Bitter Brush SWA: hunting rules and access
Bitter Brush SWA is 8,081 acres of State Wildlife Area in Moffat County, Colorado, in game management unit 11. CPW lists pronghorn for it, and its rules for the property run to 6 lines: 3 on its page for the property and 3 in its regulations.
| Kind | State Wildlife Area |
|---|---|
| County | Moffat |
| Game management unit | 11 |
| Size | 8,081 acres |
| Coordinates | 40.4741, -108.1141 (middle of the boundary CPW maps) |
| Map | Open Bitter Brush SWA on the map |
| Among CPW properties in unit 11 | 4th largest of 22 by the acres on CPW's pages, 12% of their 66,122 acres together |
| CPW's page read | October 8, 2026 |
A State Wildlife Area has its own rules on top of the statewide season rules. How the kinds of public land differ.
What CPW lists for hunting here
Pronghorn.
A species on this list is one CPW names for the property. It still needs an open season, the right license for the unit, and nothing in the restrictions below against it on your dates.
Who may enter
A valid hunting or fishing license OR SWA pass is required for everyone 16 or older accessing this state wildlife area.
Restrictions on CPW's page for this property
- A. Open for public access May 1-Jan. 14.
- B. Motor vehicles allowed only on CRs 59 and 143.
- C. Hunters may place portable blinds, markers, stands or related structures only after Aug. 1. These must be removed by the hunter within 24 hours after harvesting an animal, or within 7 days after the end of archery pronghorn season, whichever is first.
In CPW's regulations
- a. Public access is prohibited from January 15 through April 30.
- b. Motor vehicle access is restricted to Moffat Co Rds 59 and 143.
- c. The placing of any portable blind, marker, stand or related structure is prohibited prior to August 1 annually and must be removed within 24 hours after harvesting an animal or within seven (7) days after the end of the archery pronghorn season, whichever comes first.
From CPW regulations, chapter W-9 (Wildlife Properties), 2 CCR 406-9, dated July 16, 2026.
Read it at the source before you go
The rules above are CPW's words, copied from CPW's page for Bitter Brush SWA as it read on October 8, 2026 and from the regulations for CPW properties. CPW can change them or close the property at any time, signs on the ground count, and a rule that names a season moves with that season each year.
Unit 11, around Bitter Brush SWA
- Elk in unit 11, 2024: 2,467 hunters in all seasons took 623 elk, 25% success (2023: 16% from 2,698 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 2,104 hunters, 27%. Unit 11 elk by season
- Deer in unit 11, 2024: 600 hunters in all seasons took 288 deer, 48% success (2023: 44% from 537 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 560 hunters, 51%. Unit 11 deer by season
- Unit 11: 611 square miles in Moffat and Rio Blanco Counties, 0% national forest and 60.5% BLM land, from 5,600 to 7,700 feet.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife survey estimates for the whole unit, private land included. They are not figures for this property, and whether elk or deer may be hunted here is in CPW's list above.
2026 elk and deer rifle hunt codes for unit 11
| Season | 2026 dates | Legal shooting light here, opening day | Elk codes | Deer codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st rifle | Oct 14 to Oct 18 | 6:52 AM to 7:04 PM | E-F-011-O1-R cow E-M-011-O1-R bull | |
| 2nd rifle | Oct 24 to Nov 1 | 7:03 AM to 6:49 PM | E-F-011-O2-R cow E-F-131-O2-R cow E-F-231-O2-R cow E-M-000-U2-R bull | D-F-011-O2-R doe D-M-011-O2-R buck |
| 3rd rifle | Nov 7 to Nov 15 | 6:20 AM to 5:32 PM | E-F-011-O3-R cow E-F-131-O3-R cow E-M-000-U3-R bull | D-F-011-O3-R doe D-F-012-O3-R doe D-M-011-O3-R buck D-M-012-O3-R buck |
| 4th rifle | Nov 18 to Nov 22 | 6:32 AM to 5:23 PM | E-F-011-O4-R cow E-F-131-O4-R cow E-M-011-O4-R bull E-M-025-O4-R bull E-M-131-O4-R bull | D-M-011-O4-R buck D-M-012-O4-R buck |
A code valid in the unit is not permission to hunt this property: the property's own list and restrictions decide that. Legal light is half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset at the coordinates above, on the Colorado clock; the state's printed table is the rule. Archery, muzzleloader, late and private-land codes are on the unit pages: unit 11 elk, unit 11 deer.
Nearest CPW properties to Bitter Brush SWA
| Property | Distance | Direction | Mapped acres | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triangle STL | 3.3 miles | north | 1,125 | 3, 11 |
| Thornburg Draw STL | 3.5 miles | west | 642 | 11 |
| Maybell STL | 5.0 miles | north | 9,732 | 3, 11 |
| Boston Flats STL | 5.1 miles | north | 103 | 3 |
| Rattlesnake Hill STL | 6.7 miles | south | 643 | 211 |
Straight-line miles between the middles of the boundaries CPW maps, not road miles. A property can be much nearer at its edge.
More CPW properties in unit 11
Cedar Springs STLCitadel STLCoal Creek STLColorow Mountain SWACrooked Wash Ranch SWA (Limited Access Easement)Cross Mountain STLDouglas Mountain STLElk Springs #1 STLElk Springs Ranch SWAHightower STLHomestead STLLone Tree Gulch STLPeck Mesa STLPiceance SWA - Little Hills Unit
All 721 State Wildlife Areas and State Trust Lands
Have a tag for this fall?
A FilledTag plan checks the rules of any CPW property it uses against your species and your dates, and gives you one exact plan: where to park, camp and sit, with every pin checked against public land and road rules.