Colorado GMU 1 Mule Deer Hunting
Moffat County, northwest Colorado · 127 sq mi
Based on the EASIEST unit-wide buck or either-sex hunt code available to adult Colorado residents in the 2026 primary draw — the lowest preference-point tier that drew reliably. Private-land-only and Ranching for Wildlife hunts are excluded because neither is a unit-wide public-land opportunity — NOT because the public cannot draw them. A private-land-only license requires the hunter's own permission to hunt private ground; a Ranching for Wildlife license is valid on the participating ranches enrolled in that program. They are separate systems. Other weapons, seasons and nonresident applicants can require substantially more points. The band is a floor, not a target: even the easiest qualifying hunt here sits in that range.
What hunting GMU 1 is like
GMU 1 spans 127 square miles of mixed terrain in Moffat County in Colorado's northwest, with elevations ranging from 5,000 feet to 8,900 feet and a typical elevation around 6,900 feet. The terrain is mixed, with substantial steep ground: 37% of the unit is gentle, 38% moderate, 21% steep, and 4% rugged by area. Hunting here means navigating varied country where steepness changes across drainages and aspect.
The unit is 61% BLM land open to public hunting, about 78 square miles where a hunter can count on access. An additional 23% is National Park Service land where hunting is closed. Private land makes up 11% of the unit, and 4.9% is unclassified ownership. The BLM open ground forms the core of public opportunity here.
Mule deer occupy the unit across the fall. Summer Range covers 100% of the unit, and Overall Range also reaches 100%, meaning the mapping shows deer use throughout the area. Winter Range covers 47% of the unit, with Winter Concentration marking 10% where deer cluster as the season advances. As September transitions to October and November, hunters should expect deer to move toward winter ground and concentrate on portions of the unit, though the timing and extent of that shift vary with weather and snow.
The unit offers four seasons: Archery from September 2 to September 30 for bucks, Muzzleloader from September 12 to September 20 for bucks, 2nd Rifle from October 24 to November 1 for bucks, and 3rd Rifle from November 7 to November 15 for bucks. September is cool and dry, with highs around 72°F and no typical snowfall. October cools further, with highs around 58°F and about 1.1 inches of snow possible. November sees highs drop to around 44°F with 3.2 inches of typical snowfall. The draw for this unit is hard, requiring 3 to 5 preference points for the easiest unit-wide buck code available to adult Colorado residents. Overall hunter pressure is low.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,000–8,900 ft, typically around 6,900 ft
- Steepness
- Steep — mean slope 17°
- Slope breakdown
- 37% gentle · 38% moderate · 21% steep · 4% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~78 sq mi
Land & access
About 61% of GMU 1 is public land a hunter can count on — BLM. Another 23% is public but closed to hunting — National Park Service.
- BLM61%
- National Park Service23%
- Unclassified ownership5%
- Private11%
“Ownership unclassified” means the source dataset does not record an owner for that acreage. It is not known to be public or private.
Where mule deer live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps mule deer seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 1 each range covers — the single best clue to whether mule deer are here in September, in November, or only passing through. The layers overlap, so they do not add to 100%.
- Summer Range100%used in summer
- Overall Range100%the full extent of range CPW maps for mule deer — near 100% on most units, and not a statement about when mule deer are present
- Winter Range47%used in winter
- Winter Concentration10%where mule deer bunch up in winter
Mule Deer seasons & weapons (2026)
| Season | Dates | Tags offered |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | September 2 – September 30 | Buck |
| Muzzleloader | September 12 – September 20 | Buck |
| 2nd Rifle | October 24 – November 1 | Buck |
| 3rd Rifle | November 7 – November 15 | Buck |
Dates span every hunt code of that type in this unit and can differ by code. Confirm the current brochure with Colorado Parks & Wildlife before applying.
Fall weather
- September — highs around 72°F, lows around 45°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 58°F, lows around 33°F, about 1.1 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 44°F, lows around 22°F, about 3.2 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 1 mule deer hunting FAQ
How much public land can a hunter actually hunt here?
Approximately 61% of the unit, or 78 square miles, is BLM land open to public hunting. An additional 23% is National Park Service land where hunting is prohibited. The remainder is private or unclassified ownership. The BLM ground is the huntable public base here.
Is this unit realistic for someone with no preference points?
No. The draw difficulty is hard, requiring 3 to 5 preference points for the easiest unit-wide buck code available to adult Colorado residents. An applicant with zero points would not reliably draw any of the main hunts.
How does the terrain feel to a hunter on foot?
The unit is mixed, with substantial steep ground—37% gentle, 38% moderate, 21% steep, and 4% rugged. Hunters will encounter varied slopes depending on which parts of the unit they access, requiring navigation of both rolling country and steeper drainages.
When is the rut, and which season falls in it?
The mule deer rut here peaks in mid-to-late November. The 3rd Rifle season (November 7 to 15) spans into the early pre-rut phase and overlaps with the start of the primary rut. Archery and Muzzleloader occur earlier, in September, when bucks are in velvet shed and early fall transition.
Where should a hunter expect to find deer as fall progresses?
Mule deer occupy the full unit in summer and across overall range. As the season advances and temperatures drop through October and November, hunters should expect deer to shift toward the 47% of the unit mapped as Winter Range, with concentration in the 10% of the unit marked as Winter Concentration. The timing and extent of this shift depend on weather and snow.
What is the weather like during each season?
September is warm and dry, with highs around 72°F and virtually no snow. October cools to highs around 58°F with about 1.1 inches of typical snowfall. November is cold, with highs near 44°F and about 3.2 inches of typical snowfall, making conditions progressively more challenging through the fall.
Data sources & methodology
- Colorado Parks & Wildlife — Big Game hunting — seasons, weapons, hunt codes and license types
- CPW — Primary Draw rules — how preference points and the hybrid draw work
- CPW — Deer statistics, draw recap and Drawn Out At reports — the point levels behind the draw-difficulty bands
- CPW — Secondary Draw — licenses remaining after the primary draw
- CPW — Maps and GIS (Species Activity Mapping) — mule deer seasonal range
- CPW — State Trust Land Finder — which State Trust acreage is enrolled and open to public hunting
- Federal and state land-ownership datasets — land ownership and access
- NOAA climate normals — fall weather
Draw difficulty is a qualitative band, not published odds — the note under the summary above states exactly which hunt code it describes. Land shares are separate, non-overlapping categories: publicly owned is not the same as open to hunting, and State Trust Land is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it. Unit data last updated August 31, 2026.