COLORADO PARKS & WILDLIFE

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​County: Las Animas, Baca, Otero

GMU: 136, 143, 144, 147

​Location: Ranch headquarters is located about 23 miles south of La Junta on Hwy 109, then west about 13.5 miles to County Road 165.4, then about 7 miles further to ranch headquarters. Ranch tracts are located along the Purgatoire​ River and Carrizo Cree​​k. 

Acres: ~155,000

CPW Maps:

• Purgatoire map ​​​​

Area Maps: USGS Quads - Beaty Canyon, Box Ranch, Branson SE, Carrizo Mtn., Cherry Canyon, Cross L Ranch, Furnish Canyon East, Furnish Canyon West, Humbar Spring, Icehouse Canyon, Johnson Canyon, Lost Canyon, Miners Peak, O V Mesa, Pine Canyon, Pi​ntada Creek, Plum Canyon, Riley Canyon, Tobe

Species Available: Deer, Pronghorn, Turkey
If you are interested in Bighorn Sheep, see the Bighorn Sheep Access Program​

Elevation: 4,300 to 5,300 ft.

Terrain: The ranch is located primarily along the south side of the Purgatory River in Las Animas County and Carrizo Canyon in Las Animas and Baca County. Topography is comprised of mesa tops bisected by numerous steep, rough canyons. Vegetation varies depending upon site. Cottonwood, willow, tamarisk, and box elder are dominant in riparian areas. Mesa tops are mainly juniper and shortgrass prairie. Depending upon aspect, canyon sides contain juniper, sumac, and mountain mahogany. 

Access: Hunting areas may be accessed by ranch roads and a few county roads. Some roads are very rough and 4-wheel drive vehicles are needed for best access. Stay on established roads and trials except for game retrieval. The use of ATV is an individual landowner decision. Hunters will be distributed across ranch hunt zones to assure a quality hunting experience and to distribute harvest for sound herd management. Bighorn sheep hunters should contact the ranch to make scouting arrangements prior to the season.

Camping: Allowed in designated areas on the ranch in self-contained units. Fees may be charged for electrical hook up, lodging, meals and recovery of stuck or disabled vehicles.

Game Retrieval Services: Hunter responsibility

Guiding Services: Contact the ranch for more information

Overnight Accommodations: The nearest motels are in La Junta or Trinidad.

Season Dates: Check the Hunter Information page.

Antler-point restrictions for elk vary by ranch. Please refer to the brochure for more information​​. No over-the-counter licenses are offered on these properties. Ranching for Wildlife licenses are open to Colorado residents only. Licenses are only for the season and ranch on the license. For more information on season dates and application deadlines, see the Big Game Hunting Brochure.

Ranch Rules: View the Purgatoire Wildlife Ranch Rules.

Additional Information: Hunters should be aware that the density of deer on the eastern plains is much lower than they might find in mountainous areas of Colorado. However, herd composition is of very good quality with a greater proportion of deer herds made up of mature bucks. Hunters should expect that locating a good quality buck may entail hunting over large geographic areas in rugged canyon country. Likewise, doe hunting, while less rigorous will still require good effort. Due to the lower densities of deer, license numbers are conservative even on very large ranches.​​​​

​​