Unit 2, Colorado

Predominantly rolling foothills and long mesas ranging from 5,100 ft along the river corridors to 8,593 ft at Douglas Mountain in the southwest corner; Vermillion Bluffs (7,204 ft) rise centrally. The unit is bisected by stream-cut canyons including Lodore Canyon of the Green River. Other prominent features include Cold Springs Mountain, Lone Mountain, Lookout Mountain, Dry Creek Basin, and Sand Wash Basin in the north. Country near the Dinosaur National Monument border is characterized as badlands-type terrain — remote and desolate. The eastern portion contains Cross Mountain, a flat-topped landmass that rises over 2,200 feet above the Yampa River floodplain; the Yampa has cut a roughly 1,000-ft-deep gorge through Cross Mountain near the Little Snake River confluence.

Approximately 92% of the unit is public land (roughly 78% BLM, ~6% Colorado State Land Board, ~10% NPS/Dinosaur National Monument along the southern boundary); private land (~8%) occurs primarily as ranch parcels in a partial checkerboard pattern — advance map review is essential. The BLM Little Snake Field Office (455 Emerson Street, Craig, CO 81625; 970-826-5000) administers roughly 1.3 million acres across Moffat, Routt, and Rio Blanco counties, including the bulk of GMU 2. Dinosaur National Monument itself is closed to all hunting. Key routes: Colorado State Highway 318 runs east-west through the southern third of the unit and provides main access from the town of Dinosaur (US 40) westward; BLM Road 10N (Irish Canyon Road) runs north-south along the western boundary; BLM Road 4 provides access to the northern and northeastern portions; County Road 34 and County Highway 10 are referenced boundary/access roads. The Cross Mountain Wilderness Study Area (BLM) above the Yampa/Little Snake confluence is accessible but requires foot travel in the gorge. No designated Wilderness Areas occur within the unit boundaries. Seasonal road conditions — particularly after precipitation — can make BLM two-tracks impassable; high-clearance 4WD recommended. No nearby lodging; hunters camp on open BLM land or at Dinosaur National Monument designated sites. Craig is the nearest supply town (~45 mi SE via US 40/CO 318).

The dominant cover is sagebrush grassland interspersed with scattered bitterbrush, buckbrush (mountain mahogany), and oakbrush on mesa tops and benches. At higher elevations, particularly on Douglas Mountain and associated ridges, vegetation transitions to pinyon-juniper woodland, ponderosa pine, and Douglas fir. Riparian corridors along the Yampa, Green, and Little Snake rivers provide cottonwood and willow habitat. Sand Wash Basin — a 155,000-acre BLM Herd Management Area — supports open sage-steppe with limited water, creating critical concentration points for wildlife. The unit lacks the dense aspen or spruce-fir timber common in Colorado's higher mountains; it is fundamentally a semi-arid high-desert landscape.

Elk are the flagship species: the unit hosts small pockets of year-round desert elk (unusual for Colorado) in addition to seasonal populations. The combined GMU 2/201 Data Analysis Unit supports an estimated 1,600 elk (2024 data) with a bull-to-cow ratio of approximately 95:100 — among the highest in the state. Elk from Dinosaur National Monument (where hunting is prohibited) may range into GMU 2, particularly in drought years. Mule deer are widespread across the mesa and canyon country; Moffat County ranks among Colorado's top B&C mule deer counties with 28 B&C entries. Pronghorn inhabit the open sagebrush flats — Moffat County holds 45 B&C pronghorn antelope entries; Sand Wash Basin is designated a special-draw area for elk and deer hunting and is core pronghorn and elk habitat. Shiras moose are present in riparian areas along the Yampa, Green, and Little Snake river drainages. Black bear occur throughout the unit. Mountain lion are present across canyon and mesa terrain. Wild turkey have been confirmed. The area lies along elk and pronghorn migration corridors extending into southern Wyoming. Water is a limiting resource in this arid landscape and wildlife concentrate around reliable sources in summer and fall.