Unit 93, Colorado

Flat to gently rolling shortgrass and mixed-grass prairie at elevations between 3,500 and 4,250 feet. Relief is minimal, with occasional draws, dry creek gullies, and small sandy blowouts. The South Platte River corridor forms the major topographic feature along the western and southern portions of neighboring units, with coulees and creek bottoms providing the limited structural variation in the landscape.

Public land access is extremely limited at roughly 11% of the unit. Tamarack Ranch State Wildlife Area (10,695 total acres spanning GMUs 91 and 93, Logan County) is the primary public block; the South Tamarack area (south of I-76) falls within GMU 93 and requires mandatory self-check-in and check-out at the station. The area is open 4 a.m. to 9 p.m.; a valid hunting license or SWA pass is required for anyone 16 or older. During the opening weekend of regular plains rifle deer season and the opening days/weekend of late plains rifle deer season, only deer hunting is permitted on the SWA. Contact the Brush CPW Office (970-842-6300) for current conditions. Beyond Tamarack Ranch, the remainder of the unit is private agricultural land accessed by US Highway 6, US Highway 385, Colorado Route 59, and a network of county roads. There is no National Forest and no BLM land within the unit. Secondary roads become impassable in wet conditions; four-wheel-drive is recommended. Nearest services are in Sterling, Holyoke, and Julesburg.

Vegetation is dominated by shortgrass prairie species including blue grama, buffalo grass, western wheatgrass, and yucca, interspersed with sandsage patches and mid-grass prairie. Dryland and irrigated croplands (corn, wheat, sunflowers, alfalfa) and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields make up a significant portion of the unit. Cottonwood trees and riparian shrubs line intermittent creek bottoms. There is no pinyon-juniper, oakbrush, aspen, or spruce-fir — this is a true plains unit.

Mule deer are the primary big game species and are found throughout the unit year-round, concentrating in CRP lands, sandsage draws, and creek bottoms. White-tailed deer are present, moving in and out of the unit seasonally along the South Platte River corridor, with numbers peaking in fall before most return to the river corridor for winter. Pronghorn occupy open prairie and CRP areas throughout the unit but populations are small — the unit supports only 10 buck pronghorn rifle licenses, reflecting limited numbers. Elk are present as OTC incidental game on the eastern plains (unlimited either-sex license), though sightings are rare and populations are low. Mountain lion are present at very low densities within the plains group (harvest limit of 5 for a large multi-unit group). Wild turkey are present along creek bottoms and near agricultural areas. The unit has no significant elevational migration — most deer and pronghorn are year-round residents at these plains elevations.