Colorado GMU 35 Mule Deer Hunting
Eagle County, northwest Colorado · 268 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 35 is like
Colorado GMU 35 spans 268 square miles across rolling to moderately steep country in Eagle County's northwestern region. Elevation ranges from 6,100 feet to 11,300 feet, with typical ground around 7,900 feet. The terrain breaks down as 40% gentle slopes, 45% moderate, 14% steep and 1% rugged, creating a mix of easier and more challenging ground for foot travel. The unit sits in the transition zone between valley and high country, offering varied seasonal habitat as fall progresses.
Public land comprises approximately 70% of the unit, or roughly 187 square miles, managed by the Bureau of Land Management and State Wildlife Areas. The remaining 29% is private land. This split of public and private ground shapes where a hunter can legally access and what seasons may be available on each ownership class. Access varies with topography, road conditions, and private-land inholdings, so specific approaches should be scouted before the season.
Mule deer use 100% of the unit across their summer range and maintain presence through winter across 82% of the unit. Winter concentration layers cover 29% of the unit, indicating that as conditions cool and snow accumulates through November, mule deer cluster on specific ground rather than spreading evenly. Migration corridors occupy 11% of the unit, marking movement routes that become active as seasonal transitions occur. Early-season hunters will find deer distributed across the summer grounds; as November approaches, animals begin shifting toward the wintering areas where they concentrate.
The unit offers six seasons total, five open to public land hunters: Archery from September 2–30 (either-sex, during velvet shed); Muzzleloader from September 12–20 (doe/buck, during velvet shed); three rifle seasons—2nd Rifle from October 24–November 1 (doe/buck), 3rd Rifle from November 7–15 (doe/buck), and 4th Rifle from November 18–22 (buck only)—spanning the pre-rut and rut phases. A sixth season on private land only runs October 24–November 15. September stays mild with highs near 72°F; October cools to highs around 59°F with light snow; November brings rapid cooling to highs around 44°F and increasing snowfall averaging 6.6 inches. The draw for this unit is easy, often requiring zero preference points for the most accessible either-sex and buck hunts, though premium buck seasons demand substantially more points.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 6,100–11,300 ft, typically around 7,900 ft
- Steepness
- Steep — mean slope 14.4°
- Slope breakdown
- 40% gentle · 45% moderate · 14% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~187 sq mi, plus ~3 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 70% of GMU 35 is public land a hunter can count on — BLM and State Wildlife Areas.
- BLM70%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land<1%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private29%
Where mule deer live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps mule deer seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 35 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 Range100%used in summer
- Winter Range82%used in winter
- Winter Concentration29%where mule deer bunch up in winter
- Migration Corridors11%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 | 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 |
| Private-land only | October 24 – November 15 | Either-sex |
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 72°F, lows around 41°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 59°F, lows around 31°F, about 1.5 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 44°F, lows around 20°F, about 6.6 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 35 mule deer hunting FAQ
How much ground can a public-land hunter actually hunt here?
Approximately 187 square miles, or 70% of the unit, is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and State Wildlife Areas and is open to public hunting. The remaining 29% is private land. Public ownership does not guarantee easy access; terrain, road conditions, and private inholdings can affect which sections a given hunter can reach, so scouting specific approaches before the season is essential.
Is this unit realistic for someone with no preference points?
Yes. The easiest unit-wide either-sex and buck hunts typically draw at zero preference points for adult Colorado residents in the primary draw, making them accessible to new applicants. However, premium buck seasons require substantially more points, and other weapons, seasons, and nonresident applicants face different draw odds.
Is this better suited to early or late season hunting?
The unit supports both strategies. Archery and muzzleloader seasons in early September find deer on summer grounds; rifle seasons from late October through November coincide with fall movement and the rut. As November progresses, concentrating mule deer shift onto winter grounds, so late-season hunters should anticipate denser clustering on that specific ground rather than broad distribution across the unit.
How does terrain affect a hunter on foot?
The unit's mix of 40% gentle and 45% moderate slopes allows reasonable foot travel for most hunters, though 15% of the unit is steep or rugged and will demand more stamina and navigation skill. Elevation gain from 6,100 to 11,300 feet means higher terrain becomes notably colder and more exposed as fall advances.
When does mule deer distribution shift through the fall?
Mule deer occupy the full unit through summer and early fall. As conditions cool and snow accumulates through November, animals begin moving toward winter range; 29% of the unit is mapped as winter concentration ground where deer cluster during the final weeks of the season. Timing and extent of this shift depend on weather and snow depth, which vary year to year.
What does the easy draw rating cover and what does it not?
The easy rating describes the most accessible unit-wide buck or either-sex hunts for adult Colorado residents and reflects preference-point requirements that typically start at zero. It does not cover premium buck seasons, other weapons or season types that may require more points, or nonresident applicants, all of which may face substantially higher draw difficulty.
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.