Unit 125, Colorado

Level to gently rolling shortgrass prairie with cottonwood-lined creek bottoms along the Arkansas River and Horse Creek drainages. Elevation ranges from roughly 3,642 ft (lowest river bottoms) to 4,538 ft on the higher prairie benches. Slopes are gentle — 80% or more of the unit has slopes at or below moderate grade. No mountain or canyon terrain; the unit is entirely eastern plains in character.

Primary highways serving the unit include US-50 east of Pueblo through Rocky Ford and La Junta (southern boundary), CO-109 northward through the prairie interior, and CO-266 east toward Kiowa County. La Junta (Otero County) is the nearest full-service town and is on US-50 along the southern edge of the unit. Public land is fragmented and heavily weighted toward SWAs and state trust parcels; the majority of the unit is private deeded ranchland. Key CPW State Wildlife Areas within GMU 125: - Adobe Creek Reservoir SWA (Blue Lake) — 5,147 ac, Bent/Kiowa counties; deer, dove, pheasant, pronghorn, rabbit, scaled quail, waterfowl; camping in designated areas; SWA pass or valid license required. - Fort Lyon SWA — 523 ac, Bent County; deer, dove, waterfowl; SWA pass or license required. - Holbrook Reservoir SWA — 670 ac, Otero County; deer, dove, pheasant, bobwhite quail, rabbit, squirrel, waterfowl; camping in designated areas; SWA pass or license required. - Oxbow SWA — 410 ac, Otero County (shared with GMU 130); deer, dove, rabbit, squirrel, turkey, waterfowl; SWA pass or license required. - Rocky Ford SWA — 1,142 ac, Otero County (shared with GMU 129); bobwhite quail, dove, pheasant, rabbit, waterfowl; camping Aug 15–May 31; SWA pass or valid license required. - Melon Valley SWA — 278 ac, Otero County (shared with GMU 129); small game only; camping Aug 15–May 31; weekend hunting restricted to youth/mentor hunts. - Horse Creek Reservoir SWA (Timber Lake) — 2,603 ac, Otero County; NO hunting available per CPW; open for fishing and non-consumptive access only. The Timpas Unit of Comanche National Grassland (USFS, Pike–San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands; La Junta Ranger District office at 1420 E. 3rd St., La Junta, CO 719-384-2181) lies at the southern edge of GMU 125 and into adjacent units. Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUMs) govern which Forest roads are open. Primitive camping is allowed on all Comanche National Grassland lands. Private-land hunting requires advance landowner permission; many parcels are leased to cattle operations and access is not guaranteed even where state-mapped parcels appear open.

Dominated by shortgrass prairie (blue grama, buffalo grass) with scattered dryland farm fields and introduced pasture grasses on private land. Riparian corridors along the Arkansas River and Horse Creek support cottonwood and willow galleries — the primary woody cover in the unit. Shrub cover is sparse; no oakbrush, aspen, or conifer habitat. Wetland margins around the SWA reservoirs (Adobe Creek, Holbrook, Horse Creek, Oxbow) provide additional cover for waterfowl and dove. The Timpas unit of Comanche National Grassland to the south introduces additional unfragmented native prairie habitat with prairie-dog towns that concentrate raptors and support swift fox.

Pronghorn (antelope) use the open shortgrass prairie throughout the unit; the rut runs early September through mid-October. Mule deer and white-tailed deer both occur — whitetail concentrate in the cottonwood/willow river bottoms of the Arkansas and Horse Creek, while mule deer range more broadly across prairie flats and dryland farm edges; both are reported in trophy quality near the riparian corridors. Elk are present but scarce and widely scattered; the unit is not managed as elk habitat and encounters are incidental. Mountain lion are documented and likely follow mule deer through the riparian corridors. Black bear presence is very low given the absence of mountain/forested habitat. Wild turkey occur along the river bottoms. Non-game: prairie dogs, swift fox, badger, coyote, scaled quail, bobwhite quail, and pheasant are all documented. Greater sandhill cranes and lesser prairie chickens are seasonal visitors on the Comanche National Grassland portion. Waterfowl concentrate on the SWA reservoirs during migration.