Colorado GMU 115 Mule Deer Hunting
Kit Carson and Cheyenne counties, northeast Colorado · 361 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 115 is like
Unit 115 covers 361 square miles of northeastern Colorado in Kit Carson and Cheyenne counties. The unit is gentle and rolling throughout, with elevations ranging from 4,300 feet to 5,100 feet and a mean slope of 1.6 degrees. The terrain presents no technical obstacles to hiking and walking. However, legal access is the limiting factor on this unit: approximately 95 percent of the ground is private, while only about 5.5 percent is publicly owned, nearly all of which is Colorado State Trust Land whose huntability depends on enrollment in the CPW Public Access Program.
The vast majority of Unit 115 is private land. Of the publicly owned acreage, most is State Trust Land, access to which varies by parcel and program enrollment. No agencies manage large blocks of generally open public ground here. A hunter planning to apply should verify specific access opportunities before committing points, as the practical hunting ground available to public-land hunters is substantially smaller than the unit's total area.
Mule deer in Unit 115 show marked seasonal concentration. Winter Range covers 19 percent of the unit, with concentrated clustering on 5 percent during the winter months from January through mid-March. The overall mapped range is nearly 100 percent, reflecting the extent of potential habitat, but most of the unit sees limited year-round occupancy. The highest densities of deer cluster in winter, meaning that hunters pursuing mule deer here should expect to focus effort on the ground where winter concentration occurs if hunting during the migration and early pre-rut phases.
Three mule deer seasons are offered here: Archery from September 2 to September 30 (either-sex), Muzzleloader from September 12 to September 20 (doe or buck), and Plains Early Rifle from October 24 to November 3 (doe or buck). The archery and muzzleloader seasons occur during the velvet-shed and early-fall transition phase when bucks are shedding velvet and beginning to move. The plains early rifle season spans the early fall migration and nocturnal buck phase into the early pre-rut staging period, as deer shift toward winter ground. Unit 115 draws with ease; the easiest unit-wide either-sex or buck code for an adult Colorado resident often requires zero preference points. Draw difficulty is easy, though hunter pressure is extreme and hunters should expect crowded conditions.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,300–5,100 ft, typically around 4,800 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 1.6°
- Slope breakdown
- 100% gentle · 0% moderate · 0% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~0 sq mi, plus ~20 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 0% of GMU 115 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 115 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 Range19%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 115 mule deer hunting FAQ
Is there actually any ground a public-land hunter can count on hunting in Unit 115?
No meaningful publicly open ground exists here. About 95 percent of the unit is private; the remaining 5.5 percent is nearly all Colorado State Trust Land, where hunting depends on enrollment in CPW's Public Access Program—and many parcels are not enrolled. Hunters should contact CPW to verify which State Trust parcels are accessible before applying.
What does the easy draw rating mean for applicants with no preference points?
The easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex code for an adult Colorado resident often draws at zero preference points. This applies specifically to the most accessible hunt tier; other seasons and weapons may require more points. Nonresidents and applicants seeking premium hunt codes should expect substantially different odds.
When are mule deer concentrated enough to hunt effectively in this unit?
Winter concentration (January through mid-March) covers about 5 percent of the unit and represents the densest seasonal clustering. Hunters pursuing the early rifle season (October 24 through November 3) are hunting as deer shift toward winter ground during the early fall migration and pre-rut staging phases, when movement brings them closer to these concentration areas.
How does the gentle terrain affect hunting difficulty here?
The unit is uniformly gentle and rolling with no steep or rugged sections, making it easy to walk. However, legal access—not terrain—is the real constraint. Limited public-land availability means that terrain walkability does not translate to practical hunting ground.
Which season offers the best chance to connect with deer in their transition to winter ground?
The Plains Early Rifle season (October 24–November 3) spans the early fall migration and pre-rut staging phases as deer move toward winter ranges and concentration areas. This timing aligns with natural deer movement onto the ground where winter concentration will occur later.
Why is this unit rated as experiencing extreme hunter pressure despite drawing easily?
Easy draw and extreme pressure are separate metrics. A unit that draws at zero or very low points can still attract high numbers of hunters because many applicants apply, knowing their chances are good. Crowding on the actual ground depends on license numbers issued, not draw difficulty.
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.