Colorado Wildfires and What They Mean for Hunts in Units 22, 32, 33 and 42

Colorado wildfire conditions can change quickly, especially during hot, dry and windy stretches of summer. For hunters planning elk, deer, bear or turkey hunts, wildfires do not always mean a season is ruined, but they can affect access, smoke, animal movement, road closures and day-to-day hunt strategy.

At Reverse 7L, we keep a close eye on conditions across Colorado Game Management Units 22, 32, 33 and 42 so hunters can prepare with confidence and adjust when needed.

Are Colorado Hunting Seasons Still Open During Wildfire Season?

In most cases, hunting seasons continue as scheduled unless a specific area, road, trailhead or public land access point is temporarily closed for safety. Colorado Parks and Wildlife reminds hunters that fire-related closures can change quickly, sometimes daily or even hourly.

Before traveling, hunters should always check current conditions with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, local county alerts, Forest Service updates and fire restriction maps.

How Wildfires Affect Elk, Deer, Bear and Turkey

Wildfires can temporarily push wildlife away from smoke, flames, aircraft activity and firefighting traffic. Elk and deer may shift into nearby drainages, private land, lower-pressure pockets or areas with better water access.

After a fire, burned areas can eventually become strong wildlife habitat. New grass, shrubs, aspen growth and open feeding areas often attract game once the landscape begins to recover.

Unit 22 Hunts

Species: Elk, deer, bear and turkey

Reverse 7L offers access to approximately 25,000 private acres in Unit 22. During wildfire years, private land can be especially valuable because animals may move away from pressure, smoke or temporary public land closures. Private access also helps reduce competition and gives hunters more room to adjust.

View Unit 22 Hunt Info

Unit 32 Hunts

Species: Elk, deer, bear and turkey

Unit 32 includes a mix of timber, sage, brush and broken terrain. If smoke or fire activity affects nearby areas, elk and deer may change bedding locations, travel routes or feeding patterns. Flexible hunt plans and local knowledge become important when conditions shift.

Unit 33 Hunts

Species: Elk, deer, bear and turkey

Unit 33 offers diverse habitat for big game. Wildfire activity does not usually affect an entire unit evenly, but it can change access and animal behavior in certain pockets. Hunters should confirm road conditions, fire restrictions and public land closures before arrival.

Unit 42 Hunts

Species: Elk, deer, bear and turkey

Unit 42 contains a mix of timber, pinyon-juniper country, open slopes and transition habitat. If surrounding areas see more pressure or temporary closures, private and lower-pressure ground can become more important for locating consistent game movement.

Smoke Can Affect the Hunt Too

Smoke can reduce visibility, affect glassing conditions and make long days in the field harder on hunters. Wildlife often tolerates moderate smoke better than people do, but heavy smoke can still change movement patterns and hunter strategy.

Helpful Apps for Colorado Hunters During Wildfire Season

Before heading into the mountains, hunters should download a few key apps and maps:

• OnX Hunt – Offline maps, GMU boundaries, private/public land ownership and navigation.
• Watch Duty – Live wildfire maps, fire perimeters, evacuation alerts and incident updates.
• COTREX – Colorado trail conditions, closures and recreation access.
• Colorado Parks and Wildlife – Hunting regulations, GMU information, licenses and season updates.
• AirNow – Current air quality and smoke forecasts.

One of the advantages of hunting with Reverse 7L is that our guides monitor these conditions daily. We track wildfire activity, smoke conditions, road closures and game movement so you can spend less time worrying about logistics and more time hunting.

Plan Ahead and Hunt Smart

Wildfire season is part of hunting in the West. The key is preparation. Hunters should bring backup routes, download offline maps, watch fire restrictions and stay flexible if conditions change.

Planning a Colorado hunt? Contact Reverse 7L to learn more about private-land hunting opportunities in Units 22, 32, 33 and 42.

2026 CPW Hunting Regulations Release

View 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure here.

View Cow Hunt Info

View 2026 Colorado Big Game Season Dates Here

Contact us to go on your next elk hunt with a professional Colorado outfitter and hunting guide service.

2025 CPW Hunting Regulations Release

View 2025 Colorado Big Game brochure here.

Per CPW Regulations: LIMITED ARCHERY EITHER SEX LICENSES FOR GMUs 41, 42 & 421; GMUs 52 & 411; GMU 521: Over-the-counter licenses are still available for these units, but now on private land only.

What this means: If you are hunting with Reverse 7L Outfitters in Unit 42 during archery season in 2023 you can still purchase an over-the-counter license as we only hunt private land.

Cow Elk License Costs: Colorado Parks and Wildlife has raised the price of cow elk tags to $803.39 which is the same cost as an either sex archery tag. These tags can also be purchased for the following rifle hunts.

Private Land Rifle Cow Seasons (Draw Only)

Unit 42: December 1 – January 31.

Unit 33: December 1 – January 31.

Units 22, 31, 32: October 12 – December 31.

View Cow Hunt Info

View 2025 Colorado Big Game Season Dates Here

Contact us to go on your next elk hunt with a professional Colorado outfitter and hunting guide service.

2024 CPW Hunting Regulations Release

View 2024 Colorado Big Game brochure here.

Notable changes that affect our hunting units listed below. 

Per CPW Regulations: LIMITED ARCHERY EITHER SEX LICENSES FOR GMUs 41, 42 & 421; GMUs 52 & 411; GMU 521: Over-the-counter licenses are still available for these units, but now on private land only.

What this means: If you are hunting with Reverse 7L Outfitters in Unit 42 during archery season in 2023 you can still purchase an over-the-counter license as we only hunt private land.

Cow Elk License Costs: Colorado Parks and Wildlife has raised the price of cow elk tags to $803.39 which is the same cost as an either sex archery tag. These tags can also be purchased for the following rifle hunts.

Private Land Rifle Cow Seasons (Draw Only)

Unit 42: December 1 – January 31.

Unit 33: December 1 – January 31.

Units 22, 31, 32: October 12 – December 31.

View Cow Hunt Info

View 2024 Colorado Big Game Season Dates Here

Contact us to go on your next elk hunt with a professional Colorado outfitter and hunting guide service.

New Leases In Unit 22 Total 25,000 Acres

Hunt with Reverse 7 L Outfitters unit 22 hunting guides for elk, deer, bear, and turkey this season. NEW LEASE!!! Reverse 7L Outfitters has acquired an additional lease for a total of 25,000 acres of private hunting access for our clients. This prime piece of trophy elk and deer hunting land offers an endless amount of opportunities for the upcoming 2024 elk and deer seasons in Colorado. If you would like more information on hunting Unit 22 with a guide in Colorado for Elk, Deer, Bear, or Turkey, please contact us to discuss your next trophy hunting adventure in Colorado.

Contact us to go on your next deer or elk hunt with a professional Colorado outfitter and hunting guide service.

23′ Season Hunts Available

Reverse 7L Outfitters has expanded its outfitting operations and has a few hunts left for the 2023 hunting seasons.

• 3rd season unit 22
• 4th season unit 22
• 2nd-4th seasons unit 33
• 2nd season unit 441
• Limited Archery Hunts

View 2023 Colorado Big Game brochure here.

Colorado Hunting Unit Information.

• *NEW* Game Unit 441 Info.
• *NEW* Game Unit 105 Info.
• Game Unit 22 Info.
• Game Unit 32 Info.
• Game Unit 33 Info.
• Game Unit 42 Info.

Contact us to go on your next deer or elk hunt with a professional Colorado outfitter and hunting guide service.

Now guiding in units 441, 105.

Reverse 7L Outfitters has expanded its outfitting operations to include elk and deer in game unit 441 as well as trophy mule deer hunts in game management unit 105 on the eastern slope of Colorado.

View 2023 Colorado Big Game brochure here.

Colorado Hunting Unit Information.

• *NEW* Game Unit 441 Info.
• *NEW* Game Unit 105 Info.
• Game Unit 22 Info.
• Game Unit 32 Info.
• Game Unit 33 Info.
• Game Unit 42 Info.

Contact us to go on your next deer or elk hunt with a professional Colorado outfitter and hunting guide service.

Colorado Spring Turkey Hunting Gear List for guided private land hunts.

Spring is in full swing here in Colorado and turkey season just kicked off. Our spring turkey hunters found great success last season hunting the river bottoms and creek bottoms here in Western Colorado both decoying birds and utilizing the spot and stalk hunting method. While each hunters gear list may vary we thought we’d put together a comprehensive list of hunting gear turkey hunters need for success in Colorado.

Breaking down your Colorado turkey hunting gear list.

Our guides are excellent at calling turkeys in to decoy setups. We supply all decoys, blinds and chairs for these hunts. You can view prior guided spring turkey hunts here.

2023 CPW Hunting Regulations Release

View 2023 Colorado Big Game brochure here.

Notable changes that affect our hunting units listed below. 

Per CPW Regulations: LIMITED ARCHERY EITHER SEX LICENSES FOR GMUs 41, 42 & 421; GMUs 52 & 411; GMU 521: Over-the-counter licenses are still available for these units, but now on private land only.

What this means: If you are hunting with Reverse 7L Outfitters in Unit 42 during archery season in 2023 you can still purchase an over-the-counter license as we only hunt private land.

Cow Elk License Costs: Colorado Parks and Wildlife has raised the price of cow elk tags to $760.99 which is the same cost as an either sex archery tag. These tags can also be purchased for the following rifle hunts.

Private Land Rifle Cow Seasons (Draw Only)

Unit 42: December 1 – January 31.

Unit 33: December 1 – January 31.

Units 22, 31, 32: October 14 – January 31.

View Cow Hunt Info

View 2023 Colorado Big Game Season Dates Here

Contact us to go on your next elk hunt with a professional Colorado outfitter and hunting guide service.

Rifle elk hunting gear list for Colorado private land.

Fall is in full swing here in Colorado and archery elk and deer seasons are coming to a close for 2022. Archery hunters found great success this season and our rifle hunters are preparing for their private land Colorado hunts in the coming months.

While each hunters gear list may vary we thought we’d put together a comprehensive list of gear rifle hunters need for elk in Colorado.

Breaking down your Colorado elk hunting gear list.