Colorado GMU 33 Mule Deer Hunting
Garfield and Rio Blanco counties, northwest Colorado · 416 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 33 is like
GMU 33 covers 416 square miles of mixed terrain in the northwest region of Colorado, spanning from 5,300 feet to 11,500 feet elevation with a typical elevation near 8,000 feet. The country is mixed, with substantial steep ground: 33% is gentle, 39% moderate, 25% steep, and 3% rugged by area. Hunting here means covering variable country where terrain changes across short distances and steep sections demand physical fitness and careful route-finding.
About 74% of the unit (309 square miles) is generally open to public hunting, managed by the U.S. Forest Service (45%), Bureau of Land Management (29%), and State Wildlife Areas (0.6%). The remaining 25% is private land, creating a patchwork that requires hunters to study access routes and boundaries before heading out. Entry points and conditions vary widely across the unit, and private inholdings mean that publicly owned ground does not always translate to accessible ground.
Mule deer in GMU 33 occupy mapped range across the unit, with winter concentration covering 46% of the area. Summer range covers 56% and winter range covers 62%, indicating that distribution shifts as seasons turn. A hunter applying for an early-season hunt should expect deer in transition, with animals not yet consolidated. Late-season hunters can expect mule deer to consolidate on winter ground as conditions cool and snow arrives, though the timing and extent of that consolidation vary with weather.
GMU 33 offers six total seasons: five open to public applicants and one private-land-only hunt. Archery runs September 2–30 for either-sex deer, falling during velvet shed and early fall transition. Muzzleloader follows September 12–20 for doe or buck, also in velvet shed and early fall transition. Three rifle seasons follow: the 2nd Rifle (October 24–November 1, buck only) spans early fall migration and early pre-rut stages; the 3rd Rifle (November 7–15, buck only) covers early pre-rut and the primary rut; and the 4th Rifle (November 18–22, buck only) falls during the primary rut. September weather averages highs near 71°F and lows near 43°F with minimal snow. By November, highs average 45°F, lows 22°F, and snowfall averages 5.4 inches, making late-season hunts substantially colder and potentially snowier. Hunter pressure on GMU 33 is high. The easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex hunt code for an adult Colorado resident typically draws at zero preference points, making this unit easy to draw.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,300–11,500 ft, typically around 8,000 ft
- Steepness
- Steep — mean slope 17.8°
- Slope breakdown
- 33% gentle · 39% moderate · 25% steep · 3% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~309 sq mi
Land & access
About 74% of GMU 33 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest, BLM and State Wildlife Areas.
- National Forest45%
- BLM29%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private25%
Where mule deer live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps mule deer seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 33 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 Range62%used in winter
- Summer Range56%used in summer
- Winter Concentration46%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 | Buck |
| 3rd Rifle | November 7 – November 15 | Buck |
| 4th Rifle | November 18 – November 22 | Buck |
| Private-land only | August 1 – January 31 | 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 71°F, lows around 43°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 58°F, lows around 32°F, about 0.9 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 45°F, lows around 22°F, about 5.4 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 33 mule deer hunting FAQ
Can a hunter with no preference points draw GMU 33?
Yes. The easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex hunts often draw at zero preference points for adult Colorado residents, making them available to applicants on their first try. However, hunter pressure on the unit is high, and conditions can be challenging across its mixed terrain.
Is this unit better for archery or rifle hunting?
The unit offers both. Archery runs early in the season when deer are in velvet shed and still in transition, making them less predictable. The three rifle seasons span mid-October through late November, with the later hunts falling during the primary rut when buck behavior is more concentrated and predictable.
How much ground can a public-land hunter actually hunt here?
About 309 square miles (74% of the unit) is open to public hunting on National Forest, BLM, and State Wildlife Areas. The remaining 25% is private, so hunters must plot access carefully and respect boundaries. Road access, trailheads, and seasonal closures all affect which parts of that public ground are reachable.
What kind of terrain should a hunter expect?
The unit is mixed, with substantial steep ground. One-third is gentle, 39% moderate, 25% steep, and 3% rugged. Steep sections are common enough that route-finding matters and physical conditioning for climbing is important.
Does snow become a factor late in the season?
Yes. November averages 5.4 inches of snowfall at mid elevation, compared to nearly zero in September and 0.9 inches in October. Late-season hunts (3rd and 4th Rifle) should anticipate cold temperatures, snow on the ground, and its effects on hunting conditions.
Where do mule deer concentrate as the season progresses?
Winter concentration covers 46% of the unit. As the fall progresses and conditions cool, mule deer move to consolidated winter ground, but the mapping does not specify location by elevation or aspect—hunters must learn the unit's geography and monitor where animals actually concentrate given current conditions.
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.