Colorado GMU 32 Mule Deer Hunting
Garfield County, northwest Colorado · 301 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 32 is like
Game Management Unit 32 spans 301 square miles in Garfield County in the northwest region, encompassing mule deer country that ranges from 5,000 feet in elevation to 9,300 feet. Terrain is mixed, with substantial steep ground: roughly a quarter of the unit is gentle, 43 percent moderate, 28 percent steep, and 5 percent rugged. The unit sits at a mean slope of 20 degrees, and this variety of terrain means that accessible hunting exists alongside country requiring more technical travel.
About 38 percent of the unit is generally open to public hunting, all of it managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The remaining 62 percent is private land. For a hunter planning to work public ground, the BLM acreage represents the reliable base; approach and access depend on specific entry points and current conditions on the ground.
Mule deer occupy summer range across 60 percent of the unit and winter range across 46 percent. A winter concentration layer covers 31 percent of the unit, marking areas where mule deer cluster seasonally. Summer Range covers 60% and Winter Range covers 46%, with a 16 percent Migration Corridors layer indicating movement between seasonal areas. As the fall progresses from September into November and snow accumulates, hunters should expect mule deer to shift toward winter ground, though timing and extent vary with weather patterns.
The unit offers six seasons across five public-land hunting codes. Archery runs September 2 to September 30 with either-sex opportunity on mule deer in the Velvet Shed phase. Muzzleloader season runs September 12 to September 20 on bucks, also in the Velvet Shed phase. Three rifle seasons follow: the 2nd Rifle runs October 24 to November 1, the 3rd Rifle runs November 7 to November 15, and the 4th Rifle runs November 18 to November 22, with all three restricted to bucks. The 2nd Rifle spans the Early Fall Migration and Early Pre-Rut phases; the 3rd Rifle spans Early Pre-Rut and Primary Rut; the 4th Rifle falls in the Primary Rut. A private-land-only season also runs October 24 to November 15. Overall hunter pressure on the unit is high, but the draw difficulty for the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex hunts is easy, often requiring zero preference points for adult Colorado residents.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,000–9,300 ft, typically around 7,900 ft
- Steepness
- Rugged — mean slope 20°
- Slope breakdown
- 25% gentle · 43% moderate · 28% steep · 5% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~114 sq mi
Land & access
About 38% of GMU 32 is public land a hunter can count on — BLM.
- BLM38%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private62%
Where mule deer live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps mule deer seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 32 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
- Summer Range60%used in summer
- Winter Range46%used in winter
- Winter Concentration31%where mule deer bunch up in winter
- Migration Corridors16%movement between ranges, not residence
Mule Deer seasons & weapons (2026)
| Season | Dates | Tags offered |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | September 2 – September 30 | Either-sex |
| 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 |
| Private-land only | October 24 – November 15 | 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 69°F, lows around 43°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 56°F, lows around 32°F, about 1.7 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 43°F, lows around 22°F, about 7.8 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 32 mule deer hunting FAQ
Is this unit realistic for someone with no preference points?
Yes. Draw difficulty for the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex hunts is easy, often requiring zero preference points for adult Colorado residents. However, other weapons, seasons, and nonresident applicants can require substantially more points, so the scope of any draw application matters.
Is early season or late season a better bet here?
That depends on the hunter's preference for conditions and deer behavior. Archery and Muzzleloader run in early September in the Velvet Shed phase, with warm temperatures averaging highs near 69 degrees Fahrenheit and no snow. The three rifle seasons span October into late November, with temperatures cooling from 56 degrees Fahrenheit in early October to 43 degrees Fahrenheit by November and snowfall ramping from 1.7 inches to 7.8 inches per month. Late-season rifle seasons sit in the Primary Rut period when buck behavior changes markedly, but they also bring harder travel conditions.
How much public ground can a hunter actually hunt on?
About 38 percent of the 301-square-mile unit is generally open to public hunting—roughly 114 square miles of BLM land. The remaining 62 percent is private. Access to that BLM ground depends on roads, trailheads, and specific entry points; public ownership does not guarantee easy entry everywhere.
What does the 'easy draw' label mean, and what does it not cover?
The label describes the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex hunts available to adult Colorado residents in the primary draw—typically requiring zero preference points for those hunts. It does not cover nonresident applicants, private-land-only licenses, or other weapon choices, which can require substantially more points. It also applies only to hunts with published preference-point tiers in the primary draw system.
How steep is this country, and can a hunter on foot cover much ground?
Terrain is mixed across elevations: about 25 percent gentle, 43 percent moderate, 28 percent steep, and 5 percent rugged. This means accessible country exists alongside terrain requiring more technical hiking. A hunter's ability to cover ground depends on which part of the unit they access and their fitness for steep terrain.
Where do mule deer concentrate in fall, and how does that shift as seasons change?
A winter concentration layer covers 31 percent of the unit, marking areas where mule deer cluster when they move to winter ground. Summer Range covers 60 percent of the unit and Winter Range covers 46 percent, with a 16 percent Migration Corridors layer indicating movement pathways. As fall progresses and snow accumulates in October and November, hunters should expect mule deer to shift from summer toward winter ground, though the exact timing and distribution depend on weather patterns and snow depth.
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.