Unit 143, Colorado

Elevation on the Comanche National Grassland Carrizo Unit ranges from approximately 3,900 feet in the southeastern corner near the Oklahoma border to 6,200 feet on Fallas Mesa (per USDA/Wikipedia). The landscape transitions from gently rolling shortgrass prairie in the lowlands to broad, flat-topped mesas dissected by steep-walled canyons and creek drainages. Terrain is generally open and easy-gradient on the grassland sections; canyon rims and draws provide the only significant vertical relief. Blizzard conditions are possible by December, and roads can become impassable in wet weather.

Public land is scarce — approximately 9% of the unit is publicly accessible (roughly 4% USDA Forest Service / Comanche National Grassland, ~5% Colorado State Trust Land). The remaining 91% is private ranch land, the vast majority of which is leased to outfitters with limited trespass access. Unit boundaries: north — US Highway 160; east — Baca County Road 13 (Pritchett Grade Road) / Baca–Las Animas County line; south — New Mexico and Oklahoma; west — Colorado Highway 389. Grassland sections accessible via US Highway 160 southwest and east of Kim border the unit's eastern edge. The Carrizo Unit ranger district office is located at 27204 US Highway 287, Springfield, CO 81073 (719-523-6591). Land ownership is checkerboarded with private ranches throughout; some ranch two-tracks are off-limits to the public. Primitive access tracks can be seasonal or weather-restricted. No campgrounds, hospitals, hotels, or grocery stores exist within 20 miles of the unit. Access for DIY hunters is described as poor; limited public-land hunting pockets may be found southwest of Pritchett. BLM and USFS motor vehicle use maps are recommended for navigating the checkerboard. Severe blizzard risk exists by December.

Vegetation follows an elevational gradient: lower flats support shortgrass prairie with sagebrush, yucca, and prickly-pear cactus; middle elevations transition into pinyon-juniper and ponderosa pine; oak brush appears on mesa slopes; cottonwood and riparian brush line creek bottoms and canyon floors. The Comanche National Grassland Carrizo Unit (Baca/Otero counties, bordering GMU 143) is primarily open shortgrass prairie interspersed with rangeland shrubs.

Mule deer occupy the mesas, canyons, and prairie/pinyon-juniper interface; the rut begins in late October and extends through late December. White-tailed deer concentrate in cottonwood-lined creek bottoms and riparian corridors. Pronghorn are found on the open shortgrass flats, particularly on and near the Comanche National Grassland sections; pronghorn rut runs early September through mid-October. Elk numbers are small, likely year-round residents in the pinyon-juniper and ponderosa pine mesa country; elk rut begins in early September. Mountain lion and black bear are present but secretive in the canyon and mesa habitat. Wild turkey have been documented in the unit. Lesser prairie chicken and other grassland birds inhabit the Comanche National Grassland portions.

Per-species harvest data for GMU 143 are not publicly accessible without a paid account on HuntScore/GoHunt. The HuntScore combined harvest summary (2022: 312 total hunters, 103 total harvest, 25.3% success rate) covers ALL species combined — not attributed to individual species. Season dates use verified 2025 CPW statewide structure (eRegulations); 2026 exact dates not yet published in fetchable format as of June 2026 — hunters must confirm in the 2026 CPW Big Game Brochure. The Comanche National Grassland Carrizo Unit spans Baca and Otero counties (per Wikipedia), bordering GMU 143's eastern edge rather than lying fully within Las Animas County; the draft's framing of it as the dominant block within the unit has been corrected. Elevation figures sourced from Wikipedia (Carrizo Unit: 3,900–6,200 ft). Tag type for white-tailed deer (OTC vs. draw) should be confirmed in current brochure.