Colorado GMU 191 Mule Deer Hunting
Larimer County, northeast Colorado · 317 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 191 is like
Unit 191 spans 317 square miles in Larimer County and offers rolling to moderately steep terrain across elevations ranging from 5,200 feet to 8,900 feet, with a typical elevation around 7,000 feet. Gentle slopes cover 43 percent of the unit, moderate slopes 41 percent, steep slopes 15 percent, and rugged terrain 1 percent. Hunting mule deer here means negotiating terrain that transitions from easier lower-elevation country to more challenging mid-range foothills and occasional steep pockets at elevation.
About 44 percent of the unit—roughly 138 square miles—is generally open to public hunting, comprising National Forest, State Wildlife Areas, and BLM land. An additional 5.5 percent is Colorado State Trust Land, which may be huntable only where CPW has enrolled it in the Public Access Program; access to those parcels is enrollment-dependent. Nearly 48 percent of the unit is private land, with another 2.8 percent unclassified in ownership. A hunter working public ground here must contend with the typical patchwork of private inholdings and access restrictions.
Mule deer occupy the unit across all mapped seasonal ranges, with 100 percent summer-range coverage, 97 percent winter-range coverage, and 50 percent concentrated winter use. As fall progresses from September through December, mule deer shift from summer bachelor patterns in early September toward migration and staging in October, entering the primary rut phase in mid-November and consolidating on winter ground by late November. A hunter should expect this seasonal movement to concentrate animals on winter ranges and concentration areas as the calendar advances from archery season through late rifle.
Unit 191 offers six seasons: Archery (September 2–30, either-sex), Muzzleloader (September 12–20, doe/buck), 2nd Rifle (October 24–November 1, doe/buck), 3rd Rifle (November 7–15, doe/buck), 4th Rifle (November 18–22, buck-only), and Late Rifle (November 28–December 13, doe-only). Four rifle seasons span the October-through-November window, followed by a separate Late Rifle season in late November and December. Early season temperatures average around 70 degrees Fahrenheit in September, cooling to the mid-50s in October and dropping to the mid-40s by November, with increasing snowfall through the fall. The draw for this unit is generally easy, often available at zero preference points for the most accessible public hunts, though some seasons and weapon types may carry different requirements.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,200–8,900 ft, typically around 7,000 ft
- Steepness
- Steep — mean slope 14.1°
- Slope breakdown
- 43% gentle · 41% moderate · 15% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~138 sq mi, plus ~18 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 44% of GMU 191 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest, State Wildlife Areas and BLM. A further 6% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- National Forest33%
- State Wildlife Area10%
- BLM<1%
- State Trust Land6%
- Unclassified ownership3%
- Private48%
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 191 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 Range97%used in winter
- Winter Concentration50%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 |
| 2nd Rifle | October 24 – November 1 | Doe, Buck |
| 3rd Rifle | November 7 – November 15 | Doe, Buck |
| 4th Rifle | November 18 – November 22 | Buck |
| Late Rifle | November 28 – December 13 | Doe |
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 70°F, lows around 41°F, about 0.1 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 56°F, lows around 30°F, about 2.3 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 44°F, lows around 22°F, about 3.4 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 191 mule deer hunting FAQ
How much ground can a public-land hunter actually hunt here?
About 44 percent of the unit—roughly 138 square miles—is open to public hunting via National Forest, State Wildlife Areas, and BLM. An additional 5.5 percent is State Trust Land that may be huntable only where CPW has enrolled it in the Public Access Program. Nearly half the unit is private land, so access will depend on securing permission or identifying enrolled public access areas.
Does this unit stay crowded throughout the hunting season?
Unit 191 experiences extreme hunter pressure overall. Early seasons in September draw lighter crowds than later rifle seasons, but the unit remains heavily hunted across the fall. A public applicant can typically draw tags here with zero preference points on the easiest hunts, making it accessible to anyone but also drawing large numbers of hunters.
When should a hunter expect mule deer to concentrate as the season progresses?
Mule deer transition from scattered summer patterns in early September toward migration and staging in October, with the primary rut arriving in mid-November. Half the unit is mapped as winter concentration ground where mule deer cluster. As fall advances from archery through late rifle season, a hunter should expect animals to consolidate on winter ranges, particularly by late November and December.
Is the terrain here manageable for a hunter on foot?
The unit is mostly gentle to moderate—43 percent gentle slopes and 41 percent moderate—making it walkable in much of the unit. About 15 percent is steep and 1 percent rugged, so a determined foot hunter can negotiate most of the country, though pockets of steep terrain will demand more effort. Elevation ranges from 5,200 to 8,900 feet, so the higher reaches will be more demanding than lower-elevation foothills.
What rut phase are the main rifle seasons hunting?
The 2nd and 3rd Rifle seasons (October 24–November 15) bracket the transition from early migration into the early pre-rut and primary rut phases. The 4th Rifle season (November 18–22) falls squarely in the primary rut, while Late Rifle (November 28–December 13) occurs in the late rut and winter consolidation phase. Early-season archery and muzzleloader hunt the velvet-shed phase in early September, before the rut.
Is this realistic for a hunter with no preference points?
Yes. This unit draws at zero preference points for the easiest qualifying public hunts, making it accessible to any Colorado resident applicant without accumulated points. Hunter pressure is extreme because of this ease of access, but a first-time applicant can draw here. Other weapons, seasons, and nonresident applicants may require additional 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.