Colorado GMU 201 Mule Deer Hunting
Moffat County, northwest Colorado · 240 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 201 is like
Colorado GMU 201 is a 240-square-mile unit in Moffat County in northwestern Colorado, spanning elevations from 5,300 to 9,700 feet with a typical elevation around 7,400 feet. The terrain is rolling, with some steeper breaks, dominated by gentle slopes that cover 65 percent of the unit, with moderate slopes comprising 28 percent and steep slopes just 7 percent. The country supports mule deer across the full range of elevations mapped for the species.
The unit is approximately 75 percent generally open to public hunting, consisting of BLM land and State Wildlife Areas across roughly 180 square miles. Another 14 percent is Colorado State Trust Land, where hunting access depends on CPW enrollment in the Public Access Program and cannot be assumed. The remaining 11 percent consists of private ground, unclassified ownership, and a small National Park Service area closed to hunting. Hunters planning to pursue public-land deer should count on the BLM and State Wildlife Areas as their primary option.
Mule deer occupy the unit across summer and winter ranges, with 100 percent summer range coverage and 82 percent winter range coverage. A winter concentration layer covers 37 percent of the unit, marking ground where mule deer cluster as the season advances. The seasonal ranges support the expectation that deer will shift toward concentrated winter ground as fall progresses, though timing and extent vary with weather and snow.
Five seasons are offered to public applicants: Archery from September 2 to September 30 for bucks, Muzzleloader from September 12 to September 20 for bucks, and three rifle seasons for bucks during October and November. The 2nd Rifle season runs October 24 to November 1, the 3rd Rifle season runs November 7 to November 15, and the 4th Rifle season runs November 18 to November 22. The draw for this unit is hard, requiring 3 to 5 preference points for the easiest unit-wide buck hunt available to adult Colorado residents, and the unit holds premium seasons that require substantially more. Overall hunter pressure on the unit is low.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,300–9,700 ft, typically around 7,400 ft
- Steepness
- Moderate — mean slope 9.4°
- Slope breakdown
- 65% gentle · 28% moderate · 7% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~180 sq mi, plus ~33 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 75% of GMU 201 is public land a hunter can count on — BLM and State Wildlife Areas. A further 14% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- BLM71%
- State Wildlife Area4%
- State Trust Land14%
- National Park Service<1%
- Unclassified ownership5%
- Private6%
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 201 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 Range82%used in winter
- Winter Concentration37%where mule deer bunch up in winter
Mule Deer seasons & weapons (2026)
| Season | Dates | Tags offered |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | September 2 – September 30 | Buck |
| Muzzleloader | September 12 – September 20 | Buck |
| 2nd Rifle | October 24 – November 1 | Buck |
| 3rd Rifle | November 7 – November 15 | Buck |
| 4th Rifle | November 18 – November 22 | 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 70°F, lows around 42°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 57°F, lows around 31°F, about 1.5 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 44°F, lows around 21°F, about 3.4 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 201 mule deer hunting FAQ
Can a hunter with no preference points draw a public-land mule deer tag here?
No. The easiest qualifying unit-wide buck hunt in the draw requires 3 to 5 preference points for an adult Colorado resident. Premium buck seasons available on the unit require substantially more points. Applicants without preference points should expect to build points before becoming competitive for public-land mule deer hunts here.
Is there a real advantage to applying early season versus late season?
The early-season archery and muzzleloader hunts occur during the velvet-shed phase when bucks are shedding antlers and becoming more active in evening and night hours. The rifle seasons progress through pre-rut and into the primary rut, which runs from November 11 through November 25. Hunters should choose based on which rut phase and weapon suit their skill and preference; all seasons exist on the same unit and draw separately.
How much ground can a public-land hunter actually access here?
Approximately 75 percent of the unit, or about 180 square miles of BLM and State Wildlife Area, is generally open to public hunting. An additional 14 percent is Colorado State Trust Land, but access there depends on CPW's Public Access Program enrollment at individual parcels and cannot be counted on. Roads, trailheads, seasonal closures, and private inholdings will further define what a hunter can actually reach and access.
What should a hunter expect from the terrain here?
The unit is rolling terrain with some steeper breaks. Gentle slopes dominate at 65 percent of the area, moderate slopes cover 28 percent, and steep slopes account for just 7 percent. Terrain at typical elevation around 7,400 feet should be manageable for a hunter on foot, though the scattered steeper sections require careful route selection.
When are mule deer most concentrated in the unit, and does that help a hunter's odds?
A winter concentration layer covers 37 percent of the unit, marking ground where mule deer cluster as fall advances and conditions push them toward winter range. This concentration intensifies through November and into December. Knowing that deer cluster on specific ground is useful for planning a hunt, but the concentration does not identify where that ground is—hunters must locate it through scouting and local knowledge.
How does weather change through the hunting season here?
September highs average around 70 degrees Fahrenheit with minimal snowfall, creating mild early-season conditions. October cools to average highs around 57 degrees with roughly 1.5 inches of monthly snowfall. November drops further to average highs around 44 degrees with approximately 3.4 inches of monthly snowfall. Hunters should plan for significant cooling and increasing snow 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
- 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.