Little Snake SWA: hunting rules and access
Little Snake SWA is 4,860 acres of State Wildlife Area in Moffat County, Colorado, in game management units 2 and 3. CPW lists deer, pronghorn, rabbit and sage grouse for it, and its rules for the property run to 4 lines: 2 on its page for the property and 2 in its regulations.
| Kind | State Wildlife Area |
|---|---|
| County | Moffat |
| Game management unit | 2, 3 |
| Size | 4,860 acres |
| Coordinates | 40.7534, -108.0811 (middle of the boundary CPW maps) |
| Map | Open Little Snake SWA on the map |
| Acres inside the boundary CPW maps | 5,501, against 4,860 on CPW's page. Both are CPW's own figures, and they do not agree |
| Among CPW properties in unit 2 | 4th largest of 17 by the acres on CPW's pages, 7% of their 67,557 acres together |
| Among CPW properties in unit 3 | 6th largest of 21 by the acres on CPW's pages, 6% of their 77,480 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
Deer, Pronghorn, Rabbit, Sage grouse.
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. Placing of portable blind, marker, stand or related structure prohibited prior to Aug. 1 annually.
- B. Camping allowed only in self-contained camping trailers or campers by licensed hunters during any deer, elk or pronghorn season, plus 3 days before and 3 days after each season.
In CPW's regulations
- a. The placing of a portable blind, marker, stand or related structure is prohibited prior to August 1 annually.
- b. Camping is allowed in self-contained camping trailers or campers by licensed hunters during any deer, elk, or pronghorn season plus three (3) days before and (3) days after each season.
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 Little Snake 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 2 and 3, around Little Snake SWA
- Elk in unit 2, 2024: 168 hunters in all seasons took 107 elk, 64% success (2023: 59% from 170 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 144 hunters, 65%. Unit 2 elk by season
- Deer in unit 2, 2024: 54 hunters in all seasons took 32 deer, 59% success (2023: 57% from 53 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 40 hunters, 73%. Unit 2 deer by season
- Unit 2: 1,195 square miles in Moffat County, 0% national forest and 77.8% BLM land, from 5,600 to 7,800 feet.
- Elk in unit 3, 2024: 1,038 hunters in all seasons took 162 elk, 16% success (2023: 9% from 1,629 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 917 hunters, 16%. Unit 3 elk by season
- Deer in unit 3, 2024: 867 hunters in all seasons took 486 deer, 56% success (2023: 39% from 981 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 789 hunters, 59%. Unit 3 deer by season
- Unit 3: 849 square miles in Moffat County, 0% national forest and 43.5% BLM land, from 5,900 to 7,200 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 2 and 3
| Season | 2026 dates | Legal shooting light here, opening day | Elk codes | Deer codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st rifle | Oct 14 to Oct 18 | 6:53 AM to 7:03 PM | E-E-003-O1-R either-sex E-F-002-O1-R cow E-F-003-O1-R cow E-M-214-O1-R bull | |
| 2nd rifle | Oct 24 to Nov 1 | 7:04 AM to 6:49 PM | E-F-002-O2-R cow E-F-003-O2-R cow E-F-005-O2-R cow E-F-201-O2-R cow E-F-214-O2-R cow E-M-000-U2-R bull | D-F-003-O2-R doe D-M-002-O2-R buck D-M-003-O2-R buck |
| 3rd rifle | Nov 7 to Nov 15 | 6:20 AM to 5:32 PM | E-F-002-O3-R cow E-F-003-O3-R cow E-F-005-O3-R cow E-F-201-O3-R cow E-F-214-O3-R cow E-M-000-U3-R bull | D-F-003-O3-R doe D-F-005-O3-R doe D-M-002-O3-R buck D-M-003-O3-R buck D-M-005-O3-R buck |
| 4th rifle | Nov 18 to Nov 22 | 6:33 AM to 5:22 PM | E-E-003-O4-R either-sex E-E-004-O4-R either-sex E-E-005-O4-R either-sex E-F-002-O4-R cow E-F-003-O4-R cow E-F-201-O4-R cow E-F-214-O4-R cow E-M-214-O4-R bull | D-M-003-O4-R buck D-M-004-O4-R buck D-M-005-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 2 elk, unit 2 deer, unit 3 elk, unit 3 deer.
Nearest CPW properties to Little Snake SWA
| Property | Distance | Direction | Mapped acres | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greasewood STL | 4.8 miles | east | 4,169 | 3 |
| Bald Mountain STL | 6.5 miles | south-west | 6,559 | 2, 3 |
| Godiva Rim STL | 9.2 miles | south-west | 640 | 3 |
| South Nipple Rim STL | 9.5 miles | north-west | 20,026 | 2, 3 |
| Big Hole Butte STL | 12.9 miles | north-east | 641 | 3 |
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 2, 3
Big Hole Gulch STLCold Springs Mountain STLDouglas Mountain STLEast Boone Draw STLHiawatha STLLittle Snake STLOxbow STLReservoir Draw STLSevenmile Ridge STLSheephead Basin STLSheepherder Springs STLThompson Draw STLVaughn Draw STLVermillion Creek 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.