Colorado GMU 139 Mule Deer Hunting
Baca County, southeast Colorado · 1,201 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 139 is like
GMU 139 is a large southeastern unit covering 1,201 square miles in Baca County. Elevation ranges from 3,600 feet to a high of 4,700 feet, with a typical elevation around 4,000 feet. The terrain is gentle and rolling across the entire unit, with a mean slope of 0.8 degrees. The country is defined by open plains and grassland typical of the southeast Colorado landscape.
Public hunting opportunity is limited to about 3.6 percent of the unit, or roughly 43 square miles of National Forest and State Wildlife Area ground. The remaining 95 percent is private land. An additional 1.0 percent is Colorado State Trust Land, though hunting on these parcels depends on enrollment in CPW's Public Access Program and access may not be guaranteed. This combination means legal access, not terrain difficulty, is the primary constraint on where a hunter can actually hunt.
Mule deer occupy the unit during winter and broader seasonal movement, with the Winter Range covering 33 percent of the unit and no mapped Winter Concentration layer. The absence of a concentrated-use layer means mule deer are not restricted to a small area during the cold months. Overall Range mapping covers the full unit, reflecting the extent of known range, but does not indicate year-round presence. Hunters should expect mule deer distribution to shift with weather and snow as the season advances toward the late-season rifle hunts.
The unit offers four seasons: Archery from September 2 to September 30 (either-sex), Muzzleloader from September 12 to September 20 (doe or buck), Plains Early Rifle from October 24 to November 3 (either-sex, doe, or buck), and Plains Late Rifle from December 1 to December 14 (either-sex, doe, or buck). Two of these seasons are rifle hunts. The draw is easy, often requiring zero preference points for the easiest qualifying adult-resident hunt codes. Moderate hunter pressure reflects the accessibility of the terrain and proximity to population centers, though most of the unit remains off-limits to public hunting due to private ownership.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 3,600–4,700 ft, typically around 4,000 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 0.8°
- Slope breakdown
- 100% gentle · 0% moderate · 0% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~43 sq mi, plus ~12 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 4% of GMU 139 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest and State Wildlife Areas. A further 1% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- National Forest2%
- State Wildlife Area1%
- BLM<1%
- State Trust Land1%
- Private95%
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 139 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 Range33%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 |
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 139 mule deer hunting FAQ
How much ground can a public-land hunter actually access?
Only about 3.6 percent of the unit, roughly 43 square miles, is generally open to public hunting through National Forest and State Wildlife Area holdings. An additional 1.0 percent is Colorado State Trust Land, but access there depends on enrollment in CPW's Public Access Program. Private land comprises 95 percent of the unit, making legal access the binding constraint on where a hunter can legally hunt.
Is this unit realistic for someone with no preference points?
Yes. The draw is easy, often requiring zero preference points to draw one of the easiest qualifying adult-resident hunts. This applies specifically to the simplest unit-wide buck or either-sex code, though other seasons, weapons, and nonresident applicants may require more points.
Which season is best for early fall hunting?
The Archery season runs September 2 to September 30, and the Muzzleloader season runs September 12 to September 20, both falling during the velvet-shed phase when bucks are transitioning from summer to fall behavior. Both seasons offer either-sex or doe/buck opportunities during this period.
When does the rut occur and which rifle season falls in it?
The primary rut occurs November 11 to November 25. The Plains Late Rifle season, December 1 to December 14, falls in the late-rut phase after the peak rut has passed, when mule deer are consolidating toward winter range. The Plains Early Rifle season, October 24 to November 3, precedes the primary rut.
Is this unit walkable for a hunter on foot?
Yes, the terrain is gentle and rolling with a mean slope of 0.8 degrees, making it very accessible on foot. However, only 3.6 percent of that ground is legally huntable without private permission, so terrain ease does not translate to hunting opportunity.
Will mule deer be found in the same areas from opening to December?
Mule deer distribution is expected to shift toward winter range as the season progresses and weather deteriorates. The Winter Range layer covers 33 percent of the unit with no concentrated-use layer, meaning deer will move but are not confined to a small area. Exact timing and extent of any shift depend on weather and snow patterns.
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.