Colorado GMU 137 Mule Deer Hunting
Las Animas and Baca counties, southeast Colorado · 578 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 137 is like
Game Management Unit 137 covers 578 square miles across the rolling plains of southeast Colorado in Las Animas and Baca counties. Elevation ranges from 4,400 feet to 5,700 feet, with a typical elevation around 5,000 feet. The unit's terrain is gentle and rolling: 93 percent of the area falls into gentle slope classes, 6 percent is moderate, and 1 percent is steep. The landscape is characterized by open grassland and agricultural ground typical of the plains.
Land access is the defining constraint in this unit. Approximately 9.1 percent of the unit, roughly 53 square miles, is National Forest land that is generally open to public hunting. An additional 4.1 percent, about 24 square miles, is Colorado State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment in CPW's Public Access Program; hunters should verify current enrollment before planning a hunt here. The remaining 86 percent of the unit is private land, which means legal access is limited to public ground and enrolled State Trust Land parcels. Hunters planning to hunt this unit must be prepared to operate primarily within the National Forest acreage or secure private-land permission.
Mule deer occupy the plains through fall and winter. The unit's overall mapped range covers 100 percent of the area, but year-round residence is not established for this landscape. Winter Concentration comprises 1 percent of the unit, marking where mule deer cluster during the coldest months. A hunter should expect mule deer to concentrate on winter ground as the season progresses into December, though the timing and extent of that shift vary with weather and snow.
The unit offers four seasons open to public applicants: Archery from September 2 through September 30 (Either-sex), Muzzleloader from September 12 through September 20 (Doe/Buck), Plains Early Rifle from October 24 through November 3 (Either-sex or Doe/Buck), and Plains Late Rifle from December 1 through December 14 (Either-sex or Doe/Buck). The archery season falls during the Velvet Shed phase, when bucks have recently shed velvet and remain in bachelor groups. The muzzleloader season also occurs during the Velvet Shed phase. The Plains Early Rifle season spans the Early Fall Migration and Early Pre-Rut phases, when bucks are becoming nocturnal and beginning to move toward winter ground. The Plains Late Rifle season falls in the Late Rut and Winter Consolidation phases as deer finalize their winter settlements. Hunter pressure in the unit is low. The draw is easy, often drawing at zero preference points for the most accessible hunts; applicants with few or no points have realistic opportunities here for the easiest qualifying either-sex or buck code available to adult Colorado residents in the primary draw, though other weapons, seasons, and nonresident applicants may require substantially more points.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,400–5,700 ft, typically around 5,000 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 3.2°
- Slope breakdown
- 93% gentle · 6% moderate · 1% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~53 sq mi, plus ~24 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 9% of GMU 137 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest. A further 4% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- National Forest9%
- BLM<1%
- State Trust Land4%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private86%
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 137 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 Range<1%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 | Either-sex, Doe, Buck |
| Plains Late Rifle | December 1 – December 14 | Either-sex, Doe, Buck |
| Private-land only | 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 137 mule deer hunting FAQ
How much ground can a public-land hunter actually count on hunting in this unit?
Approximately 9.1 percent of the unit, or roughly 53 square miles, is National Forest land open to public hunting. An additional 4.1 percent is State Trust Land where access depends on current enrollment in CPW's Public Access Program; hunters must verify which parcels are enrolled before planning a hunt. The remaining 86 percent is private land requiring the hunter's own permission, which makes legal access the major constraint despite the gentle terrain.
Is this a realistic option for someone with zero preference points?
Yes. The unit draws at zero preference points for the easiest qualifying either-sex or buck code available to adult Colorado residents, making it accessible to first-time applicants. Other weapons, seasons, and nonresident applicants may require more points, and draw difficulty can shift year to year, so applicants should verify current draw odds before applying.
How does terrain affect hunting here compared to access?
The terrain is gentle and rolling, making it easy to walk and navigate—93 percent of the unit is gentle slope. However, terrain walkability is separate from legal access: only about 9.1 percent of the unit is publicly open to hunting, so a hunter's ability to cover ground is limited by access to National Forest or enrolled State Trust Land parcels, not by steep country.
Is this unit better suited to early-season or late-season hunts?
Both archery and muzzleloader occur during the Velvet Shed phase when bucks remain in bachelor groups and behavior is relatively predictable. The Plains Early Rifle season (late October through early November) spans the transition into the Early Pre-Rut phase when bucks begin moving toward winter ground. The Plains Late Rifle season (December) falls in the Late Rut phase as winter consolidation is underway, offering different dynamics than earlier hunts.
Where should a hunter expect to find mule deer as the season progresses?
Mule deer occupy the plains throughout fall and winter, with 1 percent of the unit mapped as Winter Concentration ground where animals cluster during the coldest months. A hunter should expect mule deer to shift toward winter ground as December approaches, though the timing and extent of that movement vary with weather and snow conditions.
What does the draw-difficulty rating 'Easy' actually cover?
The 'Easy' rating describes the most accessible unit-wide hunt code—the easiest qualifying either-sex or buck hunt for an adult Colorado resident applying in the primary draw. Private-land-only seasons are excluded because they require the hunter's own permission to hunt private ground, which is a separate system from public-land opportunity. Other weapons, seasons, and nonresident applicants may face substantially higher draw requirements.
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.