GMU 145 GMU 145 — Baca Co.
Draw-only plains pronghorn and mule deer with grassland canyon access near the Kansas/Oklahoma corner
Southeast Colorado — eastern Baca County Comanche National Grassland canyon country · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
309
sq mi
Public land
20%
approx.
Elevation
3,900–4,600
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
GMU 145 occupies eastern Baca County in Colorado's far-southeast corner, hard against the Kansas and Oklahoma lines. It's a compact block of shortgrass and sandsage prairie sliced by the deep canyons of the Comanche National Grassland's Carrizo Unit — Cottonwood, Picture, and Carrizo canyons — which give the unit its character and its public land. Pronghorn range the flats, mule deer favor the canyon breaks and juniper, and a small plains/canyon elk herd drifts the roughest country. The grassland canyons offer real public access, though private inholdings and outfitter-leased ranch ground fill the gaps.
Terrain
Shortgrass tableland dropping into the rimrock canyons of the Cimarron/Carrizo drainage system; relief is all in the canyons, not on the flats.
Cover: Shortgrass and sandsage prairie with yucca and cholla, pinyon-juniper on canyon rims and slopes, cottonwood and tamarisk galleries in the canyon bottoms, some dryland farm ground.
Landmarks: Comanche National Grassland — Carrizo Unit · Cottonwood Canyon · Picture Canyon · Carrizo Canyon · Springfield
Access
The Carrizo Unit canyons — Cottonwood, Picture, and Carrizo — anchor the public hunting here, better than the wall-to-wall private plains units, but the grassland is a checkerboard with private inholdings, and some canyon bottoms (and entrances like Cottonwood) are bordered or blocked by private. Carry a current land-status map. Colorado State Trust Lands are NOT open to hunting unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program — do not count trust sections as huntable.
Managers: USFS Comanche National Grassland (Carrizo Unit), private ranch, Colorado State Trust Land (access-restricted), private farm
Access points: County road grid off US 160 and US 287 near Springfield · Comanche National Grassland Carrizo Unit canyon access roads · Picture Canyon and Cottonwood Canyon access points (mind private boundaries)
Species notes
Pronghorn
common opportunityAntelope range the open shortgrass and sandsage between the canyons, with reasonable public access on the grassland. Tags are limited-draw and success is moderate — game is present and reachable where the grassland is open.
- →Glass the shortgrass flats between canyon systems at first light
- →Use folds, yucca, and windmills to close the stalk
- →Ambush water on hot early-season days
Mule Deer
common qualityMule deer favor the canyon breaks, juniper slopes, and sandsage draws off the Carrizo grassland. Fully limited-draw in Colorado; the rimrock canyons hold bucks that get left alone, though access to the best cover can be pinched by private.
- →Hunt canyon rims and side draws of Cottonwood/Picture/Carrizo at dawn and dusk
- →Glass juniper breaks for feeding deer
- →Work cover-to-feed transitions along the canyon systems
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited qualityA small plains/canyon elk resource drifts the roughest grassland and canyon country. Elk are limited-draw here (eastern Colorado is not OTC) and numbers are modest, but a drawn tag on the right ground can pay off.
- →Glass canyon breaks and grassland edges at first and last light
- →Hunt escape cover in the rimrock and juniper
- →Concentrate on the larger grassland blocks and secured private
Pro tips
- →Use the Carrizo canyons — Cottonwood, Picture, Carrizo — for public deer and elk access, but mind private canyon bottoms and entrances
- →Carry a current FS/CPW land-status map; grassland and private inholdings are checkerboarded
- →Pronghorn effort belongs on the open flats between canyons where the grassland is walkable
- →Do not plan on State Trust sections unless enrolled in the Public Access Program
Watch out for
- !Checkerboarded grassland with private inholdings — easy to stray onto private without a good map
- !Some canyon bottoms/entrances (e.g., Cottonwood) are bordered or blocked by private
- !State Trust Lands closed to hunting unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program
- !Clay/canyon roads strand vehicles after rain or snow; dry-grass fire danger
Logistics
Springfield to the northwest is the main supply point for fuel, lodging, and groceries; Campo and Walsh offer limited services. Roads are a graded county grid, mostly 2WD-friendly, but canyon-access roads and clay two-tracks turn greasy after rain or snow. Cell coverage is spotty off the highways and down in the canyons — carry paper maps and a plan.
Nearest towns: Springfield, Campo, Walsh, Pritchett
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Colorado sources:
Research sources: Colorado Parks & Wildlife — GMU boundary descriptions · CPW Big Game Harvest Statistics · Comanche National Grassland Carrizo Unit — USFS Pike-San Isabel NF
FAQ
- How big is GMU 145 in Colorado?
- GMU 145 (GMU 145 — Baca Co.) covers about 309 square miles, ranging from roughly 3,900 to 4,600 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 145?
- Approximately 20% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Comanche National Grassland (Carrizo Unit), private ranch, Colorado State Trust Land (access-restricted), private farm. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 145?
- Pronghorn, Mule 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 145 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.