Queens SWA: hunting rules and access
Queens SWA is 13,886 acres of State Wildlife Area in Kiowa County, Colorado, in game management units 126 and 127. CPW lists deer, dove, pronghorn, rabbit and waterfowl for it, and its rules for the property run to 14 lines: 8 on its page for the property and 6 in its regulations.
| Kind | State Wildlife Area |
|---|---|
| County | Kiowa |
| Game management unit | 126, 127 |
| Size | 13,886 acres |
| Coordinates | 38.3120, -102.7002 (middle of the boundary CPW maps) |
| Map | Open Queens SWA on the map |
| Among CPW properties in unit 126 | 2nd largest of 6 by the acres on CPW's pages, 18% of their 77,560 acres together |
| Among CPW properties in unit 127 | 2nd largest of 6 by the acres on CPW's pages, 23% of their 59,217 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, Dove, Pronghorn, Rabbit, 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. Operating a vessel in a manner that creates a whitewater wake is prohibited in channel between Upper and Lower Queens.
- B. Swimming allowed.
- C. Hunters must check in and check out of fields/pits at check station during waterfowl season.
- D. Camping allowed in designated and established camping areas.
- E. Fires allowed within established containment structure in designated areas. NEE NOSHE:
- A. Closed as posted in Nee Noshe except to retrieve downed waterfowl Dec. 1 through the last day of waterfowl season as posted.
- B. Launching and use of all vessels allowed.
- C. All contact water activities allowed.
In CPW's regulations
- a. Operating a vessel in a manner that creates a whitewater wake in the channel between Upper Queens and Lower Queens (Neeskah) is prohibited.
- b. Swimming is allowed.
- c. Hunters must check-in and out of fields/pits at the check station during waterfowl season.
- d. Camping is allowed in designated and established camping areas.
- e. Fires are allowed within an established containment structure in designated areas.
- f. Nee Noshe 1. From December 1 through the last day of migratory waterfowl season, vessel use is allowed, as posted, only to retrieve downed waterfowl. 2. Launching and use of all vessels is allowed. 3. All water contact activities are allowed.
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 Queens 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 126 and 127, around Queens SWA
- Elk in unit 126, 2024: 47 hunters in all seasons took 5 elk, 11% success (2023: 6% from 48 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 47 hunters, 11%. Unit 126 elk by season
- Deer in unit 126, 2024: 230 hunters in all seasons took 76 deer, 33% success (2023: 43% from 213 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 148 hunters, 39%. Unit 126 deer by season
- Unit 126: 675 square miles in Kiowa, Bent and Prowers Counties, 0% national forest and 0.2% BLM land, from 3,700 to 4,500 feet.
- Elk in unit 127, 2024: 36 hunters in all seasons took 3 elk, 8% success (2023: 21% from 28 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 36 hunters, 8%. Unit 127 elk by season
- Deer in unit 127, 2024: 269 hunters in all seasons took 80 deer, 30% success (2023: 33% from 290 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 128 hunters, 38%. Unit 127 deer by season
- Unit 127: 957 square miles in Kiowa and Prowers Counties, 0% national forest and 0% BLM land, from 3,400 to 4,100 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 units 126 and 127
| Season | 2026 dates | Legal shooting light here, opening day | Elk codes | Deer codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd rifle | Oct 24 to Nov 1 | 6:39 AM to 6:31 PM | D-E-126-O2-R either-sex D-F-126-O2-R doe |
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 126 elk, unit 126 deer, unit 127 elk, unit 127 deer.
Nearest CPW properties to Queens SWA
| Property | Distance | Direction | Mapped acres | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queens STL | 2.0 miles | north-east | 38,150 | 126, 127 |
| Sweetwater STL | 5.1 miles | west | 638 | 126 |
| Treetop STL | 17.7 miles | west | 9,511 | 126 |
| Mike Higbee SWA | 18.1 miles | south-east | 871 | 132 |
| Karney Ranch SWA | 22.5 miles | south-west | 13,865 | 126 |
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 126, 127
Karney STLDeadman SWAGranada SWAHolly SWARed Dog 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.