Colorado GMU 69 Mule Deer Hunting
Custer and Fremont counties, southeast Colorado · 292 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 69 is like
GMU 69 spans 292 square miles across Custer and Fremont counties in the southeastern region, rising from 5,200 feet to 10,400 feet with a typical elevation around 7,800 feet. The terrain is rolling to moderately steep: 48 percent gentle, 31 percent moderate, 19 percent steep, and 2 percent rugged by area. The unit sits in high demand and experiences extreme hunter pressure during the fall seasons.
Roughly 33 percent of the unit (96 square miles) is generally open to public hunting across National Forest, BLM, and State Wildlife Areas. Another 2.5 percent is Colorado State Trust Land, huntable only on parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program. The remaining 65 percent is private land. Legal access rather than terrain is the binding constraint for hunters here: even though much of the open ground is walkable, only about one-third of the unit can be reliably accessed without permission.
Mule deer occupy the unit across all seasons, with both summer and winter range covering 100 percent of the mapped area. A Winter Concentration layer covers 38 percent of the unit, indicating that mule deer cluster rather than spread evenly during the cold months. As fall progresses and temperatures drop from September highs around 72 degrees Fahrenheit to November highs near 49 degrees, deer shift behavior and distribution in response to seasonal conditions and hunting pressure.
The unit offers seven seasons total, six open to public applicants: Archery (September 2–30, either-sex), Muzzleloader (September 12–20, doe/buck), three numbered rifle seasons, and Late Rifle (September 1–October 31, doe); the seventh is private-land-only. The three numbered rifle seasons—2nd Rifle (October 24–November 1, buck), 3rd Rifle (November 7–15, buck), and 4th Rifle (November 18–22, buck)—run consecutively through November. Archery and Muzzleloader hunt the velvet-shed phase of September; Late Rifle spans from the velvet-shed phase into early fall migration and early pre-rut movement; 2nd Rifle covers early fall migration and early pre-rut staging; 3rd Rifle bridges early pre-rut staging and the primary rut; and 4th Rifle falls entirely within the primary rut. The easiest unit-wide either-sex or buck code for an adult Colorado resident draws at 1–2 preference points, though premium seasons on this unit require substantially more.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,200–10,400 ft, typically around 7,800 ft
- Steepness
- Steep — mean slope 14.2°
- Slope breakdown
- 48% gentle · 31% moderate · 19% steep · 2% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~96 sq mi, plus ~7 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 33% of GMU 69 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest, BLM and State Wildlife Areas. A further 2% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- National Forest26%
- BLM7%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land2%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private65%
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 69 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
- Winter Concentration38%where mule deer bunch up in winter
Mule Deer seasons & weapons (2026)
| Season | Dates | Tags offered |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | September 2 – September 30 | Either-sex |
| Muzzleloader | September 12 – September 20 | Doe, Buck |
| 2nd Rifle | October 24 – November 1 | Buck |
| 3rd Rifle | November 7 – November 15 | Buck |
| 4th Rifle | November 18 – November 22 | Buck |
| Late Rifle | September 1 – October 31 | Doe |
| Private-land only | August 15 – 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 72°F, lows around 42°F, about 0.1 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 60°F, lows around 31°F, about 2.5 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 49°F, lows around 21°F, about 3.9 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 69 mule deer hunting FAQ
Can a hunter with zero preference points draw a public-land hunt on this unit?
Not reliably. The easiest qualifying unit-wide buck or either-sex code draws at 1–2 preference points for adult Colorado residents, so a zero-point applicant should not count on it. Other seasons and hunt codes may require more.
Is there enough public ground here to justify applying if most of the unit is private?
Roughly 33 percent of the unit is open to public hunting, which is a substantial but still limited footprint. Whether that acreage justifies an application depends on a hunter's access strategy and willingness to hunt in an extremely high-pressure environment. Terrain walkability is reasonable, but legal access to about one-third of the total area is the real constraint.
Which seasons fall during the mule deer rut?
The 3rd Rifle season (November 7–15) bridges into the primary rut, and 4th Rifle (November 18–22) falls entirely within it. The 2nd Rifle season (October 24–November 1) covers early pre-rut staging but not the rut proper. Early-season hunts—Archery and Muzzleloader in September—occur during velvet shed, before the rut begins.
How much snow should a hunter expect during the fall seasons here?
Snowfall averages increase through the fall: September averages 0.1 inches, October around 2.5 inches, and November about 3.9 inches at mid elevation. These are monthly normals and do not account for variability from year to year or the cumulative depth on the ground by late fall.
Do mule deer stay in one area all fall or move as the season progresses?
Mule deer shift behavior and location as fall advances and conditions cool. A Winter Concentration layer covering 38 percent of the unit indicates that deer cluster on certain grounds during winter rather than spreading evenly. Expect movement and consolidation particularly as the season moves into November and the rut approaches.
Is State Trust Land part of the open hunting area, or is it additional ground?
State Trust Land makes up 2.5 percent of the unit but is never automatically open. Only parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program may be hunted; it is not an extension of the 33 percent generally open figure and should not be counted as guaranteed access. A hunter must research enrollment status before planning to use it.
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.