Colorado GMU 109 Mule Deer Hunting
Washington, Yuma and Kit Carson counties, northeast Colorado · 1,042 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 109 is like
Game Management Unit 109 spans Washington, Yuma and Kit Carson counties in northeast Colorado and covers 1,042 square miles of gentle and rolling terrain. Elevations range from 3,700 feet to 4,700 feet, with a typical elevation around 4,200 feet and mean slopes of 1.7 degrees. The unit's entire land base is characterized by gentle topography. Mule deer occupy the full extent of mapped range across the unit, though the 15 percent Winter Range share indicates that concentrated seasonal use shifts as the year progresses.
Land access is the defining constraint on this unit. Only 0.0 percent of GMU 109 is generally open to public hunting through public agencies, and approximately 3.5 percent is Colorado State Trust Land available only where CPW has enrolled it in the Public Access Program. The remaining 96 percent is private. This distribution means that hunters planning to apply must secure permission on private ground or identify and confirm access to enrolled State Trust Land parcels before the hunt. The gentle terrain itself presents no physical barrier to foot travel, but legal access is a separate and more restrictive factor.
Mule deer presence shifts seasonally. Overall Range coverage spans the entire unit, but Winter Range accounts for 15 percent of the unit's area. As fall progresses from early October into December, hunters should expect increasing concentration on winter grounds, with timing and distribution influenced by snow and weather.
The unit offers four mule deer seasons: Archery from September 2 to September 30 (either-sex and doe options); Muzzleloader from September 12 to September 20 (either-sex, doe and buck options); Plains Early Rifle from October 24 to November 3 (either-sex, doe and buck options); and Plains Late Rifle from December 1 to December 14 (either-sex, doe and buck options). Two rifle seasons are available. Draw difficulty for the easiest qualifying unit-wide either-sex or buck code is easy, often drawing at zero preference points for an adult Colorado resident. However, hunter pressure across the unit is extreme.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 3,700–4,700 ft, typically around 4,200 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 1.7°
- Slope breakdown
- 100% gentle · 0% moderate · 0% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~0 sq mi, plus ~36 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About <1% of GMU 109 is public land a hunter can count on. A further 3% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- BLM<1%
- State Trust Land3%
- Private96%
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 109 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 Range15%used in winter
Mule Deer seasons & weapons (2026)
| Season | Dates | Tags offered |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | September 2 – September 30 | Either-sex, Doe |
| Muzzleloader | September 12 – September 20 | Either-sex, 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 109 mule deer hunting FAQ
How much ground can a hunter actually hunt on public land in this unit?
Only 0.0 percent of GMU 109 is open to public hunting through public agencies. An additional 3.5 percent is State Trust Land, available only on parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program — and enrollment status varies by parcel. Confirming access to State Trust Land before applying is essential. The remaining 96 percent is private, requiring explicit permission to hunt.
Is this unit realistic for someone with zero preference points?
The easiest qualifying unit-wide either-sex or buck hunt draws at zero points for an adult Colorado resident, making this unit accessible to first-time applicants. However, hunter pressure is extreme across the unit, and legal access remains the primary limiting factor regardless of draw odds.
Does this unit's terrain make it walkable for a hunter on foot?
Terrain walkability and legal access are separate issues here. The unit is entirely gentle and rolling with mean slopes of 1.7 degrees, making it physically easy to cover on foot. However, with only 0.0 percent publicly open to hunting and access-dependent State Trust Land parcels, a hunter's ability to reach huntable ground depends on securing permission, not on the terrain itself.
When during the fall are mule deer concentrated in specific areas within the unit?
Winter Range covers 15 percent of the unit's area. As fall advances from October through December, hunters should expect mule deer to concentrate increasingly on winter grounds. The exact timing and distribution of that shift depends on snow accumulation and weather patterns, which vary annually.
Which seasons coincide with the mule deer rut?
The Archery and Muzzleloader seasons fall during the Velvet Shed and Early Fall Transition phase (September 1-30), before the rut begins. The Plains Late Rifle season (December 1-14) falls during Late Rut and Winter Consolidation. The Plains Early Rifle season (October 24–November 3) bridges the Early Fall Migration and Early Pre-Rut phases, occurring before the Primary Rut begins November 11.
What should a hunter expect from the muzzleloader season dates?
The Muzzleloader season runs September 12–September 20, overlapping partially with the earlier-starting Archery season but ending before the Plains Early Rifle season opens in late October. It falls during the Velvet Shed and Early Fall Transition phase, when bucks are shedding velvet and moving before migration and the rut.
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.