The Four Corners area of Colorado has long been renowned for its excellent deer and elk hunting. An abundance of open public land provides ideal habitat for big game animals.

The elevations range from 5,000 feet in the desert to 14,000 feet in the high mountains. The wide variation in the terrain provides animals with plenty of cover in the winter and hundreds of thousands of acres for browsing during the summer.

Following is the big game hunting outlook for the area that extends from Cortez to Pagosa Springs. The Big Game Units included in this synopsis are: 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 77, 78, 711, 741, 751, 771.

The deer herd in this area is stable and estimated at 24,000, with many trophy bucks. Deer prefer elevations below 10,000 feet. The best hunting is on public lands in these areas: the HD mountains, Chimney Rock, Devil Mountain, the Piedra River Drainage, the mountains between Los Pinos and Piedra Rivers, and areas southeast of Pagosa Springs.

The elk herd in this area is estimated to be 14,000, and during hunting season lives north of U.S. Highway 160. Look for elk along the edges of different forest types early in the season. Hunt the oak brush and Ponderosa Pine in later seasons.

These units are on the western edge of the state and provide excellent habitat for deer and elk in terrain that varies from high alpine to desert shrub country. Large sections of private land exist in this area so be careful not to trespass.

Deer are evenly distributed above 8,000 feet but move to lower elevations as hunting pressure increases. Hunting will be good, but there is also a lot of hunting pressure.

Elk hunting will be good and animals are distributed throughout region. Hunting is generally better in GMU 71 early in the season; GMU 711 is better in the later seasons. Elk move from north to south as the season progresses. Aspen and brush areas will be better in later seasons and as hunting pressure increases.

This area is dominated by juniper, pinon and sagebrush in the lower areas. The area includes a smaller amount of alpine terrain. Hunting pressure is heavy in all the units. The most public land is found in units 73 and 74. The terrain in 74 is steep and timbered making hunting challenging.

There is little public land in units 741 and 72. Hunting is prohibited in Mesa Verde National Park and special regulations apply on the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute reservations.

Deer hunting is good in these units, but be sure that you are not trespassing onto private property, or venturing into reservation or park service lands.

Most of the elk in this area are found in GMU 74. Hunting should be good in the Hermosa Creek drainage, around Engineer Mountain, and Relay Creek. Junction Creek is good late in the season.

~ By Colorado Division of Wildlife