Colorado GMU 104 Mule Deer Hunting
Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas and Elbert counties, central Colorado · 1,454 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 104 is like
GMU 104 spans 1,454 square miles across Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas and Elbert counties in the central region of Colorado. The unit is characterized by gentle and rolling terrain, with 97% of the area in gentle slopes, 3% moderate, and no steep or rugged ground. Elevations range from 5,000 feet to 7,900 feet, with typical elevations around 5,800 feet. This is low-elevation foothill and plains country, accessible and open to walk but strictly limited by legal hunting access.
The unit is overwhelmingly private, at 87% of its total area. State Wildlife Areas make up approximately 0.1% (1 square mile) of generally open public hunting ground—the only acreage a hunter can reliably count on. Colorado State Trust Land comprises roughly 3.5% (50 square miles), but access to it depends on CPW enrollment in the Public Access Program; not all parcels are open to hunting. Approximately 9.6% is ownership unclassified, meaning the source data does not record an owner. Together, publicly owned land totals only about 3.5% of the unit. The practical reality is that a public-land hunter faces extreme pressure on a tiny accessible base.
Mule deer occupy broad seasonal ranges across the unit. Winter Range covers 29% of the unit, while Summer Range extends across 19%. A Winter Concentration layer marks 5% of the unit as clustered-use ground during the winter period. Migration Corridors account for 2%. Overall Range—the full extent of CPW-mapped mule deer range—extends across 100% of the unit, though this does not indicate uniform occupancy year-round. The fall cools steadily from September through November, with average highs dropping from about 79°F in September to 54°F by November, and snowfall increasing from zero inches in September to 1.7 inches by November. As temperatures fall and snow arrives, mule deer shift toward their winter ranges and concentrated-use areas.
The unit offers five seasons: Archery (September 2–September 30, either-sex); Muzzleloader (September 12–September 20, either-sex/doe/buck); Plains Early Rifle (October 24–November 3, either-sex/doe/buck); Plains Late Rifle (October 1–December 31, either-sex/doe/buck); and Ranching for Wildlife (no published dates, either-sex/doe). Two of these are rifle seasons. Archery and Muzzleloader fall during the Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition phase. Plains Early Rifle spans Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase and Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging. Plains Late Rifle extends from Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase through Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging, Primary Rut, and Late Rut / Winter Consolidation. The draw for this unit is easy—often requiring zero preference points for the most accessible unit-wide either-sex or buck hunts available to Colorado adult residents—though demand is extreme because of proximity to major population centers and the scarcity of public land.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,000–7,900 ft, typically around 5,800 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 3.1°
- Slope breakdown
- 97% gentle · 3% moderate · 0% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~1 sq mi, plus ~50 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About <1% of GMU 104 is public land a hunter can count on — State Wildlife Areas. A further 3% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land3%
- Unclassified ownership10%
- Private87%
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.
“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 104 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 Range29%used in winter
- Summer Range19%used in summer
- Winter Concentration5%where mule deer bunch up in winter
- Migration Corridors2%movement between ranges, not residence
Mule Deer seasons & weapons (2026)
| Season | Dates | Tags offered |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | September 2 – September 30 | Either-sex |
| Muzzleloader | September 12 – September 20 | Either-sex, Doe, Buck |
| Plains Early Rifle | October 24 – November 3 | Either-sex, Doe, Buck |
| Plains Late Rifle | October 1 – December 31 | Either-sex, Doe, Buck |
| Ranching for Wildlife | Dates vary by hunt code | Either-sex, Doe |
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 79°F, lows around 48°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 66°F, lows around 36°F, about 1.1 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 54°F, lows around 26°F, about 1.7 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 104 mule deer hunting FAQ
Can a Colorado resident draw a GMU 104 deer license with zero preference points?
Yes. The easiest qualifying buck or either-sex codes often draw at zero points for adult Colorado residents. Drawing the license does not solve the access problem, though: only about one square mile is mapped as dependably open public hunting ground, with a further 3.5% in State Trust Land where access depends on CPW enrollment and varies by parcel.
Can a public-land hunter actually hunt most of this unit?
No. Nearly 87% is private land, and only about 0.1% is reliably open public ground—State Wildlife Areas. Access-dependent State Trust Land adds another 3.5% in theory, but enrollment status determines whether a given parcel is actually huntable. Legal access, not terrain difficulty, is the limiting factor here.
Is the terrain walkable for a hunter on foot?
Yes, the terrain is gentle and rolling throughout, with 97% in gentle slopes and no rugged or steep ground. Elevations range from 5,000 to 7,900 feet. The landscape is physically manageable, but hunters remain confined to the small percentage of ground they have legal right to access.
Which season offers the best chance at a deer?
Plains Late Rifle (October 1–December 31) is the longest season and spans the widest range of mule deer behavior, including the Primary Rut (November 11–25). Muzzleloader and Archery occur earlier, when bucks are still in velvet or transitioning out of it. All seasons face extreme hunter pressure on minimal public access.
When do mule deer shift to their winter ranges?
As temperatures drop and snow begins to accumulate in October and November, mule deer shift toward Winter Range and Winter Concentration areas. Timing and extent of the shift vary with weather and snow; the broader Winter Range covers 29% of the unit, with concentrated-use ground marking 5%. Plains Late Rifle (October 1–December 31) overlaps this transition.
How much of the unit should a hunter expect to cover in a day?
Even though terrain is gentle and easy to walk, legal access limits coverage severely. A hunter must remain on the 0.1% of reliable public ground (State Wildlife Areas) or enrolled State Trust Land parcels. Proximity to major cities means extreme human pressure on whatever ground is accessible, regardless of how walkable the country is.
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.