Colorado GMU 118 Mule Deer Hunting
El Paso County, central Colorado · 503 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 118 is like
GMU 118 sits in El Paso County in the central region of Colorado at low elevations between 5,200 and 6,500 feet. The unit spans 503 square miles of gentle and rolling terrain where slopes average 2 degrees and steep ground is absent. The country is accessible on foot, but legal hunting opportunity is sharply constrained by land ownership.
Approximately 0.0% of the unit—essentially no ground—is generally open to public hunting by public agencies. Colorado State Trust Land comprises about 32% of the unit, but only parcels enrolled in Colorado Parks and Wildlife's Public Access Program may be hunted; enrollment status varies and is not published here. Private land makes up 67% of the unit, and roughly 1.2% is unclassified in ownership. Legal access, not terrain, is the limiting factor for hunters on this unit.
Mule deer occupy portions of the unit seasonally. Winter Range covers 29% of the unit, and within that, Winter Concentration—where mule deer cluster—comprises 1% of the total area. Summer Range extends across 10% of the unit. Overall Range, which maps the full extent of mule deer activity, covers the unit completely. Given the modest Winter Concentration component relative to the broader Winter Range, mule deer do not concentrate uniformly across the lower-elevation ground; they cluster in specific areas where conditions favor winter survival. As the year progresses from early fall into the rut period and winter sets in, hunters should expect deer to shift toward winter range, though the timing and extent of this movement depend on weather and snow.
The unit offers three seasons to public applicants: an Archery season September 2–September 30 for either-sex deer, a Muzzleloader season September 12–September 20 for doe and buck, and one rifle season, the Plains Early Rifle, from October 24–November 3 for doe and buck. The Archery and Muzzleloader seasons occur during the Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition phase, when bucks are shedding summer coat and behavior is beginning to shift. The Plains Early Rifle season spans the Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase and Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging phases, capturing the period when bucks begin moving and become more active at night before the primary rut begins. Draw difficulty for the easiest unit-wide either-sex or buck code is easy, often requiring zero preference points for an adult Colorado resident.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,200–6,500 ft, typically around 5,800 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 2°
- Slope breakdown
- 100% gentle · 1% moderate · 0% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~0 sq mi, plus ~161 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About <1% of GMU 118 is public land a hunter can count on. A further 32% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- BLM<1%
- State Trust Land32%
- Unclassified ownership1%
- Private67%
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 118 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 Range10%used in summer
- Winter Concentration<1%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 118 mule deer hunting FAQ
How much public land can a hunter actually access here?
Approximately 0.0% of the unit is generally open to public hunting. Colorado State Trust Land comprises about 32% of the unit, but only enrolled parcels in CPW's Public Access Program may be hunted, and enrollment status is not published by parcel. Private land covers 67%, making legal access the primary constraint. A hunter must identify and secure permission to hunt private ground or verify CPW Public Access Program enrollment before planning a trip.
Is this unit realistic for someone with no preference points?
Yes. The easiest unit-wide either-sex or buck hunt code draws reliably at zero preference points for adult Colorado residents, making it accessible to new applicants. Other seasons and weapons may have different draw requirements, so applicants should verify the specific hunt code they are pursuing.
When do mule deer concentrate in this unit?
Mule deer concentrate—cluster in specific areas—on roughly 1% of the unit during winter, rather than spreading evenly across the broader 29% Winter Range. As fall progresses into the rut period and weather cools, hunters should expect deer to shift toward winter range, though timing and extent vary with snow and temperature.
What season falls in the rut?
The Plains Early Rifle season from October 24–November 3 spans the Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase and Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging phases, capturing the approach to the primary rut. The Archery and Muzzleloader seasons in early September occur during Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition, before the rut begins.
Is the terrain walkable?
Yes. The unit is gentle and rolling with slopes averaging 2 degrees and essentially no steep or rugged ground, making it easy to cover on foot. However, walkability and legal access are separate issues; terrain is not the constraint on this unit.
Does hunter pressure make this unit crowded?
Overall hunter pressure is moderate, but pressure and draw difficulty are independent: an easy-to-draw unit can still see significant hunting activity. The lack of open public land will naturally concentrate any hunters with access on the ground they can legally 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.