Black Sage Pass STL: hunting rules and access
Black Sage Pass STL is 415 acres of State Trust Land in Gunnison County, Colorado, in game management unit 551. CPW lists bear, deer, dusky (blue) grouse, elk, mountain lion and rabbit for it, and its rules for the property run to 2 lines: 0 on its page for the property and 2 in its regulations.
| Kind | State Trust Land |
|---|---|
| County | Gunnison |
| Game management unit | 551 |
| Size | 415 acres |
| Coordinates | 38.5024, -106.4158 (middle of the boundary CPW maps) |
| Map | Open Black Sage Pass STL on the map |
| Among CPW properties in unit 551 | 4th largest of 4 by the acres on CPW's pages, 18% of their 2,339 acres together |
| CPW's page read | October 8, 2026 |
State Trust Land is closed to the public unless CPW leases it, and this parcel is open only on the terms printed below. How the kinds of public land differ.
What CPW lists for hunting here
Bear, Deer, Dusky (blue) grouse, Elk, Mountain lion, Rabbit.
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
Everyone age 16 years or older MUST have a valid hunting or fishing license to access a state trust land.
Restrictions on CPW's page for this property
None printed on the property's page.
In CPW's regulations
- a. Open for fishing year-round.
- b. Open for other public access from August 15 through the end of February.
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 Black Sage Pass STL 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 551, around Black Sage Pass STL
- Elk in unit 551, 2024: 1,574 hunters in all seasons took 260 elk, 17% success (2023: 11% from 1,443 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 1,325 hunters, 16%. Unit 551 elk by season
- Deer in unit 551, 2024: 448 hunters in all seasons took 243 deer, 54% success (2023: 59% from 469 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 330 hunters, 62%. Unit 551 deer by season
- Unit 551: 546 square miles in Gunnison and Saguache Counties, 65.8% national forest and 19.2% BLM land, from 8,000 to 12,100 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 551
| Season | 2026 dates | Legal shooting light here, opening day | Elk codes | Deer codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st rifle | Oct 14 to Oct 18 | 6:44 AM to 6:59 PM | E-F-551-O1-R cow E-M-551-O1-R bull | D-F-551-O1-R doe |
| 2nd rifle | Oct 24 to Nov 1 | 6:54 AM to 6:45 PM | E-F-551-O2-R cow E-M-551-O2-R bull | D-F-551-O2-R doe D-M-551-O2-R buck |
| 3rd rifle | Nov 7 to Nov 15 | 6:09 AM to 5:29 PM | E-F-551-O3-R cow E-M-551-O3-R bull | D-F-551-O3-R doe D-M-551-O3-R buck |
| 4th rifle | Nov 18 to Nov 22 | 6:21 AM to 5:20 PM | E-F-551-O4-R cow E-M-551-O4-R bull | D-M-551-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 551 elk, unit 551 deer.
Nearest CPW properties to Black Sage Pass STL
| Property | Distance | Direction | Mapped acres | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quakey Mountain STL | 4.4 miles | south-west | 638 | 551 |
| Daley Gulch STL | 5.9 miles | south | 643 | 551 |
| Tomichi Dome STL | 6.5 miles | west | 646 | 551 |
| Little Cochetopa Creek STL | 15.0 miles | east | 328 | 561 |
| Droney Gulch SWA | 17.4 miles | east | 2,930 | 56 |
Straight-line miles between the middles of the boundaries CPW maps, not road miles. A property can be much nearer at its edge.
All 721 State Wildlife Areas and State Trust Lands
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