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 covers 743 square miles across the low foothills and plains of southeastern Colorado, at elevations between 4,100 and 5,700 feet with a typical elevation around 4,600 feet. The terrain is gentle and rolling, with 97 percent of the unit in gentle slopes, 3 percent moderate, and 1 percent steep. This is open country with relatively low relief overall, suited to walking and glassing across broad vistas. The unit straddles Las Animas, Pueblo, and Otero counties.
Public hunting access is limited. National Forest and BLM lands make up roughly 32 percent of the unit (237 square miles), the only ground a hunter can count on accessing. Colorado State Trust Land covers an additional 11 percent, but only parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program are open to hunting; specific enrolled acreage is not available. Private land comprises 57 percent of the unit. The split means that most of the ground is either closed or access-dependent, making legal entry a significant planning constraint even on walkable terrain.
Mule deer range across the unit, with Overall Range coverage at 100 percent. Winter Range is mapped on roughly 5 percent of the unit; Winter Concentration is not mapped. The limited winter-range footprint relative to the broader overall range suggests that mule deer use much of the unit seasonally rather than year-round. Archery season runs September 2–30 in the velvet-shed phase; muzzleloader follows September 12–20, also in velvet shed. Plains Early Rifle is the sole rifle season, October 24–November 3, spanning the early fall migration and early pre-rut phases.
The unit draws at moderate difficulty: applicants with 1–2 preference points can reliably draw the easiest available buck or either-sex hunt code in the primary draw, though the specific seasons and codes vary by weapon and residency. Hunters without points sometimes draw as well, and the secondary draw (held in June, open to all applicants regardless of points) and leftover-list options provide additional routes. Overall hunter pressure on the unit 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
Habitat & cover
What actually grows here, by elevation. Each band adds to 100% on its own — these are shares of that band, not of GMU 135.
Across the unit
- Grass and meadow90%
- Sagebrush7%
- Other cover3%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database, split into elevation bands. “Other cover” is the remainder of the classification — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land — and is left unnamed rather than guessed at.
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
Can a hunter with no preference points draw a mule deer tag here?
Yes. The easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex code reliably draws at 1–2 points in the primary draw, but applicants with zero points draw these hunts as well, particularly in the secondary draw (a separate June lottery open to all applicants, using no preference points). The leftover list, open first-come first-served after the primary draw, may also have tags available regardless of points.
Is this unit realistic for a public-land-only hunter?
Not easily. Only 32 percent of the unit is generally open to public hunting (National Forest and BLM), and another 11 percent is state trust land with unknown enrollment in the Public Access Program. The remaining 57 percent is private. A public-land hunter must plan to hunt the open National Forest and BLM ground or confirm trust-land access ahead of time.
Which season is best for a first-time applicant?
Archery (September 2–30) and muzzleloader (September 12–20) both occur during velvet shed, when deer are still in summer patterns and typically active, and both offer either-sex or doe/buck options. Plains Early Rifle (October 24–November 3) is the rifle-only choice and spans the early fall migration and early pre-rut phases, making it a different hunting proposition. The archery season's longer duration and either-sex option may suit a hunter new to the unit.
How much public ground can a hunter actually hunt?
Roughly 237 square miles of National Forest and BLM are dependably open. State Trust Land adds up to 79 square miles, but access depends on CPW enrollment in the Public Access Program; a hunter must verify which parcels are enrolled before planning to hunt there. The terrain itself is easy to walk, but legal access, not terrain, is the real constraint.
Does this unit get crowded?
Overall hunter pressure on the unit is low. The combined effect of limited public access and low pressure means that even during the rifle season, competition for ground should be manageable compared to other Colorado units.
Is the terrain manageable for someone on foot?
Yes. Terrain is gentle and rolling across 97 percent of the unit, with mean slopes around 2 degrees; hiking and glassing are straightforward from a terrain standpoint. However, only 32 percent is open to public hunting, so access to legal ground is the real challenge, not the walking itself.
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
- USGS / MRLC — National Land Cover Database — habitat and cover classes by elevation band
- 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
- USGS PAD-US — Protected Areas Database of the United States — land ownership and access
- Daymet daily climate, 1991–2020 (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) — 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 September 24, 2026.