Colorado GMU 60 Mule Deer Hunting
Mesa and Montrose counties, southwest Colorado · 238 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 60 is like
GMU 60 spans 238 square miles of rolling to moderately steep country in the southwestern region, with elevation ranging from 4,500 feet to 8,700 feet and a typical elevation around 6,200 feet. The terrain is predominantly gentle to moderate—46 percent gentle and 32 percent moderate—with 18 percent steep and 5 percent rugged areas. The unit offers six mule deer seasons open to public hunting: archery from September 2 to September 30, muzzleloader from September 12 to September 20, and four rifle seasons spanning October 14 through November 22.
Approximately 82 percent of the unit is open to public hunting on BLM and National Forest land, totaling roughly 195 square miles. BLM comprises 64 percent of the unit's area and National Forest comprises 18 percent; the remaining 18 percent is private land. Public ownership does not guarantee easy access, as roads, trailheads, seasonal closures and private inholdings all affect what ground a hunter can actually reach.
Mule deer occupy mapped seasonal ranges across most of the unit. Winter Range covers 89 percent of the unit, while Summer Range covers 71 percent. Winter Concentration, which marks ground where mule deer cluster during winter, covers 13 percent of the unit. A hunter should expect deer to concentrate in smaller areas during winter months rather than dispersing evenly across their full seasonal range.
The unit draws as Easy, often at 0 points, for the easiest unit-wide buck codes in the primary draw. Archery and muzzleloader seasons fall during the velvet-shed phase in early September, when bucks have recently shed antler velvet. The first and second rifle seasons, October 14–18 and October 24–November 1, occur as bucks shift to nocturnal movement and begin staging. The third rifle season, November 7–15, spans the early pre-rut and primary rut phases when buck activity peaks. The fourth rifle season, November 18–22, falls entirely in the primary rut. September temperatures average highs near 77 degrees and lows near 48 degrees with minimal snowfall. By November, highs drop to around 51 degrees, lows to around 26 degrees, and average snowfall reaches 1.3 inches per month. Overall hunter pressure is low.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,500–8,700 ft, typically around 6,200 ft
- Steepness
- Steep — mean slope 15.5°
- Slope breakdown
- 46% gentle · 32% moderate · 18% steep · 5% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~195 sq mi
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 60.
Lower elevations
- Sagebrush61%
- Conifer23%
- Other cover12%
- Riparian4%
Mid elevations
- Conifer62%
- Sagebrush36%
- Other cover1%
Higher elevations
- Conifer69%
- Sagebrush23%
- Aspen6%
- 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 82% of GMU 60 is public land a hunter can count on — BLM and National Forest.
- BLM64%
- National Forest18%
- Private18%
Where mule deer live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps mule deer seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 60 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%.
- 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 Range89%used in winter
- Summer Range71%used in summer
- Winter Concentration13%where mule deer bunch up in winter
Mule Deer seasons & weapons (2026)
| Season | Dates | Tags offered |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | September 2 – September 30 | Buck |
| Muzzleloader | September 12 – September 20 | Buck |
| 1st Rifle | October 14 – October 18 | Buck |
| 2nd Rifle | October 24 – November 1 | Buck |
| 3rd Rifle | November 7 – November 15 | Buck |
| 4th Rifle | November 18 – November 22 | Buck |
| Private-land only | October 14 – November 15 | 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.
Fall weather
- September — highs around 77°F, lows around 48°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 64°F, lows around 36°F, about 0.2 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 51°F, lows around 26°F, about 1.3 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 60 mule deer hunting FAQ
Can an applicant with zero preference points draw a tag here?
Yes. The unit draws as Easy, often at 0 points, for the easiest unit-wide buck hunt codes in the primary draw. An applicant with zero points should consider applying if interested in any of the six public-land seasons.
Which season is best for finding rutting bucks?
The third rifle season, November 7–15, spans both the early pre-rut and primary rut phases when buck activity and visibility are highest. The fourth rifle season, November 18–22, occurs entirely during the primary rut but is shorter. Both offer substantially better rut hunting than the earlier seasons in October, which occur during the early fall migration when bucks are more nocturnal.
How much public ground can a hunter actually hunt?
Approximately 82 percent of the unit—roughly 195 square miles on BLM and National Forest—is generally open to public hunting. However, roads, trailheads, seasonal closures and private inholdings all affect which portions a hunter can practically access. Checking the specific location and current conditions before planning a hunt is essential.
Is archery practical in September?
Archery runs September 2–30 during the velvet-shed phase when bucks have recently shed antler velvet. September temperatures average highs near 77 degrees and lows near 48 degrees with little to no snowfall, making early-season hiking feasible, but bucks are not yet in rut and hunting conditions differ substantially from later seasons.
Where do mule deer concentrate during winter?
Winter Concentration covers 13 percent of the unit, marking ground where mule deer cluster during winter months. The mapping does not indicate the location of this ground—only that concentrated deer use a smaller portion of the overall winter range. Winter Range itself spans 89 percent of the unit.
Does this unit suit someone with limited public-land experience?
The unit's rolling to moderately steep terrain and low hunter pressure make it manageable for hunters new to backcountry hunting. However, 18 percent of the unit is private land and access points vary, so scouting specific routes before the season and carrying maps of public land boundaries is important. The relatively long rifle season window from October through November allows flexibility in timing.
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.