Crooked Wash Ranch SWA (Limited Access Easement): hunting rules and access
Crooked Wash Ranch SWA (Limited Access Easement) is 9,796 acres of State Wildlife Area in Moffat County, Colorado, in game management unit 11. CPW lists elk for it, and its rules for the property run to 11 lines: 5 on its page for the property and 6 in its regulations.
| Kind | State Wildlife Area |
|---|---|
| County | Moffat |
| Game management unit | 11 |
| Size | 9,796 acres |
| Coordinates | 40.3443, -108.2376 (middle of the boundary CPW maps) |
| Map | Open Crooked Wash Ranch SWA (Limited Access Easement) on the map |
| Among CPW properties in unit 11 | 2nd largest of 22 by the acres on CPW's pages, 15% 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
Elk.
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. Elk hunting only.
- B. Hunting by reservation only. For reservations, hunters must already have a big-game hunting license for one of the specific hunt codes permitted on the property. Reservations must be made through the Hunting Reservation System: See "Reservations: Hunting" (page 1) for details. Hunters may only access the property during dates specified on their reservation. Hunters with a reservation may bring one nonhunting companion.
- C. Motor vehicle use prohibited except on designated roadways or with permission of ranch owners. All other access restricted to walk-in access only.
- D. Discharge of firearms or bows is prohibited, except while hunting.
- E. Fishing prohibited.
In CPW's regulations
- a. Public access is prohibited, except while elk hunting.
- b. Hunting allowed by reservation only.
- c. All hunters must comply with the Hunter Reservation System and reservations must be made through the Hunter Reservation System in accordance with #901.A of these regulations.
- d. Discharge of firearms or bows is prohibited, except while hunting.
- e. Motor vehicle use is prohibited, except for on designated roadways or through permission of the ranch owners. All other access is restricted to walk-in access only.
- f. Fishing is prohibited.
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 Crooked Wash Ranch SWA (Limited Access Easement) 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 Crooked Wash Ranch SWA (Limited Access Easement)
- 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 | 6:53 AM to 7:04 PM | E-F-011-O1-R cow E-M-011-O1-R bull | |
| 2nd rifle | Oct 24 to Nov 1 | 7:04 AM to 6:50 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 5:33 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 | 6:33 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 Crooked Wash Ranch SWA (Limited Access Easement)
| Property | Distance | Direction | Mapped acres | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citadel STL | 5.0 miles | south | 642 | 11 |
| Cedar Springs STL | 5.7 miles | north | 640 | 11 |
| Pine Tree Gulch STL | 6.0 miles | east | 638 | 11, 211 |
| Elk Springs #1 STL | 7.0 miles | south-west | 641 | 11 |
| Coal Creek STL | 8.3 miles | west | 640 | 11 |
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
Bitter Brush SWAColorow Mountain SWACross Mountain STLDouglas Mountain STLElk Springs Ranch SWAHightower STLHomestead STLLone Tree Gulch STLMaybell STLPeck Mesa STLPiceance SWA - Little Hills UnitPiceance SWA - North Ridge UnitPiceance SWA - Square S Summer Range UnitPiceance SWA - Yellow Creek Unit
All 721 State Wildlife Areas and State Trust Lands
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