Colorado GMU 512 Mule Deer Hunting
El Paso County, central Colorado · 28 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 512 is like
GMU 512 spans 28 square miles of El Paso County at elevations ranging from 6,300 to 8,300 feet, with a typical elevation around 6,800 feet. The terrain is gentle and rolling, dominated by ground classified as gentle or moderate slope; steep terrain comprises less than 1 percent of the unit's area. This is low-elevation mule deer country with an open, walkable landscape.
Nearly all of the unit—approximately 100 percent—is privately owned. Only about 0.1 square miles of National Forest land sits within GMU 512 and is generally open to public hunting. This minimal public acreage means that most hunters seeking to pursue mule deer here will need permission to cross or hunt private ground.
Mule deer occupy the unit across all three mapped seasonal ranges. Summer Range, Winter Range, and Overall Range each cover 100 percent of the unit, indicating that mule deer use this ground year-round without a substantial shift in distribution as seasons change. The low elevations and gentle terrain support consistent year-round occupancy.
The unit offers one rifle season: Other Rifle from October 1 through December 31, open to either sex (buck or doe). This season spans the early fall transition and migration periods into the rut and winter consolidation. Draw difficulty for the easiest unit-wide either-sex hunt code ranks as Premium, indicating 10 to 19 preference points are needed for a reliable draw. Hunter pressure on the unit is extreme.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 6,300–8,300 ft, typically around 6,800 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 7°
- Slope breakdown
- 76% gentle · 23% moderate · 1% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~0 sq mi
Land & access
About <1% of GMU 512 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest.
- National Forest<1%
- Private100%
Where mule deer live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps mule deer seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 512 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
- Winter Range100%used in winter
- 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Other Rifle | October 1 – December 31 | 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.
GMU 512 mule deer hunting FAQ
Is there any public land I can hunt on my own without permission?
Only about 0.1 square miles of National Forest land is generally open to public hunting within the unit. The remaining 99.9 percent is private, so access to huntable ground depends on securing permission from landowners or finding private-land-only opportunities.
When do mule deer move to winter range in this unit?
Mule deer do not shift substantially to winter ground in GMU 512 because both Summer Range and Winter Range cover the full unit at 100 percent. The low elevation and gentle terrain support year-round occupancy, so expect mule deer to be distributed across the unit throughout the fall and winter rather than concentrating on lower ground as seasons progress.
Is the terrain steep enough to be challenging on foot?
No. The unit is gentle and rolling, with 76 percent classified as gentle slope and 23 percent as moderate; less than 1 percent is steep. Terrain itself is not a limiting factor for foot travel. Legal access to private ground is the real constraint.
What part of the rut does the October-to-December season cover?
The Other Rifle season spans early fall migration through late winter consolidation, overlapping several phases of the mule deer cycle. It begins in the Nocturnal Buck Phase and Early Pre-Rut, passes through the Primary Rut (mid-November), and continues into Late Rut and Winter Consolidation. Hunters can expect different buck behavior and movement as the season progresses through these phases.
How many preference points do I need to draw the easiest hunt here?
The easiest unit-wide either-sex hunt for an adult Colorado resident requires 10 to 19 preference points to draw reliably. Other season types, weapons and nonresident applicants may require substantially more points. Even the most accessible hunt sits in the Premium difficulty band.
Is this unit crowded with hunters?
Yes. Hunter pressure on the unit is extreme, reflecting its proximity to the Front Range and low-elevation terrain that is easy to access and hunt. Combine that with very limited public land and the consequence is significant competition for a small amount of huntable ground.
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.