Horsethief Canyon SWA: hunting rules and access

Horsethief Canyon SWA is 1,439 acres of State Wildlife Area in Mesa County, Colorado, in game management units 30 and 40. CPW lists coyote, deer, dove, pheasant, rabbit and waterfowl for it, and its rules for the property run to 18 lines: 8 on its page for the property and 10 in its regulations.

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

Coyote, Deer, Dove, Pheasant, Rabbit, Waterfowl.

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. Public access is prohibited from March 15-July 15 as posted except while spring turkey hunting.
• B. Public access is prohibited between sunset and sunrise, except while fishing and hunting.
• C. All turkey and waterfowl hunting W of Blind #1, S of the Colorado River require reservations. Reservations must be made through the Hunting Reservation System. See "Reservations: Hunting" (page 1) for details. Hunters can hunt only the area reserved. Hunters must check in and out at property.
• D. Waterfowl hunting prohibited Wed.−Fri. except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's days.
• E. Hunting permitted with shotguns, hand-held bows, muzzleloaders and by falconry.
• F. Quail hunting prohibited.
• G. Discharge of firearms or bows is prohibited in designated safety zones, or as posted.
• H. Dogs must be under control and on leash by handler, except service animals or when actively hunting, training for hunting or during licensed field trials.

In CPW's regulations

• a. Public access is prohibited from March 15 through July 15 as posted except while spring turkey hunting.
• b. Public access is prohibited between sunset and sunrise, except while fishing and hunting.
• c. All turkey hunting; and waterfowl hunting west of Blind #1 south of the Colorado River are allowed by reservation only.
• d. All turkey hunters; and waterfowl hunters west of Blind #1 south of the Colorado River 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.
• e. Waterfowl hunting is prohibited from Wednesday through Friday of each week, except for on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.
• f. Hunting is allowed with shotguns, hand-held bows, and muzzle-loading rifles or by falconry.
• g. Quail hunting is prohibited.
• h. Discharge of firearms or bows is prohibited in the designated safety zones, or as posted.
• i. Dogs are allowed but must be kept under control on a physical leash by the handler at all times except as authorized in #900(C)(15).
• j. Public access to Horsethief Canyon State Wildlife Area is exempt from requirements set forth in section #900(C)1 of these regulations.

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 Horsethief Canyon 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 30 and 40, around Horsethief Canyon SWA

• Elk in unit 30, 2024: 994 hunters in all seasons took 250 elk, 25% success (2023: 12% from 1,126 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 797 hunters, 28%. Unit 30 elk by season
• Deer in unit 30, 2024: 218 hunters in all seasons took 129 deer, 59% success (2023: 55% from 247 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 167 hunters, 72%. Unit 30 deer by season
• Unit 30: 869 square miles in Garfield and Mesa Counties, 0% national forest and 73.4% BLM land, from 4,500 to 8,500 feet.
• Elk in unit 40, 2024: 518 hunters in all seasons took 308 elk, 59% success (2023: 60% from 507 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 414 hunters, 60%. Unit 40 elk by season
• Deer in unit 40, 2024: 363 hunters in all seasons took 268 deer, 74% success (2023: 74% from 372 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 266 hunters, 78%. Unit 40 deer by season
• Unit 40: 744 square miles in Mesa County, 1.5% national forest and 55% BLM land, from 4,500 to 9,300 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 30 and 40

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 30 elk, unit 30 deer, unit 40 elk, unit 40 deer.

Nearest CPW properties to Horsethief Canyon SWA

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 30, 40

Colorado River Island SWAFranklin Island SWATilman Bishop SWA

All 721 State Wildlife Areas and State Trust Lands