Colorado GMU 146 Mule Deer Hunting
Bent and Prowers counties, southeast Colorado · 932 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 146 is like
GMU 146 is a 932-square-mile unit in the plains and broken country of southeastern Colorado, spanning from 3,600 feet to 4,800 feet in elevation. The terrain is gentle and rolling throughout, with 99 percent of the unit falling into the gentle class and a mean slope of 1.6 degrees. This is low-elevation mule deer country typical of the region's transition zone between plains and foothills, dominated by sagebrush, grassland, and scattered juniper. The unit is large, but nearly all of it is privately held.
The vast majority of GMU 146—approximately 96 percent—is private land. Approximately 4.4 percent is Colorado State Trust Land, which may be hunted only on parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program; hunters must verify current enrollment before planning a hunt. Approximately 0.1 percent, roughly 1 square mile, is BLM land managed as generally open to public hunting. This small acreage of dependably huntable public ground is the only land a hunter can count on accessing without permission. Legal access, not terrain difficulty, is the limiting factor on this unit.
Mule deer occupy the overall mapped range across the unit, though the data indicate seasonal shifts as autumn progresses. Winter Range comprises approximately 13 percent of the unit, suggesting that as the late-season rifle hunts approach, deer concentrate on a smaller portion of the country. Hunters pursuing early-season archery or muzzleloader should expect animals distributed across a wider area, while those hunting the December rifle season should anticipate a concentration of deer on the winter-use ground.
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 (doe or buck), and Plains Late Rifle from December 1 to December 14 (doe or buck). The two rifle seasons span the late fall and early winter. Draw difficulty for the easiest qualifying unit-wide either-sex or buck hunt available to adult Colorado residents is easy, often requiring zero preference points. Hunter pressure on the unit is high, reflecting the large area of private land and the concentration of public-land hunters on the small portion of open ground.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 3,600–4,800 ft, typically around 4,100 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 1.6°
- Slope breakdown
- 99% gentle · 1% moderate · 0% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~1 sq mi, plus ~41 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About <1% of GMU 146 is public land a hunter can count on — BLM. A further 4% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- BLM<1%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land4%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private96%
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 146 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 Range13%used 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 |
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 146 mule deer hunting FAQ
How much public land can I actually hunt in GMU 146?
Only about 0.1 percent of the unit—roughly 1 square mile of BLM land—is dependably open to public hunting. An additional 4.4 percent is Colorado State Trust Land, but access is limited to parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program. Nearly all remaining ground is private, so securing landowner permission is essential for most hunters pursuing this unit.
Which seasons fall during the rut?
The Archery season (September 2–30) and Muzzleloader season (September 12–20) fall during the Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition phase. The Plains Early Rifle season (October 24–November 3) spans the Early Fall Migration and Early Pre-Rut phases. The Plains Late Rifle season (December 1–14) falls in the Late Rut / Winter Consolidation phase, when deer are transitioning to winter grounds.
Is this unit realistic for an applicant with zero preference points?
Yes. The easiest unit-wide either-sex or buck hunt in the primary draw typically draws at zero preference points, making this unit accessible to any qualified resident applicant applying for the first time. However, this reflects draw odds on a heavily pressured unit where nearly all hunting occurs on private land.
Where should I expect mule deer in late December?
Winter Range comprises 13 percent of the unit, indicating that by the Plains Late Rifle season (December 1–14), deer concentrate on a smaller portion of the country than they occupy during early season. Hunters pursuing the late rifle season should focus on the winter-use ground, where the highest concentration of animals is likely to be found.
How does private-land access shape hunting strategy here?
With 96 percent of the unit privately owned and only about 1 square mile of dependably open BLM ground, successful hunting on GMU 146 almost always requires negotiating access with private landowners before the season. The terrain is easy to walk, but legal access—not walkability—is the constraint that defines where hunting is actually possible.
Is the hunter pressure here reflected in the draw difficulty?
Draw difficulty and hunter pressure are separate things. This unit draws easily for adult residents (often zero points), but high hunter pressure means that the small amount of open land is heavily used. The easy draw reflects available tags, not the hunting experience once afield.
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.