Colorado GMU 114 Mule Deer Hunting
Lincoln, Kit Carson and Cheyenne counties, northeast Colorado · 558 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 114 is like
GMU 114 occupies 558 square miles across Lincoln, Kit Carson and Cheyenne counties in northeastern Colorado. The unit is characterized by gentle and rolling terrain with a mean slope of 1.8 degrees; no portion of the unit is steep or rugged. Elevations range from 4,500 feet to 5,600 feet, with typical hunting elevation around 5,100 feet. The country is straightforward to walk on foot.
Approximately 95 percent of the unit is private land. Only about 4.8 percent is publicly owned, consisting of Colorado State Trust Land that is access-dependent and huntable only where CPW has enrolled parcels in the Public Access Program. The remaining 0.0 percent is generally open to public hunting. Legal access, not terrain difficulty, is the limiting factor for hunters seeking to hunt this unit.
Mule deer in GMU 114 occupy the unit's overall range year-round, though concentrated use occurs on about 5 percent of the unit during the winter months. Winter Concentration areas, where mule deer cluster, account for 5 percent of the unit's total area. As seasons progress through fall, hunters should expect deer movement and behavior to shift in response to weather and approaching breeding season, with use intensifying on winter concentration grounds as the rut advances into late fall.
The unit offers three mule deer seasons: Archery from September 2 to September 30 (either-sex), Muzzleloader from September 12 to September 20 (doe/buck), and Plains Early Rifle from October 24 to November 3 (doe/buck). The archery and muzzleloader seasons occur during the velvet-shed and early-fall-transition phase, when bucks are transitioning from summer patterns. The rifle season spans the early fall migration and early pre-rut phases. Draw difficulty for the easiest unit-wide either-sex hunt available to adult Colorado residents is easy, often drawing at zero preference points. Hunter pressure on the unit is high.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,500–5,600 ft, typically around 5,100 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 1.8°
- Slope breakdown
- 100% gentle · 0% moderate · 0% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~0 sq mi, plus ~27 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 0% of GMU 114 is public land a hunter can count on. A further 5% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- State Trust Land5%
- Private95%
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 114 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 Range6%used in winter
- Winter Concentration5%where mule deer bunch up 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 24 – November 3 | 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 114 mule deer hunting FAQ
Is there actually huntable public land in this unit, or is it all private?
Only about 4.8 percent of GMU 114 is publicly owned, and that is Colorado State Trust Land accessible only where CPW has enrolled parcels in the Public Access Program—the specific parcels available vary. No land is generally open to public hunting. Most of the unit is private, and a hunter needs to secure permission or access rights to hunt here.
Can someone with zero preference points draw a mule deer tag here?
Yes. The easiest unit-wide either-sex hunt available to adult Colorado residents draws at zero preference points. Other hunts—different weapons or seasons, nonresident applicants, or specific buck/doe restrictions—may require more points, but at least one opportunity sits in the easy-draw tier.
When are the bucks rutting, and which season falls in the rut?
Mule deer in Colorado rut from mid-November through late November. The Plains Early Rifle season (October 24–November 3) spans the early migration and early pre-rut phases; it does not fully overlap the primary rut. The archery and muzzleloader seasons occur much earlier, in September, before the rut begins.
Is the terrain here easy to hunt on foot?
Yes. The unit is entirely gentle and rolling terrain with a mean slope of 1.8 degrees—no steep or rugged ground. Walking is straightforward. However, terrain ease does not solve the access problem: almost all the unit is private land, so legal entry remains the main constraint.
Where do mule deer concentrate in this unit, and when?
About 5 percent of the unit is mapped as Winter Concentration area where mule deer cluster during winter months. The mapping does not identify specific locations or aspects. Concentrated use develops as the season advances and weather drives deer toward winter range.
Is this unit realistic for a public-land-only hunter?
No. With only 4.8 percent in access-dependent State Trust Land and no generally open public ground, this unit is heavily private. A public-land hunter would need to confirm which State Trust Land parcels are enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program and then navigate access agreements with individual landowners—a difficult starting point for a unit hunt.
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.