Colorado GMU 471 Mule Deer Hunting
Pitkin County, northwest Colorado · 104 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 471 is like
GMU 471 is a 104-square-mile mule deer unit in the high country of northwestern Colorado, spanning elevations from 7,700 feet to 14,000 feet with a typical elevation around 11,300 feet. The terrain is mixed, with substantial steep ground: 15% gentle, 40% moderate, 40% steep, and 5% rugged by area. Hunters should expect significant elevation change and variable slope across the unit.
Approximately 90% of the unit—roughly 93 square miles—is National Forest land open to public hunting. The remaining land is private (9.8%) and other unclassified ownership (0.7%). Access depends on National Forest roads and trailheads; the public-land share does not guarantee straightforward entry everywhere on the ground.
CPW maps Summer Range across 100% of the unit, indicating mule deer presence during the summer months. Overall Range, which represents the full extent of mapped range, also covers 100% of the unit. The unit does not have mapped Winter Range, meaning deer distribution and movement patterns during fall and winter are not defined by CPW's seasonal range layers. Hunters should anticipate that mule deer presence and location shift as the season progresses and weather changes, but the specific timing and extent of that shift vary with snow and temperature.
The unit offers nine seasons in total, six of which are open to the general public: Archery (September 2–September 30, either-sex); Muzzleloader (September 12–September 20, doe/buck); Early Rifle (September 12–September 20, buck); 2nd Rifle (October 24–November 1, doe/buck); 3rd Rifle (November 7–November 15, doe/buck); and 4th Rifle (November 18–November 22, buck). Three additional seasons are restricted to youth applicants only, and one is private-land only. The unit also holds at least one premium buck season requiring substantially more preference points than the easiest hunts. Draw difficulty for the easiest unit-wide either-sex or buck code is easy, often drawing at zero preference points for adult Colorado residents. Overall hunter pressure is low. Weather normals show the season cooling from September highs around 56°F to November highs around 36°F, with October snowfall averaging 11.2 inches and November averaging 28.3 inches at mid elevation.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 7,700–14,000 ft, typically around 11,300 ft
- Steepness
- Rugged — mean slope 22.8°
- Slope breakdown
- 15% gentle · 40% moderate · 40% steep · 5% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~93 sq mi
Land & access
About 90% of GMU 471 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest.
- National Forest90%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private10%
Where mule deer live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps mule deer seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 471 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
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 56°F, lows around 33°F, about 1.7 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 45°F, lows around 24°F, about 11.2 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 36°F, lows around 12°F, about 28.3 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 471 mule deer hunting FAQ
Is this unit realistic for someone with no preference points?
Yes. The easiest unit-wide either-sex or buck code draws at easy difficulty, often at zero preference points for adult Colorado residents in the primary draw. Other weapons, seasons, and nonresident applicants can require substantially more points, and the unit holds at least one premium buck season that demands far more points than the easiest hunts.
Does this unit suit early-season or late-season hunting better?
The unit offers hunts across both. Archery and Early Rifle run in mid-September during the Velvet Shed phase, when bucks are shedding velvet and still in summer patterns. Muzzleloader overlaps with Early Rifle (September 12–20) in the same phase. The three numbered rifle seasons run October 24 through November 22, spanning the Early Fall Migration, Early Pre-Rut, and Primary Rut phases, with 4th Rifle (November 18–22) falling entirely in the Primary Rut.
How much public ground can a hunter actually hunt here?
Roughly 90% of the unit—about 93 square miles—is National Forest land open to public hunting. Access still depends on National Forest roads and trailheads; public ownership does not guarantee straightforward entry to all locations on the ground. The remaining 10% is private and unclassified land.
What does the terrain actually look like on the ground?
The unit is mixed and high-elevation: 15% gentle, 40% moderate, 40% steep, and 5% rugged by area. Elevation ranges from 7,700 feet to 14,000 feet with a typical elevation around 11,300 feet. Hunters should expect significant elevation change and variable slope, with substantial portions of the unit requiring travel over steep ground.
When should a hunter expect mule deer to shift location as the fall progresses?
CPW maps Summer Range across 100% of the unit but does not map a Winter Range for this unit. Mule deer presence and movement patterns during fall and winter are not defined by seasonal range layers here. Hunters should anticipate that mule deer location shifts as the season progresses and weather changes, but the specific timing and extent of that shift vary with snow and temperature conditions.
How much snow should a hunter expect during the rifle seasons?
October averages 11.2 inches of snowfall at mid elevation, and November averages 28.3 inches. Snow depth accumulation depends on melt and freeze cycles, and actual conditions vary year to year. The season cools from September highs around 56°F to November highs around 36°F, creating conditions that can support significant snow retention by late fall.
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.