Rabbit Ears STL: hunting rules and access
Rabbit Ears STL is 5,229 acres of State Trust Land in Jackson County, Colorado, in game management unit 16. CPW lists big game and small game for it, and its rules for the property run to 4 lines: 1 on its page for the property and 3 in its regulations.
| Kind | State Trust Land |
|---|---|
| County | Jackson |
| Game management unit | 16 |
| Size | 5,229 acres |
| Coordinates | 40.4524, -106.5307 (middle of the boundary CPW maps) |
| Map | Open Rabbit Ears STL on the map |
| Among CPW properties in unit 16 | The largest of 6 by the acres on CPW's pages, 55% of their 9,453 acres together |
| CPW's page read | October 8, 2026 |
State Trust Land is closed to the public unless CPW leases it, and this parcel is open only on the terms printed below. How the kinds of public land differ.
What CPW lists for hunting here
Big game, Small game.
Fishing, as CPW lists it: Fishing Opportunities, Coldwater Stream.
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
Everyone age 16 years or older MUST have a valid hunting or fishing license to access a state trust land.
Restrictions on CPW's page for this property
- a. As posted, closure area on W side from Aug. 15 - Sept. 1.
In CPW's regulations
- a. Open for fishing year-round.
- b. Open for hunting from August 15 through the end of February.
- c. As posted, there is a closure area on the west side from August 15 to September 1.
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 Rabbit Ears STL 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 16, around Rabbit Ears STL
- Elk in unit 16, 2024: 1,839 hunters in all seasons took 284 elk, 15% success (2023: 13% from 1,838 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 1,309 hunters, 18%. Unit 16 elk by season
- Deer in unit 16, 2024: 153 hunters in all seasons took 22 deer, 14% success (2023: 19% from 140 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 102 hunters, 18%. Unit 16 deer by season
- Unit 16: 320 square miles in Jackson County, 34.2% national forest and 11.3% BLM land, from 8,000 to 11,200 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 unit 16
| Season | 2026 dates | Legal shooting light here, opening day | Elk codes | Deer codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st rifle | Oct 14 to Oct 18 | 6:46 AM to 6:57 PM | E-E-006-O1-R either-sex E-F-006-O1-R cow | D-M-006-O1-R buck D-M-016-O1-R buck D-M-017-O1-R buck |
| 2nd rifle | Oct 24 to Nov 1 | 6:57 AM to 6:43 PM | E-F-006-O2-R cow E-M-000-U2-R bull | D-M-006-O2-R buck D-M-016-O2-R buck D-M-017-O2-R buck |
| 3rd rifle | Nov 7 to Nov 15 | 6:13 AM to 5:26 PM | E-F-006-O3-R cow E-F-016-O3-R cow E-F-017-O3-R cow E-M-000-U3-R bull | D-M-006-O3-R buck D-M-016-O3-R buck D-M-017-O3-R buck |
| 4th rifle | Nov 18 to Nov 22 | 6:26 AM to 5:16 PM | E-E-006-O4-R either-sex E-E-016-O4-R either-sex E-E-017-O4-R either-sex E-F-006-O4-R cow E-F-016-O4-R cow E-F-017-O4-R cow | D-M-006-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 16 elk, unit 16 deer.
Nearest CPW properties to Rabbit Ears STL
| Property | Distance | Direction | Mapped acres | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seymour Lake SWA | 7.5 miles | east | 81 | 17 |
| Windy Ridge STL | 9.3 miles | south | 806 | 27 |
| Milk Creek STL | 11.8 miles | south | 11,034 | 27 |
| West Carter Mountain STL | 12.3 miles | south-east | 2,377 | 181 |
| East Carter Mountain STL | 13.0 miles | south-east | 1,796 | 181 |
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 16
Delaney Butte Lakes SWAEast Delaney Butte Lake STLManville SWARed Canyon STLRidge Road 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.