Miller Ranch SWA: hunting rules and access
Miller Ranch SWA is 1,604 acres of State Wildlife Area in Gunnison County, Colorado, in game management unit 54. CPW lists big game and small game for it, and its rules for the property run to 8 lines: 4 on its page for the property and 4 in its regulations.
| Kind | State Wildlife Area |
|---|---|
| County | Gunnison |
| Game management unit | 54 |
| Size | 1,604 acres |
| Coordinates | 38.6750, -107.0084 (middle of the boundary CPW maps) |
| Map | Open Miller Ranch SWA on the map |
| Among CPW properties in unit 54 | 4th largest of 6 by the acres on CPW's pages, 11% of their 14,054 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
Big game, 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. Open July 1-end of Feb.
- B. N of CR 7: Hunting prohibited except for youth/mentor hunting by permit. Maximum 4 free permits available daily, first come, first served. Permits available by reservation from CPW's Gunnison Area Office, 300 W. New York Ave., Gunnison, or call 970-641-7060. Reservations may be made up to 30 days in advance but not less than 2 days before requested hunt date. With reservations, youths and mentors will receive map with access points and restrictions. 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. Mentor not allowed to hunt.
- C. Dogs prohibited.
- D. Discharging firearms or bows prohibited in designated safety zones or as posted.
In CPW's regulations
- a. Public access is prohibited from March 1 through June 30.
- b. Hunting is prohibited north of Gunnison Co Rd 7 except for mentored youth hunting by permit only. A maximum of four free permits will be available daily on a first -come, first- served basis. Permits are available by reservation through the Gunnison Service Center at 200 S. Spruce Street, Gunnison, CO, or by calling 970-641-7060. Reservations may be made up to 30 days in advance but not less than two days before the requested hunt date. Upon reservation, the youth hunter and mentor will be provided a map with access points and restrictions. Mentors are not allowed to hunt.
- c. Discharge of firearms or bows is prohibited in the designated safety zones, or as posted.
- d. 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 Miller Ranch 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 54, around Miller Ranch SWA
- Elk in unit 54, 2024: 2,242 hunters in all seasons took 498 elk, 22% success (2023: 18% from 2,299 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 1,978 hunters, 22%. Unit 54 elk by season
- Deer in unit 54, 2024: 651 hunters in all seasons took 371 deer, 57% success (2023: 55% from 622 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 518 hunters, 64%. Unit 54 deer by season
- Unit 54: 584 square miles in Gunnison County, 60.1% national forest and 12.6% BLM land, from 7,500 to 12,100 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 54
| Season | 2026 dates | Legal shooting light here, opening day | Elk codes | Deer codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st rifle | Oct 14 to Oct 18 | 6:46 AM to 7:01 PM | E-F-054-O1-R cow E-M-054-O1-R bull | D-F-054-O1-R doe |
| 2nd rifle | Oct 24 to Nov 1 | 6:57 AM to 6:47 PM | E-M-054-O2-R bull | D-F-054-O2-R doe D-M-054-O2-R buck |
| 3rd rifle | Nov 7 to Nov 15 | 6:12 AM to 5:31 PM | E-F-054-O3-R cow E-M-054-O3-R bull | D-F-054-O3-R doe D-M-054-O3-R buck |
| 4th rifle | Nov 18 to Nov 22 | 6:24 AM to 5:22 PM | E-F-054-O4-R cow E-M-054-O4-R bull | D-M-054-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 54 elk, unit 54 deer.
Nearest CPW properties to Miller Ranch SWA
| Property | Distance | Direction | Mapped acres | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gunnison SWA | 7.7 miles | south | 2,794 | 54 |
| Gunnison River SWA | 8.4 miles | south-east | 81 | 54 |
| Whetstone Mountain STL | 8.7 miles | north | 620 | 54 |
| Almont Triangle SWA | 9.3 miles | east | 631 | 55 |
| Leaps Gulch SWA | 10.9 miles | east | 581 | 55 |
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 54
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.