Unit 11, Colorado

Long rolling ridgelines and mesas typify most of the unit, with light to moderate slope over the bulk of its terrain. The northwestern corner near Maybell drops toward the Yampa River floodplain at roughly 5,900 ft elevation. The southeastern corner around the White River drainage is more mountainous, reaching up to approximately 8,020–8,500 ft. Drainages are often more rugged, with heavy underbrush and timber. Three BLM Wilderness Study Areas — Cross Mountain (~14,800 acres, Moffat County), Black Mountain (~10,191 acres, Rio Blanco County, ~11 mi west of Meeker), and Windy Gulch (~12,740 acres, Rio Blanco County, ~10 mi NW of Meeker) — contain more dramatic canyon and rimrock terrain. Cross Mountain in particular features a 1,000-foot-deep Yampa River gorge confirmed by BLM.

Access highways: US Highway 40 forms the northern boundary (Maybell area); State Highway 64 provides the southern corridor through Meeker. The unit has no National Forest land; virtually all public land is BLM managed by the Little Snake Field Office (711 Independent Ave, Craig CO 81625). BLM roads are open to ATVs and 4WD vehicles across most of the unit. Key access routes include Moffat County Road 25 (Twelvemile Gulch Road on the western boundary), Deception Creek/Strawberry Creek Road on the eastern boundary, and Moffat CR 23 and CR 57 in the interior. The three WSAs — Cross Mountain, Black Mountain, and Windy Gulch — prohibit motorized vehicle access inside their boundaries, requiring foot or horse entry. Approximately 32% of the unit is private land, creating a checkerboard pattern in some areas, particularly around ranch operations on valley floors. Overall vehicle access is rated easy and 4WD is generally unnecessary outside the WSAs and rougher drainages. Hunting pressure is described as heavy throughout the unit.

Lower elevations (approximately 5,900–6,500 ft) are dominated by sagebrush and sage steppe. Pinyon-juniper woodland covers upper slopes and mesa rims. Oakbrush (Gambel oak) covers high ridgelines and south-facing slopes and is a key browse and thermal cover type for both elk and deer. Additional browse includes bitterbrush and serviceberry scattered through mid-elevation terrain. Riparian cottonwood and willow lines the Yampa and White rivers. There is no significant spruce-fir or alpine tundra at unit elevations; the sage, pinyon-juniper, and oakbrush mosaic makes up the primary habitat matrix.

Elk: The unit supports a large resident elk herd as part of CPW Data Analysis Unit E-11 NW (units 11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 131, 211, 231 combined population estimated ~18,690 per 2026 CPW license recommendation summary — per-unit breakdown not separately published). Large herd occupies all available habitat during summer and early fall, using pinyon-juniper and oakbrush ridges. Snow pushes animals to lower sage and oakbrush winter range, with significant migration to the Axial Basin and adjacent units in late season. Rut typically begins early September and runs approximately four weeks. Mule Deer: Substantial population uses the unit year-round, concentrating in mountain shrub habitat (oakbrush, serviceberry, bitterbrush) at mid-elevations during rifle seasons. Deer migrate from the Danforth Hills area during second rifle season toward lower-elevation winter range at Bitterbrush SWA and Crooked Wash by third and fourth seasons. Bucks in the 150–175 inch range are reported, with some exceeding 200 inches. Pronghorn: Small numbers present primarily in the more open sage flats in the northwestern and central portions of the unit; tags are very limited (10 buck and 10 doe rifle licenses unit-wide in 2024). Black Bear: Present across the unit, utilizing oakbrush and pinyon-juniper zones; breeding season runs late May through early July. Mountain Lion: Present and huntable; reported high success rates for guided hunts in northwest Colorado canyon terrain. Wild Turkey: Present in lower riparian and oakbrush zones. CWD has been detected in deer and elk in these units.

1. Elk tag_quota of 3,500 and reported_harvest of 1,448 and hunter_success_pct of 30% are from the 2022 CPW harvest report for all-rifle seasons in unit 11. 2. Elk DAU E-11 NW population of ~18,690 covers units 11/12/13/23/24/131/211/231 combined per 2026 CPW license recommendation summary (PDF unreadable by automated extraction; figure from draft sourcing). 3. 3rd rifle season end date is Nov 15 (confirmed by multiple 2026 outfitter guides citing CPW 5-year structure), not Nov 17 as in prior draft. 4. Cross Mountain WSA ~14,800 acres (Moffat Co); Black Mountain WSA ~10,191 acres (Rio Blanco Co); Windy Gulch WSA ~12,740 acres (Rio Blanco Co) — all confirmed via BLM. 5. CWD detected in deer and elk; check current CPW brochure for mandatory testing. 6. Public land 67% (GoHunt 67.2%; boundary search confirmed 68% BLM+state, 32% private). 7. Hunters should confirm exact 2026 dates in the current CPW Big Game Brochure.