Colorado GMU 105 Mule Deer Hunting
Adams, Arapahoe and Elbert counties, northeast Colorado · 1,142 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 105 is like
GMU 105 covers 1,142 square miles across Adams, Arapahoe and Elbert counties in the northeast region. Elevation ranges from 5,100 feet to 7,300 feet, with typical elevations around 5,800 feet. Terrain is gentle and rolling, with 98% of the unit classified as gentle by area and a mean slope of 3.3 degrees. This is plains and foothills country, relatively flat and walkable on foot.
Nearly all of the unit is private land. Of the 1,142 square miles, approximately 91% is privately owned. Approximately 7.2% is Colorado State Trust Land, access to which depends on enrollment in CPW's Public Access Program; enrollment status and location of enrolled parcels are not listed here. Approximately 1.4% is unclassified in source data. Only approximately 0.0% is generally open to public hunting, meaning there is virtually no dependably open public ground to hunt. Legal access, not terrain, is the controlling constraint.
CPW maps Winter Concentration on 23% of the unit, indicating that mule deer cluster on roughly a quarter of the area during the winter months. Winter Range covers 38% of the unit. Mule deer use the full extent of Overall Range mapped across the unit, but the concentration layers show that animals aggregate rather than spread evenly. Migration Corridors cover 3% of the unit. Seasonal-range coverage indicates that mule deer distribute across the unit in winter and move through migration corridors in the shoulder seasons, but the practical hunting reality is limited by the extreme scarcity of open public access.
The unit offers four seasons for mule deer in 2026. Archery runs September 2 to September 30 and is either-sex. Muzzleloader runs September 12 to September 20 and offers either-sex and doe/buck options. Two rifle seasons are available: Plains Early Rifle from October 24 to November 3, and Plains Late Rifle from December 1 to December 14, both offering either-sex and doe/buck options. Archery and muzzleloader seasons fall during the velvet shed and early fall transition. Early rifle occurs during the early fall migration and early pre-rut phases. Late rifle occurs during late rut and winter consolidation. The unit draws at easy difficulty for the easiest qualifying either-sex or buck hunt available to adult Colorado residents, though hunter pressure is extreme.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,100–7,300 ft, typically around 5,800 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 3.3°
- Slope breakdown
- 98% gentle · 2% moderate · 0% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~0 sq mi, plus ~82 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 0% of GMU 105 is public land a hunter can count on. A further 7% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- State Trust Land7%
- Unclassified ownership1%
- Private91%
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 105 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 Range38%used in winter
- Winter Concentration23%where mule deer bunch up in winter
- Migration Corridors3%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 | Doe, Buck |
| Plains Early Rifle | October 24 – November 3 | Either-sex, Doe, Buck |
| Plains Late Rifle | December 1 – December 14 | Either-sex, 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 105 mule deer hunting FAQ
Is this unit realistic for someone with minimal or no preference points?
Yes. The unit draws at easy difficulty for the easiest qualifying either-sex or buck hunt available to adult Colorado residents, often at zero points. However, extreme hunter pressure means tags attract many applicants despite the low draw bar, so demand remains high even though draws do not.
How much public ground can a hunter actually hunt on?
Virtually none. Only approximately 0.0% of the unit is generally open to public hunting. Approximately 7.2% is Colorado State Trust Land with access dependent on enrollment in CPW's Public Access Program; specific enrolled parcels are not identified here. A hunter investigating this unit must map access carefully before applying, as 91% is private.
Which season is best for hunters in the early part of the fall?
Archery and muzzleloader both occur during the velvet shed and early fall transition in early September, when bucks are still in bachelor groups and shed antlers are hardening. Both seasons overlap, so a hunter can apply for either weapon. Early rifle begins later, October 24, after the velvet shed phase has ended.
When do mule deer concentrate on winter range here?
Winter Concentration covers 23% of the unit, meaning mule deer cluster on roughly a quarter of the area during winter. The mapping does not specify where geographically that concentration occurs, only that it represents concentrated use during the winter months. Late rifle, December 1 to December 14, falls in the late rut and winter consolidation phase, when animals are moving toward winter grounds.
Is the terrain difficult to walk across?
No. The unit is 98% gentle by area with a mean slope of 3.3 degrees, making it plains and foothills country that is straightforward to walk. Walkability is not the limiting factor; legal access is. The scarcity of open public ground means terrain ease does not translate into huntable territory.
How does this unit compare to other northeastern Colorado areas for mule deer?
This guide describes only GMU 105. The data do not support comparisons to other units in the region or across the state. A hunter comparing this unit to others will need unit-specific data for each one they are considering.
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.