Puett Reservoir SWA: hunting rules and access
Puett Reservoir SWA is 177 acres of State Wildlife Area in Montezuma County, Colorado, in game management unit 73. CPW lists waterfowl 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 | Montezuma |
| Game management unit | 73 |
| Size | 177 acres |
| Coordinates | 37.4169, -108.4058 (middle of the boundary CPW maps) |
| Map | Open Puett Reservoir SWA on the map |
| Among CPW properties in unit 73 | 5th largest of 8 by the acres on CPW's pages, 8% of their 2,302 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
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. Launching and use of vessels may be allowed as posted. Contact the Durango CPW office for current information. When allowed, operating a vessel in a manner that creates a whitewater wake is prohibited.
- B. 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. Launching and use of vessels may be allowed as posted. Contact the Durango CPW office for current information. When allowed, operating a vessel in a manner that creates a whitewater wake is prohibited.
- b. Dogs are allowed but must be kept under control on a physical leash by the handler at all time, except as authorized in #900(C)(15).
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 Puett Reservoir 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 73, around Puett Reservoir SWA
- Elk in unit 73, 2024: 639 hunters in all seasons took 105 elk, 16% success (2023: 10% from 605 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 476 hunters, 12%. Unit 73 elk by season
- Deer in unit 73, 2024: 622 hunters in all seasons took 302 deer, 49% success (2023: 47% from 594 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 478 hunters, 52%. Unit 73 deer by season
- Unit 73: 892 square miles in Montezuma County, 19.4% national forest and 6% BLM land, from 5,200 to 11,100 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 73
| Season | 2026 dates | Legal shooting light here, opening day | Elk codes | Deer codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st rifle | Oct 14 to Oct 18 | 6:51 AM to 7:08 PM | E-F-071-O1-R cow E-M-071-O1-R bull | |
| 2nd rifle | Oct 24 to Nov 1 | 7:00 AM to 6:55 PM | E-F-071-O2-R cow E-F-072-O2-R cow E-F-073-O2-R cow E-M-000-U2-R bull | D-M-072-O2-R buck |
| 3rd rifle | Nov 7 to Nov 15 | 6:15 AM to 5:39 PM | E-F-071-O3-R cow E-F-072-O3-R cow E-F-073-O3-R cow E-M-000-U3-R bull | D-M-072-O3-R buck |
| 4th rifle | Nov 18 to Nov 22 | 6:26 AM to 5:31 PM | E-F-071-O4-R cow E-F-072-O4-R cow E-F-073-O4-R cow E-M-071-O4-R bull | D-M-072-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 73 elk, unit 73 deer.
Nearest CPW properties to Puett Reservoir SWA
| Property | Distance | Direction | Mapped acres | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summit Reservoir SWA | 1.2 miles | east | 526 | 73 |
| Joe Moore Reservoir SWA | 5.0 miles | east | 113 | 73 |
| Dolores River SWA | 5.3 miles | north | 55 | 71, 73 |
| Totten Reservoir SWA | 7.7 miles | south-west | 250 | 73 |
| Twin Spruce Ponds SWA | 9.7 miles | north | 92 | 71, 73 |
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 73
Menefee Peak STLWeber Canyon 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.