dawn and dusk
- →Watch travel between bedding breaks and crop or river-bottom feed
- →Still-hunt the rimrock and arroyo heads
Whitetail Deer
limited qualityA limited whitetail component holds the Arkansas River bottom and its brushy tributaries, overlapping mule deer at the field edges. A genuine but localized river-bottom opportunity.
- →Hunt cottonwood bottoms and brushy field edges along the Arkansas
- →Set up on cover-to-field travel
- →Focus the rut in the bottoms
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityPlains and canyon elk are a small, growing presence rather than a resident herd; harvest is low. Tags are limited-draw — this is not over-the-counter mountain elk country.
- →Glass canyon breaks and rougher grassland pockets
- →Treat elk as a bonus to a deer or pronghorn hunt
- →Chase sign in the roughest, least-disturbed ground
Pro tips
- →Pull the Comanche National Grassland Timpas Unit ownership map and hunt the confirmed public sections
- →Line up private permission or a lease months ahead — access is the whole game off the Grassland
- →Split effort: pronghorn on the open shortgrass, mule deer on the canyon rims, whitetails in the Arkansas bottom
- →Do not plan on State Trust sections unless they're enrolled in the Public Access Program
- →Pull the current CPW Walk-In Access atlas; parcels change year to year
Watch out for
- !Checkerboarded Grassland and private sections — know exactly where the public boundary is
- !State Trust Lands are closed to hunting unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program
- !Overwhelmingly private off the Grassland — trespass risk is real
- !Clay roads turn impassable when wet; carry recovery gear
- !Early-season heat and limited water in the backcountry
Logistics
La Junta and Las Animas offer fuel, lodging, and groceries, with Rocky Ford another supply point. Roads are a well-graded county grid off US 50 and US 350, mostly 2WD-friendly except when rain or snow turns the clay greasy. Cell coverage is decent near towns and highways and drops off in the canyon country.
Nearest towns: La Junta, Las Animas, Rocky Ford, Fowler
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Colorado sources:
Research sources: CPW Southeast Colorado Big Game Brochure (2018) · Comanche National Grassland — USFS Pike-San Isabel · Comanche National Grassland — Wikipedia
FAQ
- How big is GMU 135 in Colorado?
- GMU 135 (GMU 135 — Las Animas/Pueblo/Otero Co.) covers about 744 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,000 to 5,600 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 135?
- Approximately 15% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Comanche National Grassland (Timpas Unit), private ranch, private farm, Colorado State Trust Land (access-restricted), CPW State Wildlife Areas / Walk-In Access. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 135?
- 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 135 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.