Colorado GMU 171 Mule Deer Hunting
Jackson County, northwest Colorado · 256 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 171 is like
GMU 171 is a 256-square-mile unit in Jackson County in Colorado's northwest region. Terrain rolls gently across most of the unit, with some steeper breaks; the ground rises from 8,000 feet to 12,900 feet, with typical elevations near 8,800 feet. Roughly 69 percent of the unit is gentle terrain, 23 percent moderate, and only 8 percent steep or rugged combined. The country supports mule deer throughout most of its extent.
About 52 percent of the unit—roughly 134 square miles—is generally open to public hunting, managed by the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and State Wildlife Areas. An additional 3.5 percent is Colorado State Trust Land, though only parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program are huntable; access to specific parcels depends on enrollment status. Private land makes up 37 percent of the unit, and another 7.6 percent is unclassified in ownership. Public ownership (all categories combined) totals about 56 percent of the unit.
Summer Range covers the entire unit, and Overall Range also reaches 100 percent, indicating mule deer presence across the area. Winter Range covers only 7 percent of the unit, and 2 percent is mapped as Winter Concentration, where mule deer cluster during the post-rut season. Migration Corridors account for 5 percent, suggesting movement through specific zones as seasons shift. The small winter-range share indicates that mule deer distribution changes significantly through the fall, with a substantial shift expected toward winter ground as elevation snows increase from October through November.
Seven seasons are offered: Archery (September 2–30, either-sex), Muzzleloader (September 12–20, doe/buck), Early Rifle (October 1–7, either-sex), and four numbered rifle seasons—1st (October 14–18, buck), 2nd (October 24–November 1, buck), 3rd (November 7–15, buck), and 4th (November 18–22, buck). Early Rifle spans the transition from early fall movement into the nocturnal-buck phase. The numbered rifle seasons run through the early pre-rut into the primary rut and late-rut phases, with the 4th Rifle season occurring in peak rut. Archery and Muzzleloader occur during the velvet-shed and early fall transition period. Draw difficulty is easy, with the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex code often drawing at zero preference points for adult Colorado residents, though the unit also holds at least one premium buck season requiring substantially more points. Hunter pressure on the unit is low.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 8,000–12,900 ft, typically around 8,800 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 8.4°
- Slope breakdown
- 69% gentle · 23% moderate · 7% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~134 sq mi, plus ~9 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Habitat & cover
What actually grows here, by elevation. Each band adds to 100% on its own — these are shares of that band, not of GMU 171.
Lower elevations
- Sagebrush69%
- Riparian22%
- Other cover7%
- Grass and meadow2%
Mid elevations
- Conifer34%
- Sagebrush29%
- Riparian26%
- Grass and meadow5%
- Aspen4%
- Other cover2%
Higher elevations
- Conifer77%
- Sagebrush11%
- Grass and meadow6%
- Other cover3%
- Riparian2%
- Aspen1%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database, split into elevation bands. “Other cover” is the remainder of the classification — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land — and is left unnamed rather than guessed at.
Land & access
About 52% of GMU 171 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest, BLM and State Wildlife Areas. A further 3% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- National Forest38%
- BLM14%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land3%
- National Park Service<1%
- Unclassified ownership8%
- Private37%
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.
“Ownership unclassified” means the source dataset does not record an owner for that acreage. It is not known to be public or private.
Where mule deer live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps mule deer seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 171 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
- Winter Range7%used in winter
- Migration Corridors5%movement between ranges, not residence
- Winter Concentration2%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 |
| 1st Rifle | October 14 – October 18 | Buck |
| 2nd Rifle | October 24 – November 1 | Buck |
| 3rd Rifle | November 7 – November 15 | Buck |
| 4th Rifle | November 18 – November 22 | Buck |
| Early Rifle | October 1 – October 7 | 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.
Fall weather
- September — highs around 65°F, lows around 35°F, about 0.3 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 52°F, lows around 26°F, about 4.4 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 39°F, lows around 16°F, about 12.9 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 171 mule deer hunting FAQ
Can a hunter with zero preference points draw this unit?
Yes. The easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex hunting code for an adult Colorado resident draws reliably at zero preference points. Leftover and reissued licenses are also possible below the reliable band. That said, the unit holds at least one premium buck season that requires far more points, so applicants should check the specific hunt code they are applying for.
How much public land can a hunter actually access here?
Roughly 134 square miles of the unit—about 52 percent—is generally open to public hunting on National Forest, BLM, and State Wildlife Areas. An additional 9 square miles of State Trust Land may be huntable where CPW has enrolled it in the Public Access Program, but enrollment varies by parcel. The remaining public ownership includes unclassified land where the owner is not recorded.
When should a hunter expect mule deer to shift toward lower winter ground?
Winter Range covers only 7 percent of the unit, and Winter Concentration just 2 percent, suggesting that mule deer move significantly toward lower elevations as the season advances. This shift typically accelerates through October and November as snowfall increases from an average of 4.4 inches in October to 12.9 inches in November. Timing and extent depend on weather and snow accumulation.
Is the terrain here rugged and steep, or manageable for a foot hunter?
The terrain is rolling with some steeper breaks. About 69 percent of the unit is gentle, 23 percent moderate, and only about 8 percent steep or rugged. A hunter on foot will find most ground walkable, though steeper draws and breaks scattered across the unit will challenge the less athletic.
Which seasons fall in mule deer rut?
The 3rd Rifle season (November 7–15) spans into the rut, and the 4th Rifle season (November 18–22) occurs squarely in peak rut. The 2nd Rifle season (October 24–November 1) starts in early pre-rut staging. Archery and Muzzleloader occur earlier, during velvet shed in September, before the rut begins.
How does weather shift through the fall hunting seasons?
September highs average about 65°F, dropping to October highs near 52°F and November highs around 39°F. Snowfall is minimal in September (0.3 inches) but increases to 4.4 inches in October and 12.9 inches in November, hardening the ground and pushing mule deer toward lower elevations as the season progresses.
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
- USGS / MRLC — National Land Cover Database — habitat and cover classes by elevation band
- 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
- USGS PAD-US — Protected Areas Database of the United States — land ownership and access
- Daymet daily climate, 1991–2020 (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) — 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 September 24, 2026.