Colorado GMU 143 Mule Deer Hunting
Las Animas County, southeast Colorado · 690 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 143 is like
Unit 143 spans 690 square miles of southeastern Colorado in Las Animas County, ranging from 4,600 feet to 6,900 feet in elevation with a mean slope of 5 degrees. The terrain is gentle and rolling, with 86 percent of the unit classified as gentle by area, 11 percent moderate, and only 3 percent steep. This is low-elevation country with a character defined more by accessibility than dramatic relief.
Only about 3.9 percent of the unit—roughly 27 square miles—is generally open to public hunting, split between National Forest and Bureau of Land Management ownership. An additional 5.5 percent, roughly 38 square miles, is Colorado State Trust Land; access to these parcels depends on enrollment in Colorado Parks and Wildlife's Public Access Program and cannot be assumed. The remaining 91 percent is private land. Legal access, not terrain, is the practical constraint on hunting here.
Mule deer in Unit 143 occupy a winter range that covers only 2 percent of the unit, with no winter concentration layer mapped. The overall range, which represents the full extent of mapped seasonal use, covers 100 percent of the unit but does not indicate uniform presence or year-round occupation. Hunters should expect mule deer distribution to shift as seasons progress and weather changes, though the specific timing and magnitude of movement vary year to year.
The unit offers five seasons total: Archery (September 2–30, either-sex), Muzzleloader (September 12–20, doe/buck), Plains Early Rifle (October 24–November 3, doe/buck), Plains Late Rifle (December 1–14, doe/buck), and a private-land-only hunt (October 24–November 3, doe/buck). Four are available to the general public. Archery and Muzzleloader seasons fall during the velvet-shed and early fall transition phase. The two rifle seasons span the early fall migration, nocturnal buck phase, early pre-rut staging, and late rut periods. Draw difficulty for this unit is easy, often requiring zero preference points for adult Colorado residents on the easiest unit-wide either-sex hunts.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,600–6,900 ft, typically around 5,700 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 5°
- Slope breakdown
- 86% gentle · 11% moderate · 3% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~27 sq mi, plus ~38 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 4% of GMU 143 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest and BLM. A further 6% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- National Forest4%
- BLM<1%
- State Trust Land6%
- Private91%
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 143 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 Range2%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 |
| Plains Late Rifle | December 1 – December 14 | 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 143 mule deer hunting FAQ
How much ground can a public-land hunter actually access here?
Only about 3.9 percent of the unit—roughly 27 square miles—is generally open to public hunting through National Forest and Bureau of Land Management ownership. This small acreage, combined with the remaining 91 percent in private hands, means legal access is the dominant factor in planning hunts. An additional 5.5 percent is State Trust Land, but access depends on CPW enrollment in its Public Access Program, so it cannot be counted on.
Is this unit realistic for someone with no preference points?
Yes. Draw difficulty is rated easy, with adult Colorado residents often drawing the easiest unit-wide either-sex hunts at zero preference points. This does not apply to all weapon seasons or to nonresident applicants, but for a resident applying to an accessible either-sex rifle tag, this unit draws readily.
When should a hunter expect to find elk concentrated on certain areas?
The unit maps no winter concentration layer, meaning concentrated use areas are not identified in the available data. Mule deer occupy a winter range covering 2 percent of the unit, but the data does not specify where that ground lies or how tightly deer cluster there. Hunters should scout or seek local knowledge to identify key areas.
Does the gentle terrain make this unit manageable for a hunter on foot?
The unit's terrain is walkable—86 percent gentle by area and a 5-degree mean slope—but legal access remains the limiting factor. With only 3.9 percent of the unit open to public hunting, a hunter may find the ground they can legally reach manageable to walk, but covering more than a small fraction of the unit is not possible without private permission.
How do the seasons align with mule deer behavior?
Archery and Muzzleloader seasons (early September) occur during velvet shed and early fall transition, when bucks are shedding velvet and behavior is shifting toward fall patterns. The two rifle seasons span October into December, covering early migration, nocturnal buck phases, pre-rut staging, and the late rut period, offering hunters opportunities across multiple behavioral windows.
What draws are available to public-land hunters?
Four seasons are open to the general public: Archery, Muzzleloader, Plains Early Rifle, and Plains Late Rifle. A fifth season (private-land-only, October 24–November 3) requires permission to hunt private ground and is not a unit-wide public opportunity. The draw difficulty noted applies to the easiest unit-wide either-sex rifle hunts available to adult residents; other seasons and weapons may require more points.
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.