Colorado GMU 14 Mule Deer Hunting
Routt and Grand counties, northwest Colorado · 409 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 14 is like
Unit 14 spans roughly 409 square miles across Routt and Grand counties in northwestern Colorado, covering terrain that rises from 6,700 feet to 12,200 feet with a typical elevation around 9,100 feet. The topography is rolling to moderately steep, with about 35 percent gentle slopes, 48 percent moderate grades, 15 percent steep terrain, and 2 percent rugged ground. The unit receives significant fall snowfall, with October averaging 7 inches and November averaging 31.2 inches at mid elevation, while September is nearly dry. Fall temperatures decline from September highs around 63 degrees Fahrenheit to November highs near 38 degrees.
Roughly 85 percent of the unit—approximately 348 square miles—is open to public hunting on National Forest and BLM lands. The remaining 15 percent is split between private land and other ownerships, meaning a hunter planning a trip must contend with private-ground inholdings scattered throughout the area. Public access depends on roads, trailheads, and seasonal closures, which vary across the open ground and require ground-truth verification before a hunt.
Mule deer occupy the unit's Summer Range across all 100 percent of the mapped overall range, though the mapping does not subdivide the unit into discrete seasonal refuges. Migration Corridors cover 25 percent of the unit, indicating that movement corridors concentrate through specific areas in fall. As temperatures drop and snow increases through October and November, deer inhabit terrain across the elevation band, with concentrations shifting along migration pathways as the rut approaches and progresses.
Unit 14 offers seven seasons total, six open to public applicants. Archery runs September 2–30 and takes either-sex deer in the velvet-shed phase. Muzzleloader runs September 12–20, also in the velvet-shed phase, and is restricted to bucks and does. Early Rifle runs September 5–13, taking bucks only and falling in the velvet-shed phase. Three numbered rifle seasons follow: 2nd Rifle from October 24–November 1, 3rd Rifle from November 7–15, and 4th Rifle from November 18–22. The 2nd Rifle hunt falls partly in the early migration and early pre-rut phases, the 3rd Rifle hunt spans the early pre-rut and primary rut phases, and the 4th Rifle hunt occurs during the primary rut. An additional season is available to private-land hunters only. Draw difficulty for the easiest unit-wide either-sex or buck hunt available to resident applicants sits at moderate, requiring 1–2 preference points, with hunter pressure across the unit moderate overall.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 6,700–12,200 ft, typically around 9,100 ft
- Steepness
- Steep — mean slope 15.4°
- Slope breakdown
- 35% gentle · 48% moderate · 15% steep · 2% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~348 sq mi, plus ~1 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 85% of GMU 14 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest and BLM.
- National Forest85%
- BLM<1%
- State Trust Land<1%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private14%
Where mule deer live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps mule deer seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 14 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%.
- Summer Range100%used in summer
- 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
- Migration Corridors25%movement between ranges, not residence
Mule Deer seasons & weapons (2026)
| Season | Dates | Tags offered |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | September 2 – September 30 | Either-sex |
| Muzzleloader | September 12 – September 20 | Doe, Buck |
| 2nd Rifle | October 24 – November 1 | Doe, Buck |
| 3rd Rifle | November 7 – November 15 | Doe, Buck |
| 4th Rifle | November 18 – November 22 | Buck |
| Early Rifle | September 5 – September 13 | Buck |
| Private-land only | October 24 – November 15 | Either-sex |
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.
Fall weather
- September — highs around 63°F, lows around 37°F, about 0.2 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 50°F, lows around 27°F, about 7 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 38°F, lows around 17°F, about 31.2 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 14 mule deer hunting FAQ
Can a hunter with no preference points draw a tag here?
Applicants with zero points can draw the easiest qualifying buck or either-sex hunts at moderate difficulty, which historically draws at 1–2 points; whether a specific draw year will go to zero depends on applicant numbers that year. The scope is limited to those easiest hunts and resident applicants—other seasons, weapons, and nonresidents require more research.
Is this a good unit for archery and early rifle hunters?
Both archery (September 2–30) and early rifle (September 5–13) fall in the velvet-shed phase when bucks are still in bachelor groups and not yet responding to rut stimuli. Neither hunt occurs during the primary rut (November 11–25), so hunters targeting rut behavior should focus on the rifle seasons in late October and November instead.
How much public ground can a hunter actually hunt?
Roughly 85 percent of the unit (348 square miles) is generally open on National Forest and BLM. However, private inholdings and seasonal closures still apply, and access depends on maintained roads and trailheads—a hunter should verify specific routes and seasonal restrictions before committing to the unit.
Does weather make this unit harder to hunt as fall progresses?
Yes. September is mild and nearly snowless, while October averages 7 inches of snowfall and November averages 31.2 inches. By the time the rifle seasons arrive in late October and November, hunters should expect significant snow at mid elevations and be prepared for cold temperatures dropping into the teens at night.
What should a hunter expect during the rifle seasons?
The 2nd Rifle (October 24–November 1) falls in early migration and early pre-rut phases when bucks are becoming more active but not yet fully rutting. The 3rd Rifle (November 7–15) straddles the early pre-rut and primary rut, while the 4th Rifle (November 18–22) occurs during the peak primary rut when buck behavior is most pronounced. Later hunts catch the rut but also face heavier snow and cold.
What does the 25 percent Migration Corridor coverage mean for finding deer?
Migration Corridors represent 25 percent of the unit's area where movement is concentrated during fall transitions. These are not permanent home ranges but routes deer use as they shift through terrain in response to weather and rut timing. A hunter should expect concentrated deer activity in these zones during the October-to-November window.
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.