Some of the best waterfowl hunting in Colorado can be found here. Hunters can find good hunting, particularly early in the season, within the many wetlands located throughout the refuge. Typically by late October and early November, wetlands will start freezing up.
11/13/2024 - ATTENTION ELK HUNTERS: The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex in partnership with the Colorado Parks & Wildlife is offering an oppurtunity for hunters to help mitigate game damage conflicts on and around the Monte Vista and Baca NWR's by participating in an anterless elk dispersal hunt on the Baca and Monte Vitsa Refuges. Please refer to the Facebook announcement listed below for more information and to apply for this opportunity, or contact the Colorado Parks & Wildlife Office in Monte Vista by calling 719-587-6900.
CPW Facebook Announcement https://www.facebook.com/CPWMonteVista
*** Update: 10/4/2024 - On Monte Vista Refuge, water management and conditions will be altered to accomodate several construction projects to wetland impoundments throughout the Refuge, as well as to prepare for up coming prescribed fires. The Wildlife Drive and Spring Creek Pond areas will remain full throughout the Fall season to host migrating Sandhill cranes and various waterfowl. Several impoundments within the waterfowl hunting boundaries will however be dry. Parking Area # 1 will have good water to the east and south, while Parking Area # 4 will have good water to the west. As the season progresses, other areas to the north of Parking Area # 3 and east of Parking Area # 4 will start to fill up, thus attracting late season migrating waterfowl. For more information about Fall water conditions please reach out to Refuge Biologist Scott Miller or Refuge Manager Suzanne Beauchaine at 719-589-4021.
Monte Vista Refuge Hunting Brochure
Limited small game hunting is offered as well. Doves, Wilson's snipes, cottontail hares, and jackrabbits are allowed to be hunted on the Refuge. See the Refuge's hunting brochure for more information.
Elk hunting is also permitted on the refuge, but only with a Special Refuge Access Elk Permit. These permits are issued through a lottery draw held by the Colorado Parks & Wildlife. Please refer to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife's Big Game Hunting brochure for more information. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (state.co.us)
As a reminder, there are other users on the Refuge, so please be respectful around other visitors that are enjoying the Refuge. For more information about hunting on Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge, please refer to the Monte Vista Refuge Hunting Brochure , or call the Refuge office at 719-589-4021.
