Colorado GMU 64 Mule Deer Hunting
Delta and Montrose counties, southwest Colorado · 269 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 64 is like
GMU 64 covers 269 square miles across Delta and Montrose counties in the southwest region. The unit is rolling, with some steeper breaks, spanning from 4,900 feet to 9,700 feet elevation with a mid-elevation typical of 5,900 feet. Terrain breaks down as 62% gentle, 25% moderate, 10% steep, and 4% rugged by area. This mix makes the unit accessible from lower elevations while offering higher-ground options for hunters seeking cooler country or different seasonal elk distributions.
Public hunting ground is limited. The BLM manages approximately 37% of the unit—roughly 100 square miles—as generally open to public hunting. Private land comprises 55% of the total. An additional 7.6% is National Park Service land, which is closed to hunting. Public land ownership totals about 45% of the unit, but only the BLM acreage is open to hunters. Access to public ground depends on existing roads and trailheads; the open-land percentage alone does not guarantee straightforward entry, especially where private inholdings complicate routing.
Mule deer occupy seasonal ranges across the unit throughout the fall. Winter Range covers 47% of the unit, while Summer Range accounts for 29%. Winter Concentration layers mark 14% of the unit where mule deer cluster during the cold months. These concentration areas define where deer become denser, though the broader range figures indicate that animals are not uniformly distributed across all open ground. As the season progresses from September through November, expect deer movements associated with weather, elevation changes, and the approach of the rut. The specific timing and extent of these shifts vary with snowfall and temperature.
The unit offers six mule deer seasons open to public applicants. Archery runs September 2 through September 30 on bucks only, occurring during the velvet-shed phase. Muzzleloader follows from September 12 through September 20, also on bucks in the velvet-shed phase and overlapping with archery. Four rifle seasons provide extended opportunities: First Rifle, October 14–18, and Second Rifle, October 24–November 1, both during early fall migration and nocturnal buck phase; Third Rifle, November 7–15, spanning early pre-rut and primary rut periods; and Fourth Rifle, November 18–22, during the primary rut. Each rifle season is buck-only. Weather cools from September highs near 80°F to November highs around 52°F, with minimal September snowfall, 0.1 inches average in October, and around 0.5 inches in November. The unit draws an easy designation, often at zero points for the easiest qualifying unit-wide buck hunts, though other seasons and weapons can require more preference points. Hunter pressure is high overall.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,900–9,700 ft, typically around 5,900 ft
- Steepness
- Moderate — mean slope 11.2°
- Slope breakdown
- 62% gentle · 25% moderate · 10% steep · 4% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~100 sq mi
Land & access
About 37% of GMU 64 is public land a hunter can count on — BLM. Another 8% is public but closed to hunting — National Park Service.
- BLM37%
- National Forest<1%
- National Park Service8%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private55%
Where mule deer live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps mule deer seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 64 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 Range47%used in winter
- Summer Range29%used in summer
- Winter Concentration14%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, 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 80°F, lows around 48°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 66°F, lows around 36°F, about 0.1 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 52°F, lows around 26°F, about 0.5 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 64 mule deer hunting FAQ
How much public land can a hunter actually plan to hunt here?
The BLM manages about 100 square miles (37% of the unit) open to public hunting. The remaining public land—7.6% operated by the National Park Service—is closed to hunting. Roughly 55% of the unit is private. Whether the public BLM acreage is accessible depends on roads, trailheads, and private inholdings that may block or complicate routing, so a hunter should scout the specific area and approach before applying.
Is this unit realistic for someone with no preference points?
Yes. The unit draws an easy designation, with the easiest qualifying unit-wide buck hunts often available at zero points for adult Colorado residents. This applies to the First through Fourth Rifle seasons and the Muzzleloader season. Other weapons, seasons, and nonresident applicants may require substantially more points.
When does the mule deer rut occur during these seasons?
The primary rut runs November 11–25, which falls during the Third Rifle season (November 7–15) and the Fourth Rifle season (November 18–22). Archery and Muzzleloader (both September) occur during velvet shed, well before the rut. The First and Second Rifle seasons precede the rut, sitting in early fall migration and nocturnal buck phases.
What terrain and elevation should a hunter expect on the BLM ground?
The unit's terrain is predominantly gentle to moderate: 62% gentle slopes and 25% moderate terrain make up most of the ground, with 10% steep and 4% rugged areas. The unit spans roughly 5,000 to 9,700 feet, so hunters can expect cooler, higher ground in some areas and lower-elevation terrain in others. The specific character of any given BLM parcel depends on its location within that range.
Will mule deer be in the same places throughout the September-to-November hunt window?
No. Winter Range covers 47% of the unit and Winter Concentration zones 14%, indicating that as temperatures drop and snow accumulates into late fall, deer shift toward winter ground. Summer Range accounts for 29% of the unit and is less occupied by late season. A hunter should expect gradual movement toward lower or more sheltered areas as the season progresses, with timing and extent varying based on snowfall and weather.
How crowded is this unit during the rifle seasons?
Overall hunter pressure is high. The draw difficulty is easy, which means tags are available and do not require many preference points—but available tags attract many hunters. A crowded unit with an easy draw means a hunter should expect other applicants on public ground, particularly during the primary rifle seasons in October and November.
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.