Colorado GMU 47 Mule Deer Hunting
Eagle and Pitkin counties, northwest Colorado · 294 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 47 is like
GMU 47 spans 294 square miles across Eagle and Pitkin counties in the northwestern region, with elevations ranging from 6,600 feet to 14,200 feet and a typical elevation around 10,300 feet. The unit's terrain is mixed, with substantial steep ground: 19 percent gentle slopes, 45 percent moderate terrain, 33 percent steep slopes, and 4 percent rugged ground. This elevation span and terrain diversity create varied habitat across the unit.
Approximately 91 percent of the unit—roughly 269 square miles—is generally open to public hunting on National Forest, BLM, and State Wildlife Areas ground. The remainder consists of about 8 percent private land and a small portion of unclassified ownership. The National Forest comprises the vast majority of public acreage, with BLM and State Wildlife Areas making up the remainder.
Mule deer occupy summer range across the entire unit. Winter range covers 14 percent of the unit, and a winter concentration layer marks 2 percent, indicating areas where mule deer cluster during the colder months. As the fall season progresses and snow accumulates—October brings an average of 6.6 inches and November averages 21.6 inches at mid-elevation—mule deer shift their distribution toward winter ground. However, the timing and extent of this shift vary with weather and snow conditions.
GMU 47 lists nine season categories across archery, muzzleloader and rifle opportunities, including youth-only and private-land-only hunts. Public applicants can access six: Archery from September 2–September 30 (either-sex); Muzzleloader from September 12–September 20 (doe/buck); Early Rifle from September 12–September 20 (buck); 2nd Rifle from October 24–November 1 (doe/buck); 3rd Rifle from November 7–November 15 (doe/buck); and 4th Rifle from November 18–November 22 (buck). Two youth-only seasons and one private-land-only season round out the unit's offerings. The early seasons fall during the velvet-shed phase, when bucks are transitioning into fall; the October rifle seasons encounter the early fall migration and early pre-rut phases; and the late rifle seasons (3rd and 4th) encompass the pre-rut and primary rut period. Overall hunter pressure is low, and the unit draws as easy, often at zero points, making it accessible to applicants with minimal preference points.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 6,600–14,200 ft, typically around 10,300 ft
- Steepness
- Rugged — mean slope 21°
- Slope breakdown
- 19% gentle · 45% moderate · 33% steep · 4% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~269 sq mi
Land & access
About 91% of GMU 47 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest, BLM and State Wildlife Areas.
- National Forest89%
- BLM2%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private8%
Where mule deer live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps mule deer seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 47 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 Range14%used in winter
- Winter Concentration2%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 |
| Early Rifle | September 12 – September 20 | Buck |
| Youth only (Muzzleloader) | September 12 – September 20 | Doe |
| Youth only (Rifle) | October 24 – November 15 | Doe |
| 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 62°F, lows around 35°F, about 0.2 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 50°F, lows around 26°F, about 6.6 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 39°F, lows around 14°F, about 21.6 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 47 mule deer hunting FAQ
Can someone with no preference points draw a rifle tag here?
Yes. GMU 47 draws as easy and often requires zero preference points for the easiest unit-wide either-sex or buck rifle code available to adult Colorado residents. This floor applies to the primary draw; some seasons and nonresident applicants may require more points, and the unit holds at least one premium buck season that takes substantially more points.
Is the terrain on foot manageable for a hunter in reasonable condition?
Terrain is mixed, with 19 percent gentle and 45 percent moderate slopes balanced against 33 percent steep and 4 percent rugged ground. The unit's elevation span—from 6,600 to 14,200 feet—means steep terrain and high elevations are both present, and a hunter should prepare for the full range.
When do mule deer move to winter ground here?
CPW maps Summer Range across the entire unit. Winter Range covers 14 percent, with 2 percent specifically mapped as Winter Concentration, so the cold-season picture is far more concentrated than the summer one.
Which rifle seasons have the best chance at the rut?
The 3rd Rifle season (November 7–November 15) and 4th Rifle season (November 18–November 22) fall within or near the primary rut, which occurs from November 11–November 25. Early rifle seasons encounter the velvet-shed phase and early fall migration, well before the rut begins.
How much public ground can a hunter actually hunt here?
Approximately 91 percent of the unit—roughly 269 square miles—is generally open to public hunting. This comprises National Forest, BLM, and State Wildlife Areas. Private land and unclassified ownership make up the remainder, but access still depends on road quality, trailheads, seasonal closures, and specific inholdings.
What weapon options are available in the earliest seasons?
Archery runs from September 2–September 30 for either-sex; Muzzleloader from September 12–September 20 for doe/buck; and Early Rifle from September 12–September 20 for buck. All three fall during the velvet-shed phase, before the October cooling and migration begin.
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.