Dawn Pond SWA: hunting rules and access
Dawn Pond SWA is 30 acres of State Wildlife Area in Bent County, Colorado, in game management unit 125. CPW lists no hunting 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 | Bent |
| Game management unit | 125 |
| Size | 30 acres |
| Coordinates | 38.0917, -103.3152 (middle of the boundary CPW maps) |
| Map | Open Dawn Pond SWA on the map |
| Among CPW properties in unit 125 | 9th largest of 9 by the acres on CPW's pages, under 1% of their 129,536 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
CPW's page for this property lists no hunting opportunities.
Fishing, as CPW lists it: Fishing Opportunities, Warm Water.
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 fishing only. Hunting only with landowner permission.
- B. Vessel use prohibited, except hand-launched vessels propelled by hand or electric motor when used as an aid in fishing or hunting.
- C. Parking allowed in designated areas only.
In CPW's regulations
- a. Public access is prohibited, except while fishing; hunting is by landowner permission only.
- b. Parking and access is allowed from designated parking areas only.
- c. Vessel use is prohibited, except for hand-launched vessels that are propelled by hand or electric motors are allowed when used as an aid in fishing or hunting.
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 Dawn Pond 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 125, around Dawn Pond SWA
- Elk in unit 125, 2024: 36 hunters in all seasons took 5 elk, 14% success. The rifle seasons alone: 36 hunters, 14%. Unit 125 elk by season
- Deer in unit 125, 2024: 198 hunters in all seasons took 64 deer, 32% success (2023: 27% from 264 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 117 hunters, 41%. Unit 125 deer by season
- Unit 125: 585 square miles in Bent, Crowley, Kiowa and Otero Counties, 0% national forest and 0.8% BLM land, from 3,900 to 4,400 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 125
| Season | 2026 dates | Legal shooting light here, opening day | Elk codes | Deer codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd rifle | Oct 24 to Nov 1 | 6:41 AM to 6:33 PM | D-E-125-O2-R either-sex D-F-125-O2-R doe |
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 125 elk, unit 125 deer.
Nearest CPW properties to Dawn Pond SWA
| Property | Distance | Direction | Mapped acres | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxbow SWA | 6.2 miles | south-west | 410 | 125, 130 |
| Purgatoire River SWA | 7.0 miles | south-east | 907 | 130 |
| Blue Lake STL | 7.9 miles | north | 53,408 | 125 |
| La Junta STL | 8.1 miles | west | 6,739 | 125 |
| Fort Lyon SWA | 8.6 miles | east | 523 | 125 |
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 125
Holbrook Reservoir SWAMelon Valley SWARocky Ford SWATimberlake STL
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.