Colorado GMU 62 Mule Deer Hunting
Delta, Mesa, Montrose and Ouray counties, southwest Colorado · 1,376 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 62 is like
GMU 62 spans 1,376 square miles across Delta, Mesa, Montrose and Ouray counties in southwestern Colorado. Elevation ranges from 4,600 feet to 10,300 feet, with typical hunting occurring around 7,200 feet. Terrain is predominantly rolling, with some steeper breaks — roughly two-thirds of the unit is gentle, a quarter moderate, and the remainder steep or rugged. This mix supports mule deer hunting across varied country from early fall through late November.
Public hunting access covers approximately 69 percent of the unit, or roughly 951 square miles of generally open ground managed by the Bureau of Land Management, United States Forest Service, and State Wildlife Areas. Private land comprises about 30 percent of the total unit. The remaining acreage is unclassified or held in other ownership categories. Hunters should check access points and road conditions before entering, as private inholdings and seasonal closures may restrict entry to specific areas.
Mule deer range across the full mapped extent of the unit, with 63 percent covered by Summer Range and 60 percent by Winter Range. Winter Concentration ground, where mule deer cluster during the post-rut recovery and consolidation phases, makes up 16 percent of the unit. Migration Corridors cover 19 percent. This distribution suggests that as the season advances from September through November, hunters should anticipate deer movement and concentration shifts in response to cooling temperatures and changing conditions, though timing and extent vary with weather.
GMU 62 offers six public-land seasons and one private-land-only season in the general draw. Archery runs September 2 through September 30, coinciding with velvet shed and early fall transition when bucks are still nocturnal. Muzzleloader runs September 12 through September 20 in the same phase. Four numbered rifle seasons follow: 1st Rifle October 14–18, 2nd Rifle October 24–November 1, 3rd Rifle November 7–15, and 4th Rifle November 18–22. The 3rd and 4th Rifle seasons fall during the primary rut and early pre-rut phases when buck behavior shifts significantly. A private-land-only season runs August 15 through November 15 for either-sex and doe tags. Draw difficulty for the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex code is easy, often drawing with zero preference points, though other seasons and nonresident applicants require more. Moderate hunter pressure characterizes the unit overall.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,600–10,300 ft, typically around 7,200 ft
- Steepness
- Moderate — mean slope 9.5°
- Slope breakdown
- 67% gentle · 24% moderate · 8% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~951 sq mi
Land & access
About 69% of GMU 62 is public land a hunter can count on — BLM, National Forest and State Wildlife Areas.
- BLM39%
- National Forest29%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land<1%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private30%
Where mule deer live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps mule deer seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 62 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
- Summer Range63%used in summer
- Winter Range60%used in winter
- Migration Corridors19%movement between ranges, not residence
- Winter Concentration16%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 | August 15 – November 15 | Either-sex, 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 75°F, lows around 45°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 63°F, lows around 34°F, about 0.7 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 49°F, lows around 24°F, about 2.3 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 62 mule deer hunting FAQ
Can someone with zero preference points draw here?
Yes. The easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex hunt available to adult Colorado residents typically draws at zero points, making this an accessible unit for first-time applicants. Other seasons, weapons, and nonresident applications require substantially more points, and conditions vary year to year, so checking current draw statistics before applying is essential.
Is there enough public land to hunt without crossing private ground?
About 69 percent of the unit—roughly 951 square miles—is generally open to public hunting on BLM, Forest Service, and State Wildlife Area land. That said, private inholdings and access points mean a hunter cannot assume they can reach all public ground easily. Checking maps, roads, and seasonal restrictions before the season is important.
Which seasons are best if bucks are in rut?
The 3rd Rifle season (November 7–15) and 4th Rifle season (November 18–22) overlap the primary rut and early pre-rut phases when buck behavior is most active. The 2nd Rifle season (October 24–November 1) also bridges into the early pre-rut. Archery and muzzleloader occur during velvet shed and early fall transition, before the rut intensifies.
What weather should hunters expect in September versus November?
September highs average around 75°F and lows around 45°F with negligible snowfall; by November, highs drop to around 49°F and lows to around 24°F, with average monthly snowfall around 2.3 inches. October sits between them, averaging highs near 63°F and lows near 34°F. The fall consistently cools as the season advances.
Where do mule deer concentrate on this unit?
Winter Concentration ground makes up 16 percent of the unit, but the specific location of concentrated mule deer is not mapped by elevation, aspect, or place. Hunters should expect deer to cluster more noticeably during winter consolidation and post-rut recovery phases as conditions change, but the exact ground varies with snow, temperature, and local conditions.
Does this unit work for a foot hunter with limited time?
With roughly 951 square miles of generally open public land spread across rolling terrain with some steep breaks, a foot hunter can find huntable ground, but the total acreage and mix of elevation means patience and planning are required. Access points, road closures, and private inholdings will influence which areas are reachable in a day or weekend.
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.