Colorado GMU 122 Mule Deer Hunting
Cheyenne and Kiowa counties, southeast Colorado · 987 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 122 is like
GMU 122 covers 987 square miles in Cheyenne and Kiowa counties in the southeastern corner of Colorado. The unit is characterized by gentle and rolling terrain, with elevations ranging from 3,800 feet to 4,600 feet. The landscape supports mule deer across the entire mapped range, though concentrations shift seasonally. This is low-elevation, accessible country in terms of walk-ability, but access to hunt it is severely constrained by land ownership.
Nearly all of GMU 122 is private land, which comprises 97 percent of the unit. Approximately 0.5 percent is National Park Service property, which is closed to hunting. Only about 0.0 percent of the unit is generally open to public hunting, making legal access the defining challenge for any hunter considering this unit. An additional 2.6 percent is Colorado State Trust Land, huntable only on parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program; which parcels, if any, are enrolled varies and requires direct inquiry with CPW.
Mule deer occupy the unit across its full mapped range, but concentrate on specific ground during winter months. Winter Range covers 16 percent of the unit, with an additional 4 percent mapped as Winter Concentration, where mule deer cluster. This concentration layer indicates that winter deer are not distributed evenly across winter range but are drawn to particular areas as the season advances and conditions change. Timing and extent of this shift vary with weather and snow.
The unit offers four seasons: Archery (September 2–30, either-sex or doe), Muzzleloader (September 12–20, either-sex, doe, or buck), Plains Early Rifle (October 24–November 3, either-sex, doe, or buck), and Plains Late Rifle (December 1–14, either-sex, doe, or buck). The two rifle seasons fall during the early fall migration and nocturnal buck phase, then the late rut and winter consolidation phases. Draw difficulty is easy, often requiring zero preference points for the most accessible unit-wide buck or either-sex codes available to adult Colorado residents. However, hunter pressure is extreme, and private-land access remains the practical bottleneck for any public-land hunter.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 3,800–4,600 ft, typically around 4,100 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 1°
- Slope breakdown
- 100% gentle · 0% moderate · 0% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~0 sq mi, plus ~25 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 0% of GMU 122 is public land a hunter can count on. A further 3% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- State Trust Land3%
- National Park Service<1%
- Private97%
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 122 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 Range16%used in winter
- Winter Concentration4%where mule deer bunch up 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 122 mule deer hunting FAQ
Is there actually any public ground to hunt in GMU 122?
Generally open public land comprises only about 0.0 percent of the unit, making this a heavily private-land unit. An additional 2.6 percent is State Trust Land, but it is only huntable on parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program, and enrollment status varies. A hunter considering this unit should verify current access with CPW before committing to an application.
Will someone with zero preference points draw a tag here?
Yes, the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex code for adult Colorado residents often draws at zero points, making this a straightforward draw for those applicants. Other season types, weapons, and nonresident applicants can require substantially more points, so the specific hunt code matters significantly.
When should a hunter focus effort in this unit—early season, late season, or throughout the fall?
The archery and muzzleloader seasons fall during velvet shed and early fall transition, when bucks are recovering from antler hardening and beginning to shift their patterns. The two rifle seasons span early fall migration through the late rut and winter consolidation, capturing the period when mule deer movement is most active and bucks are more vulnerable. Early and late rifle seasons each offer distinct advantages depending on weather and snow conditions.
How much ground can a hunter actually scout and hunt if access is available?
The terrain is gentle and rolling with a mean slope of 1 degree, making it walkable. However, legal access, not terrain difficulty, is the limiting factor—nearly all the unit is private land. Even where public access exists, a hunter should expect to work within small pockets of huntable ground rather than ranging across large areas.
Where do mule deer concentrate as winter approaches?
Winter Range covers 16 percent of the unit, with 4 percent specifically mapped as Winter Concentration where deer cluster. The location of this concentrated ground is not disclosed in the mapping data. A hunter should expect deer to shift toward these winter areas as conditions push them, though timing and intensity depend on weather and snow.
Why is draw difficulty easy but hunter pressure extreme?
Draw difficulty measures tag availability relative to applicant demand and is not the same as hunter pressure. This unit draws easily because licenses are available at low or zero preference points, but the extreme pressure indicates that many hunters are pursuing the limited public ground that does exist, making the actual hunting experience crowded.
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.