Colorado GMU 4 Mule Deer Hunting
Moffat and Routt counties, northwest Colorado · 467 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 4 is like
Game Management Unit 4 sprawls across roughly 467 square miles of northwestern Colorado in Moffat and Routt counties. The terrain is rolling, with some steeper breaks, ranging from 6,200 feet at the low end to 10,800 feet at the high, with typical elevations around 7,500 feet. Most of the unit is gentle or moderately sloped; steep terrain comprises only 2 percent of the total area. The country supports mule deer across its full mapped range, with Winter Concentration zones marking areas where deer cluster during the coldest months.
About 41 percent of the unit—roughly 191 square miles—is National Forest and BLM land, open to public hunting. Another 6.3 percent is Colorado State Trust Land; access to State Trust parcels depends on enrollment in CPW's Public Access Program, and hunters should verify current status before planning a hunt here. The remaining 52 percent is private land. The public land here is interspersed with private holdings, and reaching some areas may require checking access routes and seasonal road conditions.
Mule deer occupy Summer Range covering the unit's full extent and use 52 percent of the unit during winter months. Migration Corridors cover 47 percent of the unit, indicating animals move through substantial acreage in the fall. Winter Concentration zones mark 34 percent of the unit where deer cluster when snow and cold compress their range. These seasonal patterns mean a hunter should expect deer to shift toward concentrated winter areas as November progresses and weather cools, though the timing and extent of that movement varies with snow and temperature.
The unit offers mule deer hunting in six public seasons: Archery from September 2 to September 30 (either-sex); Muzzleloader from September 12 to September 20 (doe or buck); Second Rifle from October 24 to November 1 (doe or buck); Third Rifle from November 7 to November 15 (doe or buck); Fourth Rifle from November 18 to November 22 (buck only); and Other Rifle from November 18 to November 22 (doe). The archery and muzzleloader seasons overlap the velvet-shed phase when bucks are in transition and less predictable. The Second Rifle season sits in the early fall migration phase; the Third Rifle straddles early pre-rut staging and the primary rut; the Fourth and Other Rifle seasons fall squarely in the primary rut. Temperatures drop through the fall, from September highs near 70 degrees to November highs in the low 40s, and snowfall increases from near zero in September to an average of 2.4 inches in October and 11.4 inches in November. Moderate overall hunter pressure characterizes the unit.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 6,200–10,800 ft, typically around 7,500 ft
- Steepness
- Moderate — mean slope 9.6°
- Slope breakdown
- 60% gentle · 37% moderate · 2% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~191 sq mi, plus ~29 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Habitat & cover
What actually grows here, by elevation. Each band adds to 100% on its own — these are shares of that band, not of GMU 4.
Lower elevations
- Sagebrush76%
- Other cover12%
- Grass and meadow8%
- Aspen3%
- Conifer2%
Mid elevations
- Sagebrush46%
- Aspen44%
- Conifer7%
- Other cover2%
- Grass and meadow1%
Higher elevations
- Aspen48%
- Conifer37%
- Sagebrush13%
- Other cover2%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database, split into elevation bands. “Other cover” is the remainder of the classification — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land — and is left unnamed rather than guessed at.
Land & access
About 41% of GMU 4 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest and BLM. A further 6% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- National Forest30%
- BLM11%
- State Trust Land6%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private52%
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.
Where mule deer live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps mule deer seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 4 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 Range52%used in winter
- Migration Corridors47%movement between ranges, not residence
- Winter Concentration34%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 | Doe, Buck |
| 3rd Rifle | November 7 – November 15 | Doe, Buck |
| 4th Rifle | November 18 – November 22 | Buck |
| Other Rifle | November 18 – November 22 | Doe |
| Private-land only | October 24 – November 22 | Either-sex |
| Ranching for Wildlife | Dates vary by hunt code | Either-sex, Doe |
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 40°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 56°F, lows around 30°F, about 2.4 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 42°F, lows around 20°F, about 11.4 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 4 mule deer hunting FAQ
Can a hunter with no preference points draw a tag here?
Yes. The draw difficulty for the easiest unit-wide public-land buck or either-sex code reliably draws at 1–2 preference points, meaning applicants with zero points sometimes draw in the primary draw. Hunters with low or no points can also enter the secondary draw in June, which is a separate pure-random draw open to any Colorado resident regardless of points, or pursue the leftover list first-come, first-served after the primary draw closes.
Is this a good unit for early-season versus late-season hunting?
Both seasons hunt different behaviors. The archery and muzzleloader seasons (early September through mid-September) occur during velvet shed when bucks are transitioning and less active. The rifle seasons running from late October into late November span migration, pre-rut staging, and the primary rut; the Third, Fourth, and Other Rifle seasons specifically fall during the rut when buck activity peaks. A hunter's choice depends on preferred weapon and whether they want to hunt the rut or an earlier phase.
How much ground can a public-land hunter actually access here?
Roughly 41 percent of the unit—about 191 square miles—is National Forest and BLM land open to public hunting. An additional 6.3 percent is State Trust Land huntable only on parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program; status varies by parcel and hunters should verify current enrollment before the season. The remaining 52 percent is private land. Access to public ground depends on roads, trailheads, and seasonal closures; checking approach routes ahead of time is essential.
Where should I expect to find deer as the season advances?
Winter Concentration zones cover 34 percent of the unit and mark where deer cluster as snow and cold weather drive them to concentrated areas. Broad Summer and Winter Range layers show that mule deer use the full extent of the unit's mapped range, but they do not occupy it uniformly—the concentration zones reveal where deer compress during late fall and winter. Timing and extent of shift toward these areas vary with weather and snowfall, but a hunter should expect deer distribution to narrow and intensify as November progresses and snow accumulates.
What's the terrain like for hunting on foot?
The unit is rolling, with some steeper breaks. Sixty percent of the area is gentle terrain and 37 percent is moderately sloped, making most of the unit manageable for a hunter on foot. Only 2 percent is steep terrain. Elevation spans from about 6,200 feet to 10,800 feet, so hunters should be prepared for cooler, higher-elevation conditions, especially as the season progresses into November when temperatures can drop well below freezing and snow becomes likely.
Does draw difficulty mean the unit will be crowded?
No—draw difficulty and hunter pressure are separate measures. A moderate draw does not predict crowding; it describes how many preference points the easiest tag reliably requires. This unit has moderate overall hunter pressure, meaning neither scarce nor abundant numbers of hunters are expected. A hunter evaluating whether the unit will feel crowded should consider reported activity levels and access points, not draw difficulty alone.
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
- USGS / MRLC — National Land Cover Database — habitat and cover classes by elevation band
- 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
- USGS PAD-US — Protected Areas Database of the United States — land ownership and access
- Daymet daily climate, 1991–2020 (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) — 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 September 24, 2026.