Colorado GMU 68 Mule Deer Hunting
Saguache County, southwest Colorado · 603 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 68 is like
GMU 68 is a 603-square-mile unit in southwest Colorado, ranging from 7,600 feet to 13,900 feet in elevation. The country is rolling to moderately steep, with 49% gentle terrain, 43% moderate terrain, and 8% steep terrain distributed across the unit. Mule deer hunting here encompasses a full fall arc from early archery in September through late-season rifle in November, offering multiple opportunities across changing conditions as temperatures decline from early-September highs near 67°F to November highs near 43°F.
Roughly 79% of the unit—about 477 square miles—is open to public hunting and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and State Wildlife Areas. An additional 8% is Colorado State Trust Land, where hunting access depends on enrollment in CPW's Public Access Program; hunters should verify which parcels are currently available. The remaining 12% is private land. This mix of ownership means that while substantial public ground is available, the layout of private inholdings and State Trust Land parcels will influence where a hunter can actually spend time.
Mule deer occupy summer range across 90% of the unit, but concentrate on only 42% during winter months, with 8% identified as winter concentration areas where bucks cluster. Hunters should expect that as the fall season progresses and temperatures cool—especially with the November snowfall averaging 6.5 inches—mule deer distribution will shift toward lower-elevation and winter-range ground. The timing and extent of that shift vary with weather and snow accumulation.
The unit offers six seasons in 2026, five of which are open to public applicants: Archery (September 2–30), Muzzleloader (September 12–20), and three rifle seasons—2nd Rifle (October 24–November 1), 3rd Rifle (November 7–15), and 4th Rifle (November 18–22)—all for bucks only. Archery and Muzzleloader seasons fall during the Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition phase, while the 2nd Rifle season spans the Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase and early Pre-Rut staging; 3rd Rifle covers the Pre-Rut and Primary Rut phases; and 4th Rifle falls squarely in the Primary Rut. Draw difficulty is moderate, requiring 1–2 preference points for the easiest unit-wide buck hunt available to adult Colorado residents, though premium seasons on this unit demand substantially more points.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 7,600–13,900 ft, typically around 9,600 ft
- Steepness
- Moderate — mean slope 11.6°
- Slope breakdown
- 49% gentle · 43% moderate · 8% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~477 sq mi, plus ~48 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 79% of GMU 68 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest, BLM and State Wildlife Areas. A further 8% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- National Forest63%
- BLM16%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land8%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private12%
Colorado State Trust Land is open to public hunting only where it is enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program. Check current enrollment before planning around it.
Where mule deer live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps mule deer seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 68 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 Range90%used in summer
- Winter Range42%used in winter
- Winter Concentration8%where mule deer bunch up in winter
- Migration Corridors<1%movement between ranges, not residence
Mule Deer seasons & weapons (2026)
| Season | Dates | Tags offered |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | September 2 – September 30 | Buck |
| Muzzleloader | September 12 – September 20 | 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 | September 1 – December 31 | 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 67°F, lows around 37°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 56°F, lows around 27°F, about 1.4 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 43°F, lows around 16°F, about 6.5 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 68 mule deer hunting FAQ
Is this a reasonable unit for a hunter with no preference points?
Yes, for the easiest buck hunts. The unit draws at 1–2 points for the most accessible unit-wide buck opportunity, meaning some public-land seasons are available to new applicants. Premium seasons and later rifle hunts may require significantly more points, but entry-level access exists at zero points for those willing to apply when their turn comes.
When are mule deer bucks most concentrated on this unit?
Winter concentration areas make up 8% of the unit. As the fall season advances and temperatures drop into November—when snowfall averages 6.5 inches—bucks shift toward winter ground. Hunters pursuing late-season rifles (3rd and 4th in November) should anticipate bucks clustering on winter range rather than spread across the broader 90% summer distribution.
How much public ground is actually huntable here?
About 79% of the unit, roughly 477 square miles, is open to public hunting on National Forest, BLM, and State Wildlife Area ground. An additional 8% is State Trust Land where access is enrollment-dependent; hunters must verify current Public Access Program parcels before planning. The remaining 12% is private land.
Does archery season in early September offer different hunting than the rifle seasons?
Yes, fundamentally. Archery (September 2–30) and Muzzleloader (September 12–20) occur during the Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition when bucks are still distributed across summer range. The 2nd Rifle season (October 24–November 1) begins as bucks start moving and becoming more nocturnal, while 3rd and 4th Rifle seasons (November 7–22) coincide with the Pre-Rut and Primary Rut, when behavior and location shift dramatically with the approach of November 11–25.
Is the terrain steep enough to be a barrier for a foot-based hunter?
No. The unit is predominantly gentle to moderate, with only 8% steep terrain. While elevation spans from 7,600 to 13,900 feet, the rolling-to-moderately-steep character means a hunter on foot can cover ground and access elk habitat without requiring specialized mountaineering ability, though higher elevations will always demand fitness.
When should a hunter expect significant snow in this unit?
October brings minimal snow (averaging 1.4 inches), but November sees a sharp increase to an average of 6.5 inches. By mid-November, when the Primary Rut occurs, snow is likely to be present at mid-elevation and above. Early-season hunts in September and early October should not rely on snow to influence deer movement.
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.