Bosque del Oso SWA: hunting rules and access
Bosque del Oso SWA is 30,000 acres of State Wildlife Area in Las Animas County, Colorado, in game management units 85 and 851. CPW lists bear, deer, elk, mountain lion, small game and turkey for it, and its rules for the property run to 14 lines: 7 on its page for the property and 7 in its regulations.
| Kind | State Wildlife Area |
|---|---|
| County | Las Animas |
| Game management unit | 85, 851 |
| Size | 30,000 acres |
| Coordinates | 37.1031, -104.9396 (middle of the boundary CPW maps) |
| Map | Open Bosque del Oso SWA on the map |
| Among CPW properties in unit 85 | The largest of 15 by the acres on CPW's pages, 64% of their 46,804 acres together |
| Among CPW properties in unit 851 | The largest of 2 by the acres on CPW's pages, 97% of their 30,840 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
Bear, Deer, Elk, Mountain lion, Small game, Turkey.
Fishing, as CPW lists it: Fishing Opportunities, Coldwater Stream.
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-Nov. 30; open Dec. 1-April 30 only to licensed big game and spring turkey hunters, and one nonhunting companion.
- B. Fires allowed within a containment structure in designated camping areas.
- C. Discharging firearms or bows prohibited except while hunting or bowfishing.
- D. Camping allowed by licensed hunters during big game, spring turkey, and fall turkey seasons plus 3 days before and 3 days after each season.
- E. Parking and access from designated parking areas only.
- F. Unattended food or garbage must be stored in a bear-resistant manner or container.
- G. Fishing prohibited on South Fork of Purgatoire River in SWA from day after Labor Day weekend until first day of Memorial Day weekend.
In CPW's regulations
- a. Public access is prohibited from December 1 through April 30, except for properly licensed big game and spring turkey hunters and one non-hunting companion.
- b. Fishing is prohibited on the South Fork of the Purgatoire River within the boundaries of the Bosque del Oso State Wildlife Area from the first day after the Labor Day holiday weekend to the first day of the Memorial Day holiday.
- c. Parking and access is allowed from designated parking areas only.
- d. Discharge of firearms or bows is prohibited, except while hunting or bowfishing.
- e. Camping is allowed by licensed hunters during an established big game, spring turkey, and fall turkey season plus three (3) days before and three (3) days after each season.
- f. Fires are allowed within a containment structure in designated camping areas.
- g. Leaving any unattended food or trash is prohibited unless it is being stored in a bear resistant manner or container.
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 Bosque del Oso 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.
Units 85 and 851, around Bosque del Oso SWA
- Elk in unit 85, 2024: 2,875 hunters in all seasons took 614 elk, 21% success (2023: 18% from 2,931 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 1,621 hunters, 25%. Unit 85 elk by season
- Deer in unit 85, 2024: 763 hunters in all seasons took 351 deer, 46% success (2023: 53% from 833 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 620 hunters, 47%. Unit 85 deer by season
- Unit 85: 1,174 square miles in Huerfano and Las Animas Counties, 8.9% national forest and 3.6% BLM land, from 6,200 to 11,500 feet.
- Elk in unit 851, 2024: 579 hunters in all seasons took 175 elk, 30% success (2023: 34% from 545 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 380 hunters, 37%. Unit 851 elk by season
- Deer in unit 851, 2024: 95 hunters in all seasons took 48 deer, 51% success (2023: 51% from 156 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 72 hunters, 57%. Unit 851 deer by season
- Unit 851: 438 square miles in Costilla and Las Animas Counties, 0.7% national forest and 0% BLM land, from 6,200 to 12,600 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 units 85 and 851
| Season | 2026 dates | Legal shooting light here, opening day | Elk codes | Deer codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st rifle | Oct 14 to Oct 18 | 6:37 AM to 6:54 PM | E-E-085-O1-R either-sex E-M-851-O1-R bull | |
| 2nd rifle | Oct 24 to Nov 1 | 6:46 AM to 6:41 PM | E-F-085-O2-R cow E-M-000-U2-R bull E-M-851-O2-R bull | D-M-085-O2-R buck D-M-851-O2-R buck |
| 3rd rifle | Nov 7 to Nov 15 | 6:00 AM to 5:26 PM | E-F-085-O3-R cow E-M-000-U3-R bull E-M-851-O3-R bull | D-M-085-O3-R buck |
| 4th rifle | Nov 18 to Nov 22 | 6:12 AM to 5:18 PM | E-E-085-O4-R either-sex E-F-085-O4-R cow E-M-851-O4-R bull | D-M-085-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 85 elk, unit 85 deer, unit 851 elk, unit 851 deer.
Nearest CPW properties to Bosque del Oso SWA
| Property | Distance | Direction | Mapped acres | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sakariason STL | 11.1 miles | north | 552 | 85 |
| Spanish Peaks SWA - Sakariason Tract | 11.3 miles | north | 1,907 | 85 |
| North Lake SWA | 11.5 miles | north-west | 1,289 | 85, 851 |
| Spanish Peaks SWA - Dochter Tract | 12.0 miles | north-east | 2,265 | 85 |
| Spanish Peaks SWA - Oberosler Tract | 14.1 miles | north-east | 2,238 | 85 |
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 units 85, 851
Aguilar TV Hill STLBadito STLBear Creek STLBlack Hawk STLGuillermo Ranch STLLittle Sheep Mountain STLMaitland STLSchultz Canyon STLSouth Gardner STLSouth Middle Creek STLWahatoya SWA
All 721 State Wildlife Areas and State Trust Lands
Have a tag for this fall?
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