Melon Valley SWA: hunting rules and access
Melon Valley SWA is 278 acres of State Wildlife Area in Otero County, Colorado, in game management units 125 and 129. CPW lists small game 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 | Otero |
| Game management unit | 125, 129 |
| Size | 278 acres |
| Coordinates | 38.0924, -103.7227 (middle of the boundary CPW maps) |
| Map | Open Melon Valley SWA on the map |
| Among CPW properties in unit 125 | 8th largest of 9 by the acres on CPW's pages, under 1% of their 129,536 acres together |
| Among CPW properties in unit 129 | 2nd largest of 2 by the acres on CPW's pages, 20% of their 1,420 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
Small game.
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. On weekends, hunting limited to youth/mentor hunting; only 1 mentor per youth may hunt. Mentor must be 18 years of age or older and hold a valid hunter education certificate or be born before January 1, 1949, and have a proper and valid hunting or fishing license.
- B. Camping allowed Aug. 15-May 31.
In CPW's regulations
- a. Hunting is prohibited on weekends, except for youth mentor hunting only. No more than one mentor per youth hunter may engage in hunting.
- b. Camping is allowed from August 15 through May 31.
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 Melon Valley 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 125 and 129, around Melon Valley 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.
- Elk in unit 129, 2024: 72 hunters in all seasons took 18 elk, 25% success (2023: 44% from 45 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 72 hunters, 25%. Unit 129 elk by season
- Deer in unit 129, 2024: 241 hunters in all seasons took 104 deer, 43% success (2023: 47% from 219 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 159 hunters, 49%. Unit 129 deer by season
- Unit 129: 352 square miles in Crowley, Otero and Pueblo Counties, 0% national forest and 0.1% BLM land, from 4,100 to 4,700 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 units 125 and 129
| Season | 2026 dates | Legal shooting light here, opening day | Elk codes | Deer codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd rifle | Oct 24 to Nov 1 | 6:43 AM to 6:35 PM | D-E-125-O2-R either-sex D-E-129-O2-R either-sex D-F-125-O2-R doe D-F-129-O2-R doe (Oct 24 to Nov 3) |
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, unit 129 elk, unit 129 deer.
Nearest CPW properties to Melon Valley SWA
| Property | Distance | Direction | Mapped acres | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Ford SWA | 4.2 miles | south-east | 1,087 | 125, 129 |
| Holbrook Reservoir SWA | 6.4 miles | east | 778 | 125 |
| Timpas Creek SWA | 8.8 miles | south | 144 | 135 |
| Timberlake STL | 12.3 miles | north-east | 59,658 | 125 |
| La Junta STL | 14.3 miles | east | 6,739 | 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 units 125, 129
Blue Lake STLDawn Pond SWAFort Lyon SWAOxbow SWA
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.