Colorado GMU 46 Mule Deer Hunting
Jefferson, Clear Creek and Park counties, central Colorado · 213 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 46 is like
Game Management Unit 46 spans approximately 213 square miles across Jefferson, Clear Creek, and Park counties in the central mountains of Colorado. The unit rises from 7,700 feet to a high of 14,200 feet, with typical elevations near 10,100 feet. Terrain is rolling to moderately steep overall, with 23% gentle slopes, 58% moderate slopes, 18% steep slopes, and 1% rugged terrain. Hunters can expect a mix of ridgelines and drainages across this elevation range, with most ground neither extreme in slope nor particularly easy.
Approximately 73% of the unit—roughly 156 square miles—is publicly open to hunting, managed by the U.S. Forest Service (73% of the total unit) and Bureau of Land Management (0.1% of the total unit). About 23% is privately owned, and approximately 3.8% is unclassified in the available records. State Trust Land comprises less than 0.5% of the unit. Hunters accessing public ground will find themselves on National Forest and BLM land throughout much of the unit, though private inholdings and boundaries require careful attention.
Mule deer occupy the unit across both summer and winter grounds. Summer Range covers 100% of the unit, meaning deer are present throughout the area during the warmer months. Winter Range covers 47% of the unit, with Winter Concentration—where mule deer cluster seasonally—covering 12%. As the season cools from September through November, mule deer can be expected to shift toward lower-elevation winter grounds, though the exact timing and extent of that movement varies with snow and weather conditions. Hunters pursuing early-season opportunities will find deer distributed across the broader summer range; those hunting into November should anticipate increasing concentration on the 47% of ground mapped as winter range.
The unit offers six mule deer seasons, five of which are open to public hunters. Archery runs September 2 to September 30 for either-sex hunting during the velvet-shed phase. Muzzleloader takes place September 12 to September 20 for doe or buck. Three rifle seasons follow: the 2nd Rifle from October 24 to November 1, the 3rd Rifle from November 7 to November 15, and the 4th Rifle from November 18 to November 22—all for doe or buck. A private-land-only season runs September 1 to November 30. September temperatures average highs near 62°F and lows near 38°F with minimal snow. October cools to highs around 51°F and lows near 28°F with average snowfall of about 5.2 inches. November drops further, with highs around 41°F, lows near 19°F, and approximately 11.4 inches of average snowfall. The unit draws at easy difficulty for the most accessible unit-wide buck or either-sex code available to adult Colorado residents, often requiring no preference points.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 7,700–14,200 ft, typically around 10,100 ft
- Steepness
- Steep — mean slope 17.2°
- Slope breakdown
- 23% gentle · 58% moderate · 18% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~156 sq mi
Land & access
About 73% of GMU 46 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest and BLM.
- National Forest73%
- BLM<1%
- State Trust Land<1%
- Unclassified ownership4%
- Private23%
“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 46 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 Range47%used in winter
- Winter Concentration12%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 | Doe, Buck |
| 3rd Rifle | November 7 – November 15 | Doe, Buck |
| 4th Rifle | November 18 – November 22 | Doe, Buck |
| Private-land only | September 1 – November 30 | 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 62°F, lows around 38°F, about 0.5 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 51°F, lows around 28°F, about 5.2 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 41°F, lows around 19°F, about 11.4 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 46 mule deer hunting FAQ
Can a hunter without preference points draw a public mule deer tag on this unit?
Yes, for the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex hunt code available to adult Colorado residents, the unit typically draws at zero preference points. Other seasons, weapons, or nonresident applicants may require substantially more points, but at least one public hunt here is accessible to applicants with no preference-point history.
Is this unit better for early-season or late-season hunting?
Early-season hunters (September archery and muzzleloader) pursue deer in the velvet-shed phase across the broad summer range that covers the entire unit. Late-season hunters (November rifle seasons) should expect mule deer to concentrate increasingly on the 12% of ground mapped as Winter Concentration and the broader 47% Winter Range layer as snow and cold push animals toward lower-elevation winter grounds. Each approach has merit depending on a hunter's preference and preparation.
How much publicly huntable ground is actually available here?
Approximately 156 square miles of the 213-square-mile unit is open to public hunting on National Forest and BLM land, representing about 73% of the unit. The remaining ground is either privately owned (23%) or unclassified (3.8%), though roads, trailheads, private inholdings and seasonal restrictions all affect whether a hunter can reach that public acreage on the ground.
Is the terrain manageable for a hunter on foot?
The unit is rolling to moderately steep overall, with 58% moderate slopes, 23% gentle slopes, and only 19% steep or rugged terrain combined. Most of the unit should be navigable on foot, though the upper elevations and steeper drainages can present physical challenges depending on a hunter's fitness and the snow coverage later in the season.
Where does the mule deer population concentrate during the hunting season?
Winter Concentration—the zone where mule deer cluster seasonally—covers 12% of the unit. The broader Winter Range covers 47% of the unit. As the season progresses and weather cools from September through November, hunters should expect increasing deer presence on these lower-elevation winter grounds, though the timing and extent vary with weather and snow conditions in any given fall.
What is the draw pressure really like on this unit?
The unit experiences moderate overall hunter pressure and draws at easy difficulty for the most accessible qualifying hunt, but an easy-to-draw unit can still be crowded with hunters in the field. Draw difficulty and hunter pressure are separate matters—tags may be easy to obtain, but the number of hunters pursuing them once in the unit should be confirmed locally before planning a hunt.
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.