Unit 95, Colorado

Flat to gently rolling eastern plains at approximately 4,600–4,950 feet elevation (notable high points include Judson Hills at 4,928 ft, Fry Hill at 4,810 ft, Minter Hill at 4,783 ft, Twin Hills at 4,767 ft, and High Hill at 4,603 ft). Relief is minimal — terrain difficulty scores at the low end of difficulty scales (HuntScore ease-of-terrain: 99/100). The landscape grades from short-grass prairie tablelands in the north to irrigated cropland and sandsage prairie in the south and east. Rolling juniper breaks and minor canyon cuts occur along the three small riparian drainages (Crow Creek, Pawnee Creek, Wildcat Creek), providing the only significant topographic variation in the unit.

GMU 95 is overwhelmingly private land — approximately 93% private, 7% public (State Trust Lands and a small number of Colorado Parks and Wildlife parcels; the Pawnee National Grasslands' 193,000 acres are predominantly in adjacent GMUs 87 and 88, not GMU 95). Hunters must obtain landowner permission well in advance. No wilderness areas, no National Forest, and no BLM tracts of note within GMU 95 itself. No seasonal road closures documented for this plains unit. The nearest CPW field office is in Brush, CO (970-842-6300). Recommended reference maps: BLM 100K Eaton and Sterling sheets, USFS Pawnee National Grasslands map (applicable to adjacent GMUs).

Approximately 50% of the unit is short-grass prairie concentrated in the northern half. Irrigated cropland (center-pivot corn, wheat, alfalfa) is prevalent throughout the eastern and southern portions. Sandsage/mid-grass prairie and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grasslands provide additional cover, particularly in complexes that concentrate mule deer. Rolling juniper breaks, riparian cottonwood corridors along Crow Creek, Pawnee Creek, and Wildcat Creek, and dry (non-irrigated) cropland complete the habitat mosaic. Annual precipitation is 13–16 inches, mostly from intense summer thunderstorms. Habitat quality has been stable to improving due to CRP enrollment, managed grazing, and corn-dominant cropping systems.

Mule deer are the primary big game species; they are found in all habitat types but concentrate in irrigated cropland, large CRP complexes, and juniper breaks and riparian drainages during winter. The North Tablelands deer herd (DAU D-5, covering GMUs 87, 88, 89, 90, and 95) had a post-season population objective of 2,400–2,700 animals as of the 2007 management plan, with a sex ratio target of 35–40 bucks per 100 does. White-tailed deer are a secondary and largely seasonal presence — residents exist near the South Platte River adjacency, but many whitetails move into GMU 95 from the South Platte River corridor prior to fawning season and return south as corn is harvested in late fall. Pronghorn are present across the short-grass prairie portions of the unit, with the unit included in the Escarpment pronghorn DAU (DAU-1); higher pronghorn concentrations are typically found in the northern and western parts of the broader DAU, with lower numbers in the eastern and southeastern areas including GMU 95. Some seasonal movement of pronghorn northward into Wyoming occurs, with animals returning to Colorado in winter. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been documented in this unit since 1997 and is present in both mule deer and white-tailed deer (first detection year per DAU D-5 plan; cannot independently re-verify from available web sources). Elk are not a resident species in this plains unit. Black bear and mountain lion appear in some aggregator species lists but are not confirmed as resident or huntable populations in this agricultural plains context by CPW source documents.

1. Harvest statistics (hunter_success_pct and reported_harvest for deer and pronghorn) are drawn from the 2015 CPW northeast Colorado regional big game brochure — the most recent unit-level tabular data confirmed via primary source PDF (PDF binary; not independently re-parseable via web fetch). 2. All season dates and hunt codes confirmed via Colorado regulation text (2 CCR 406-2-248, -249, -250, -261.5, -262) as of 7/1/2025 effective date. 3. Archery deer hunt code DE087O1A and muzzleloader code DM087O2M cover GMUs 87–90 and 95 as a group; quoted quotas are for the entire group, not GMU 95 alone. 4. Muzzleloader pronghorn code AM087O1M similarly covers a group of units. 5. Public land percentage (7%) confirmed by HuntScore; 2007 DAU D-5 plan states 8% public for entire 5-unit DAU. 6. tag_quota for Mule Deer reflects 2025 regular-season rifle buck quota (DM095O1R: 35) per 2 CCR 406-2-250; not a total across all methods. 7. White-tailed deer harvest and quota not reported separately from mule deer in available GMU-level CPW tables. 8. CWD endemic; first positive in GMU 95 per DAU D-5 plan (1997). 9. HuntScore 2022 aggregate (all species): 389 hunters, 138 total harvest, 24.7% overall success — not species-disaggregated. 10. Elk, black bear, mountain lion appear in HuntScore species list but are not confirmed resident or huntable populations by CPW documents.