James M. John SWA: hunting rules and access
James M. John SWA is 8,200 acres of State Wildlife Area in Las Animas County, Colorado, in game management unit 140. CPW lists bear, deer, elk, mountain lion, small game and turkey for it, and its rules for the property run to 9 lines: 4 on its page for the property and 5 in its regulations.
| Kind | State Wildlife Area |
|---|---|
| County | Las Animas |
| Game management unit | 140 |
| Size | 8,200 acres |
| Coordinates | 37.0528, -104.4267 (middle of the boundary CPW maps) |
| Map | Open James M. John SWA on the map |
| Among CPW properties in unit 140 | The largest of 2 by the acres on CPW's pages, 65% of their 12,700 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.
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 prohibited Dec. 1-June 30.
- B. Hunting access is prohibited during the regular archery, muzzleloader, and rifle deer, elk, and bear seasons, except for licensed big game hunters that have a hunting access permit. Permits are issued through a drawing process. Applications for fall hunting access permits are available July 1 online and are due July 21.
- C. Camping allowed by licensed hunters during big game or turkey season, plus 3 days before and 3 days after each season; no camping within 100 feet of any stream.
- D. Dogs prohibited. James M. John Hunting Access To apply for hunting access, please complete the access form. Submissions will be accepted annually from July 1 to July 22 5:00pm MST.
In CPW's regulations
- a. Public access is prohibited from December 1 through June 30.
- b. Hunting access is prohibited during the archery, muzzleloader and regular rifle bear, deer and elk seasons, except for licensed big game hunters that have a hunting access permit. Permits are issued through a drawing process. Applications for fall hunting access permits are available July 1 online. Applications are due July 21. Permit holders must comply with all provisions of the hunting access permit.
- c. Camping is allowed by licensed hunters during an established big game or turkey season plus three (3) days before and three (3) days after each season.
- d. Camping is prohibited within one-hundred (100) feet of any stream.
- e. Dogs are 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 James M. John 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 140, around James M. John SWA
- Elk in unit 140, 2024: 265 hunters in all seasons took 109 elk, 41% success. The rifle seasons alone: 125 hunters, 52%. Unit 140 elk by season
- Deer in unit 140, 2024: 183 hunters in all seasons took 45 deer, 25% success (2023: 29% from 203 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 134 hunters, 26%. Unit 140 deer by season
- Unit 140: 459 square miles in Las Animas County, 0% national forest and 0% BLM land, from 5,500 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 unit 140
| Season | 2026 dates | Legal shooting light here, opening day | Elk codes | Deer codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st rifle | Oct 14 to Oct 18 | 6:35 AM to 6:52 PM | E-E-085-O1-R either-sex | |
| 2nd rifle | Oct 24 to Nov 1 | 6:44 AM to 6:39 PM | E-F-085-O2-R cow E-M-000-U2-R bull | D-M-140-O2-R buck |
| 3rd rifle | Nov 7 to Nov 15 | 5:58 AM to 5:24 PM | E-F-085-O3-R cow E-M-000-U3-R bull E-M-851-O3-R bull | D-M-140-O3-R buck |
| 4th rifle | Nov 18 to Nov 22 | 6:10 AM to 5:16 PM | E-E-085-O4-R either-sex E-F-085-O4-R cow E-M-851-O4-R bull | D-M-140-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 140 elk, unit 140 deer.
Nearest CPW properties to James M. John SWA
| Property | Distance | Direction | Mapped acres | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Dorothey SWA | 3.5 miles | south-east | 5,619 | 140 |
| Spanish Peaks SWA - Oberosler Tract | 24.7 miles | north-west | 2,238 | 85 |
| Spanish Peaks SWA - Dochter Tract | 25.2 miles | north-west | 2,265 | 85 |
| Aguilar TV Hill STL | 25.6 miles | north-west | 435 | 85 |
| Spanish Peaks SWA - Sakariason Tract | 28.3 miles | north-west | 1,907 | 85 |
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
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.