Wheeler SWA: hunting rules and access
Wheeler SWA is 48 acres of State Wildlife Area in Colorado, in game management units 33 and 42. CPW lists dove, rabbit and waterfowl for it, and prints no restrictions of its own for the property beyond who may enter.
| Kind | State Wildlife Area |
|---|---|
| Game management unit | 33, 42 |
| Size | 48 acres |
| Coordinates | 39.5456, -107.6728 (middle of the boundary CPW maps) |
| Map | Open Wheeler SWA on the map |
| Among CPW properties in unit 33 | 2nd largest of 2 by the acres on CPW's pages, 5% of their 989 acres together |
| Among CPW properties in unit 42 | 2nd largest of 3 by the acres on CPW's pages, under 1% of their 13,269 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
Dove, Rabbit, Waterfowl.
Fishing, as CPW lists it: Fishing Opportunities, Trout.
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
None printed on the property's page.
In CPW's regulations
The regulations for CPW properties carry no section of their own for this one. The rules that apply to every State Wildlife Area still apply.
Read it at the source before you go
The rules above are CPW's words, copied from CPW's page for Wheeler 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 33 and 42, around Wheeler SWA
- Elk in unit 33, 2024: 2,161 hunters in all seasons took 311 elk, 14% success (2023: 11% from 2,351 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 1,631 hunters, 14%. Unit 33 elk by season
- Deer in unit 33, 2024: 1,242 hunters in all seasons took 429 deer, 35% success (2023: 31% from 1,152 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 965 hunters, 38%. Unit 33 deer by season
- Unit 33: 416 square miles in Garfield and Rio Blanco Counties, 45.1% national forest and 27.8% BLM land, from 5,400 to 11,000 feet.
- Elk in unit 42, 2024: 3,093 hunters in all seasons took 659 elk, 21% success (2023: 20% from 3,179 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 2,047 hunters, 26%. Unit 42 elk by season
- Deer in unit 42, 2024: 849 hunters in all seasons took 453 deer, 53% success (2023: 53% from 845 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 685 hunters, 63%. Unit 42 deer by season
- Unit 42: 606 square miles in Mesa and Garfield Counties, 29.6% national forest and 21.3% BLM land, from 4,900 to 10,500 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 33 and 42
| Season | 2026 dates | Legal shooting light here, opening day | Elk codes | Deer codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st rifle | Oct 14 to Oct 18 | 6:50 AM to 7:03 PM | E-F-041-O1-R cow E-M-041-O1-R bull | |
| 2nd rifle | Oct 24 to Nov 1 | 7:00 AM to 6:49 PM | E-F-033-O2-R cow E-F-041-O2-R cow E-F-042-O2-R cow E-F-052-O2-R cow E-F-131-O2-R cow E-F-231-O2-R cow E-F-411-O2-R cow E-F-421-O2-R cow and 1 more | D-F-041-O2-R doe D-M-033-O2-R buck D-M-041-O2-R buck |
| 3rd rifle | Nov 7 to Nov 15 | 6:16 AM to 5:32 PM | E-F-033-O3-R cow E-F-034-O3-R cow E-F-042-O3-R cow E-F-052-O3-R cow E-F-131-O3-R cow E-F-411-O3-R cow E-F-421-O3-R cow E-M-000-U3-R bull | D-F-041-O3-R doe D-M-033-O3-R buck D-M-041-O3-R buck |
| 4th rifle | Nov 18 to Nov 22 | 6:28 AM to 5:23 PM | E-F-033-O4-R cow E-F-034-O4-R cow E-F-041-O4-R cow E-F-042-O4-R cow E-F-052-O4-R cow E-F-131-O4-R cow E-F-411-O4-R cow E-F-421-O4-R cow and 6 more | D-M-033-O4-R buck D-M-041-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 33 elk, unit 33 deer, unit 42 elk, unit 42 deer.
Nearest CPW properties to Wheeler SWA
| Property | Distance | Direction | Mapped acres | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garfield Creek SWA | 10.0 miles | east | 13,157 | 42 |
| West Rifle Creek SWA | 10.4 miles | north-west | 2,092 | 33 |
| Sam Caudill SWA | 21.1 miles | east | 2 | 1 |
| Parachute Ponds SWA | 21.1 miles | west | 27 | 32, 42 |
| Bill Patterson SWA | 25.3 miles | south-west | 3 | 31 |
Straight-line miles between the middles of the boundaries CPW maps, not road miles. A property can be much nearer at its edge.
All 721 State Wildlife Areas and State Trust Lands
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