Unit 90, Colorado

Largely flat to gently rolling plains at 3,500–4,400 feet elevation; roughly 80% of the terrain has a slope of 5% or less. The South Platte River forms the general southern boundary corridor with braided channels and sandbars. Rolling juniper breaks and shallow canyon drainages interrupt the flatlands in places. Interior road access is provided by a county road grid.

US Highway 138 defines the southern boundary of the unit; Colorado Highway 113 runs along the western edge; the Nebraska state line forms the northern border. Interior access relies on a section-line county road grid. The only confirmed public hunting ground within GMU 90 is Duck Creek State Wildlife Area (1,121 acres, Logan County, GMU 90; coordinates approx. 40.8761, -102.8051; elevation 3,696–3,804 ft). Duck Creek SWA is open 4 a.m.–9 p.m. and supports deer, dove, pheasant, rabbit, and waterfowl hunting; camping, fishing, and nature viewing are also available. Access via Interstate 76 to the Crook exit, north on CO Highway 55 to Crook, then north to County Road 64, east approximately 1 mile to the northwest corner of the parcel. Visitors aged 16 and older must possess a valid hunting or fishing license or an SWA pass. Contact: Brush CPW Office, 970-842-6300. There is no National Forest or BLM land within the unit. Scattered state school sections provide limited additional public access but are surrounded by private land. The vast majority of the unit (approximately 93%) is private agricultural and ranch land requiring advance landowner permission. Nearest services (motels, restaurants, fuel, medical) are in Julesburg at the unit's northeast corner; Sidney, Nebraska (approximately 10 miles north) also provides services.

Short-grass and mid-grass prairie (blue grama, buffalo grass, wheatgrass, silver sagebrush, yucca); Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grassland; irrigated cropland (corn and alfalfa under center-pivot irrigation, concentrated within about 5 miles of the South Platte corridor); dry dryland wheat and sunflower fields; riparian cottonwood draws along creek bottoms; rolling juniper breaks and canyon draws in scattered areas.

Mule deer are the numerically dominant deer species, found across all habitat types but with highest densities in sandsage/CRP complexes and irrigated cropland edges. White-tailed deer are present but less numerous, concentrated in riparian cottonwood corridors and crop-field edges near the South Platte drainage; rut runs late October through late December. Pronghorn antelope use the open short-grass and sandsage prairie throughout the unit and are present year-round. Wild turkey occupy river-bottom timber and adjacent agricultural fields. Black bear and mountain lion are very low-density residents on these northeastern plains — their listing as huntable species reflects statewide licensing eligibility, not meaningful local populations. Elk populations are extremely sparse on the eastern plains; incidental bulls occasionally wander from neighboring foothills units. Waterfowl, pheasant, dove, and rabbit are also present and huntable. Deer and pronghorn are year-round residents with no significant seasonal migrations.

1. Duck Creek SWA acreage confirmed at 1,121 acres by CPW (draft rounded to ~1,100). 2. Draft stated no camping at Duck Creek SWA — corrected: CPW lists camping as an available activity. 3. Pronghorn archery licenses available OTC per CPW (draft listed as draw-only). 4. 2026 plains deer rifle dates not confirmed by CPW during verification; 2025 confirmed dates (Oct 25–Nov 4) used as baseline with verification caveat. 5. 2026 pronghorn rifle date (Oct 3–11 in draft) not confirmed; 2025 confirmed was Oct 4–12. 6. Draft's 'September 1–February 28' open window for Duck Creek SWA not confirmed by CPW page; operating hours (4am–9pm) confirmed. 7. Red Lion SWA is in GMU 92, not GMU 90. 8. Tag quotas, hunter success, and harvest data not publicly available without paid subscription. 9. HuntScore URL categorizes this unit as 'ne' in its path — a likely data-entry quirk; unit is definitively in Colorado.