Colorado GMU 135 Mule Deer Hunting
Las Animas, Pueblo and Otero counties, southeast Colorado · 743 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 135 is like
GMU 135 is a 743-square-mile unit in southeastern Colorado spanning Las Animas, Pueblo, and Otero counties. Elevation ranges from 4,100 feet to 5,700 feet, with a typical elevation around 4,600 feet. The terrain is gentle and rolling, with 97 percent of the unit classified as gentle slope, 3 percent moderate, and 1 percent steep. The unit's mean slope is 2.1 degrees, placing it firmly in the gentle category. Mule deer hunting here takes place across low-elevation rangeland and foothills where walking is straightforward, but legal access remains the primary constraint.
Approximately 32 percent of the unit—roughly 237 square miles—is National Forest and Bureau of Land Management ground open to public hunting. An additional 11 percent, about 79 square miles, is Colorado State Trust Land where hunting access depends on enrollment in CPW's Public Access Program; applicants should verify which parcels are enrolled before planning. Private land comprises 57 percent of the unit. The public ownership total is approximately 43 percent, but only the 32 percent of open National Forest and BLM ground can be reliably counted on for hunting access.
CPW's seasonal-range mapping shows mule deer across the unit's overall range, though winter range covers only 5 percent of the area and there are no mapped winter concentration areas. This distribution implies that mule deer are not confined to a small portion of the unit in winter and are present across a broader area. Timing and distribution vary with weather and snow; hunters should expect mule deer to be accessible across much of the unit as the fall season progresses, though the heavy concentration of private land means that public-ground opportunities are limited to the 32 percent open to hunting.
Three mule deer seasons are offered: an archery season September 2–September 30 for either-sex deer, a muzzleloader season September 12–September 20 for does and bucks, and a rifle season (Plains Early Rifle) October 24–November 3 for does and bucks. Both archery and muzzleloader seasons fall during the velvet shed and early fall transition phase. The rifle season spans the early fall migration and nocturnal buck phase into the early pre-rut staging period. The unit draws at moderate difficulty, requiring 1–2 preference points for the easiest qualifying either-sex or buck hunt code available to adult Colorado residents. Overall hunter pressure is low.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,100–5,700 ft, typically around 4,600 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 2.1°
- Slope breakdown
- 97% gentle · 3% moderate · 1% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~237 sq mi, plus ~79 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 32% of GMU 135 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest and BLM. A further 11% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- National Forest32%
- BLM<1%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land11%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private57%
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 135 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 Range5%used in winter
- 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 135 mule deer hunting FAQ
How much public land can a hunter actually hunt in this unit?
Approximately 32 percent of the unit, roughly 237 square miles, is National Forest and BLM open to public hunting. An additional 11 percent is State Trust Land where access depends on CPW enrollment; hunters should verify which parcels are enrolled before planning. Private land comprises 57 percent and is not available without permission.
Is this unit realistic for someone with few or no preference points?
Yes. The unit draws at moderate difficulty with 1–2 preference points required for the easiest unit-wide either-sex or buck code available to adult Colorado residents. Even applicants with zero points have a realistic chance at the most accessible hunts, though other seasons and weapons may require more points.
When should a hunter expect to find mule deer in this unit?
Mule deer are present across the unit's broader range rather than concentrated in a small winter area. As the season progresses from early September through November, the archery and muzzleloader hunts occur during the velvet shed and early fall transition, while the October-to-November rifle season spans the early fall migration and early pre-rut phases when deer movement increases.
How does the terrain affect a hunter's ability to cover ground?
The terrain itself is gentle and rolling—97 percent of the unit is gentle slope—making it very walkable. However, legal access is the limiting factor: only about 32 percent is open to public hunting, so terrain ease does not translate into the ability to roam freely across the unit.
What is the hunter pressure like on this unit?
Overall hunter pressure is low. The unit's moderate draw difficulty reflects the preference-point requirements for the easiest hunts, not crowding on the ground; an easy-to-draw unit with low pressure offers a different hunting experience than a hard-to-draw unit with the same number of applicants.
Which season offers the best opportunity for a successful hunt?
The rifle season (October 24–November 3) offers the only rifle opportunity on the unit and falls during the early fall migration and early pre-rut phases when deer movement is active. Archery and muzzleloader hunters should note that their seasons occur during the velvet shed phase when deer are less vocally active than during the rut.
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.