Colorado GMU 391 Mule Deer Hunting
Jefferson, Denver, Arapahoe and Douglas counties, northeast Colorado · 278 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 391 is like
Game Management Unit 391 is a 278-square-mile unit in the Front Range foothills, spanning Jefferson, Denver, Arapahoe and Douglas counties in the northeast region. It ranges from 5,100 feet to 9,100 feet elevation, with typical elevation around 5,700 feet. The terrain is gentle and rolling, with 72 percent of the unit characterized as gentle slope, 22 percent moderate, and only 6 percent steep or steeper. This is lowland and foothill country interspersed with scattered ponderosa and Douglas fir forest.
Approximately 76 percent of the unit is private land. Twenty-four percent is ownership unclassified—the source data does not record who owns it. No land is mapped as generally open to public hunting. The lack of open public ground means hunting here is extraordinarily difficult for applicants without private-land permission.
Mule deer use the unit across a broad overall range of 100 percent, with 41 percent mapped as Winter Range and 40 percent as Summer Range. Winter Concentration covers 28 percent of the unit—ground where deer cluster seasonally. Migration Corridors account for 1 percent. Deer use here is seasonal rather than uniform, concentrating on Winter Range and Summer Range ground. Hunters should expect mule deer to shift toward Winter Concentration ground as November advances and conditions deteriorate, though timing and extent vary with weather and snow.
The unit offers six mule deer seasons, five of which are open to public applicants: Archery (September 2–30, either-sex), Muzzleloader (September 12–20, doe or buck), 2nd Rifle (October 24–November 1, buck), 3rd Rifle (November 7–15, buck), and 4th Rifle (November 18–22, buck). A sixth, private-land-only season (September 1–November 30, doe or buck) is valid only on private land where the hunter has permission. The draw is easy—often requiring zero preference points—for the most accessible unit-wide buck or either-sex code among adult Colorado residents in the primary draw. Other weapons, later seasons, and nonresident applicants can require substantially more points. Hunter pressure on the unit is extreme.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,100–9,100 ft, typically around 5,700 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 7.7°
- Slope breakdown
- 72% gentle · 22% moderate · 6% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~0 sq mi
Land & access
About 0% of GMU 391 is public land a hunter can count on.
- State Trust Land<1%
- Unclassified ownership24%
- Private76%
“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 391 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 Range41%used in winter
- Summer Range40%used in summer
- Winter Concentration28%where mule deer bunch up in winter
- Migration Corridors<1%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 | Buck |
| 3rd Rifle | November 7 – November 15 | Buck |
| 4th Rifle | November 18 – November 22 | Buck |
| Private-land only | September 1 – November 30 | 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 79°F, lows around 48°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 66°F, lows around 36°F, about 0.9 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 54°F, lows around 26°F, about 1.7 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 391 mule deer hunting FAQ
Can a public-land-only hunter realistically hunt this unit?
No. The unit has essentially no land mapped as generally open to public hunting. Approximately 76% is confirmed private and 24% is ownership-unclassified, meaning the source does not record an owner. A hunter should secure private-land permission before treating this as a realistic opportunity.
Is the terrain walkable if you can get permission?
Yes. The unit is 72 percent gentle slope and 22 percent moderate slope, with a mean slope of 7.7 degrees. Terrain is unlikely to be the limiting factor for a hunter on foot. Access to the ground itself is the primary constraint.
When do mule deer move to winter ground in this unit?
Mule deer concentrate on Winter Concentration ground—28 percent of the unit—as the season advances and conditions deteriorate from late October into November. The 3rd and 4th rifle seasons (November 7–15 and November 18–22) fall in phases when such shifts are expected, though timing and extent vary with weather and snow depth.
What does the zero-point draw rating mean?
The easy draw rating applies to the most accessible unit-wide buck or either-sex code available to adult Colorado residents in the primary draw. This is a floor, not a guaranteed outcome—even the easiest hunt sits in that category. Other weapons, later seasons, and nonresident applicants require substantially more points.
What is the rut timing for these seasons?
Archery and Muzzleloader fall in Velvet Shed, when bucks have recently shed velvet and are beginning to move. The 2nd Rifle straddles Early Fall Migration and Early Pre-Rut. The 3rd Rifle spans Early Pre-Rut and the beginning of the Primary Rut (November 11–25), while the 4th Rifle falls entirely in the Primary Rut.
Does the easy draw mean light pressure?
No. Draw difficulty and hunter pressure are separate. Although the unit draws at easy preference-point tiers for its most accessible hunts, it experiences extreme overall pressure from the population density and proximity to the Front Range and Denver metro area.
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.