Colorado GMU 101 Mule Deer Hunting
Washington and Yuma counties, northeast Colorado · 685 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 101 is like
GMU 101 covers 685 square miles of low-elevation country in the northeastern plains of Colorado. Terrain is gentle and rolling, spanning from 3,500 feet to 4,600 feet elevation, with 99 percent of the unit classified by area as gentle slope. The landscape consists of grasslands, sagebrush, and prairie typical of the region's lower elevations and moderate climate.
Public hunting opportunity on this unit is severely limited by land ownership. Approximately 0.1 percent of the unit—roughly 1 square mile—is State Wildlife Area managed for public access. An additional 7.6 percent is Colorado State Trust Land, though access there depends on individual parcel enrollment in CPW's Public Access Program; hunters cannot assume these lands are open. The remaining 92 percent is private land. Public ownership itself totals approximately 7.7 percent of the unit, but that figure includes closed lands and does not reflect actual public-hunting opportunity.
Mule deer are mapped across the full extent of the unit under CPW's Overall Range layer, though year-round residency is not documented. Winter Range comprises 18 percent of the unit's area. As fall progresses from early rifle seasons into late rifle, hunters should expect deer distribution to shift toward winter ground, though the timing and extent of that movement vary with weather and snow conditions.
The unit offers four seasons to Colorado residents: Archery from September 2–30, Muzzleloader from September 12–20, Plains Early Rifle from October 1–November 3, and Plains Late Rifle from December 1–14. Archery and Muzzleloader seasons fall during the Velvet Shed and Early Fall Transition phase; Plains Early Rifle straddles the Early Fall Migration and Early Pre-Rut phases; Plains Late Rifle occurs during Late Rut and Winter Consolidation. Two rifle seasons are available. Draw difficulty is easy, often requiring zero preference points, though this describes only the easiest unit-wide either-sex or buck code for adult Colorado residents; other weapons, seasons, and nonresident applicants may require substantially more points. Hunter pressure overall is moderate.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 3,500–4,600 ft, typically around 4,200 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 1.8°
- Slope breakdown
- 99% gentle · 1% moderate · 0% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~1 sq mi, plus ~52 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About <1% of GMU 101 is public land a hunter can count on — State Wildlife Areas. A further 8% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- BLM<1%
- State Trust Land8%
- Private92%
Colorado State Trust Land is open to public hunting only where it is enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program. Check current enrollment before planning around it.
Where mule deer live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps mule deer seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 101 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%.
- 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 Range18%used in winter
Mule Deer seasons & weapons (2026)
| Season | Dates | Tags offered |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | September 2 – September 30 | Either-sex |
| Muzzleloader | September 12 – September 20 | Doe, Buck |
| Plains Early Rifle | October 1 – November 3 | Either-sex, Doe, Buck |
| Plains Late Rifle | December 1 – December 14 | Doe, 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.
GMU 101 mule deer hunting FAQ
How much public ground can a hunter actually count on hunting in this unit?
Only approximately 1 square mile—about 0.1 percent of the unit—is State Wildlife Area open to public hunting. Additional State Trust Land totals 7.6 percent, but access there depends on whether specific parcels are enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program; hunters cannot assume those lands are available. The terrain may be easy to walk, but legal access, not terrain, is the limiting factor here.
Is this unit realistic for someone with no preference points?
Yes, for the easiest unit-wide either-sex or buck hunts available to adult Colorado residents. Draw difficulty is easy and often requires zero points. However, this describes only the most accessible code for each season; other weapon types, nonresident applicants, and alternative seasons may require substantially more points.
Which seasons should a hunter expect to see the most deer activity?
Archery and Muzzleloader seasons (September 2–30 and September 12–20) fall during the Velvet Shed phase when bucks are transitioning away from summer patterns. Plains Early Rifle (October 1–November 3) covers the Early Fall Migration and Early Pre-Rut phases, capturing deer movement and early rutting behavior. Plains Late Rifle (December 1–14) falls during Late Rut and Winter Consolidation, when deer are concentrated on winter ground.
Does terrain difficulty limit a hunter's access to public ground here?
No. The unit is 99 percent gentle slope and presents no terrain obstacles to walking. The limitation on access is legal, not physical: private ownership comprises 92 percent of the unit, so a hunter's ability to reach and hunt public ground depends entirely on where that small public acreage lies and how it connects to roads and trailheads.
How does deer distribution change through the fall season?
Mule deer are mapped across the full extent of the unit, but Winter Range accounts for 18 percent of the unit's area. As fall progresses into late rifle seasons and snow accumulates, hunters should expect deer to concentrate on winter ground, though the timing and extent of that shift depend on weather and snow conditions in any given year.
What should a hunter know about the draw difficulty label for this unit?
Easy draw difficulty, often zero points, describes only the easiest qualifying unit-wide code for an adult Colorado resident—typically either-sex or buck hunts in the primary draw. Other weapons, seasons, nonresident status, and alternative codes can require substantially more points. The easy label is a floor for the most accessible hunts, not a floor for all hunts in the unit.
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.