Colorado GMU 134 Mule Deer Hunting
Las Animas and Pueblo counties, southeast Colorado · 398 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 134 is like
GMU 134 is a 398-square-mile unit in the low-elevation country of southeastern Colorado, spanning from 4,800 feet to a high of 6,500 feet with a typical elevation around 5,700 feet. The terrain is gentle and rolling, with 97% of the unit in gentle slopes and the remainder moderate; mean slope across the unit is 2.5°. This is prairie and foothills country, defined by its accessibility on foot but constrained by ownership.
Only about 0.7% of the unit—roughly 3 square miles—is open to public hunting and managed by State Wildlife Areas and the Bureau of Land Management. An additional 5.2% is Colorado State Trust Land where access depends on CPW's Public Access Program enrollment; hunters should check current enrollment before planning a hunt. Roughly 92% of the unit is private land. A further 2.0% is unclassified in ownership records. Public land access is the limiting factor on this unit, not terrain difficulty.
Mule deer occupy the unit across its full mapped range, with winter range covering 77% of the unit and winter concentration areas marking 7%. As elevation and daylight decrease through the fall, mule deer consolidate into wintering areas. The archery season (September 2–30) and muzzleloader hunt (September 12–20) occur as bucks shed velvet and begin shifting to fall patterns. The Plains Early Rifle season (October 24–November 3) falls in the early pre-rut migration phase, when buck movement intensifies toward wintering ground.
The unit offers three seasons: archery for either-sex, muzzleloader for doe or buck, and one rifle season in the plains. Draw difficulty for the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex hunt available to resident adults is moderate, requiring 1–2 preference points. Hunter pressure on the unit is extreme. The small public land base and high private-land share mean access, not hunter skill or terrain, determines feasibility on the ground.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,800–6,500 ft, typically around 5,700 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 2.5°
- Slope breakdown
- 97% gentle · 3% moderate · 0% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~3 sq mi, plus ~21 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About <1% of GMU 134 is public land a hunter can count on — State Wildlife Areas and BLM. A further 5% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- BLM<1%
- State Trust Land5%
- Unclassified ownership2%
- Private92%
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 134 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 Range77%used in winter
- Winter Concentration7%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 134 mule deer hunting FAQ
Is there actually public land a hunter can count on hunting here?
Only about 3 square miles—0.7% of the unit—is open to public hunting via State Wildlife Areas and BLM. Colorado State Trust Land makes up another 5.2%, but only parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program may be hunted; check current enrollment before depending on it. The remaining 92% is private.
With such extreme hunter pressure, what does a moderate draw difficulty really mean?
Draw difficulty describes the point requirement for the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex code available to adult Colorado residents. Moderate difficulty (1–2 points) applies only to that specific hunt tier. Other weapon seasons, nonresident applications, and private-land-only hunts can require substantially more points. Hunter pressure and draw ease are separate measures; an easy draw does not mean tags are plentiful or that ground will not be crowded.
Do mule deer stay in this unit through the fall, or do they move out to lower country?
Winter range covers 77% of the unit and winter concentration areas mark 7%, indicating mule deer are expected to consolidate into lower parts of the unit as the season advances and snow accumulates. Timing and extent of any shift depend on weather, snow depth, and individual deer movement patterns, which vary from year to year.
Which season gives the best chance at a buck—archery, muzzleloader, or rifle?
The archery and muzzleloader hunts occur as bucks shed velvet and transition to fall patterns (early September). The Plains Early Rifle season (October 24–November 3) coincides with early pre-rut migration, when buck movement toward winter range peaks. Rifle offers more range and stopping power but requires drawing a tag on moderate difficulty; the choice depends on weapon preference and point balance.
How much terrain can a foot hunter actually cover here?
The terrain itself is walkable—gentle and rolling with a mean slope of 2.5°. However, legal access is the actual constraint; only 0.7% of the unit is dependably open to public hunting. A hunter's ability to cover ground depends first on locating open public land, then on physical condition and time available to hike it.
Does the gentle terrain make this a good unit for someone new to mule deer hunting?
Terrain difficulty is not the barrier here. The severe land-access constraint—92% private ownership and only 0.7% open public—means a newcomer faces the same access problem as an experienced hunter. Success depends on first solving the access puzzle, not on physical capability or skills.
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.