Colorado GMU 691 Mule Deer Hunting
Custer and Fremont counties, southeast Colorado · 253 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 691 is like
GMU 691 spans 253 square miles across Custer and Fremont counties in the southeast region. The unit rolls from 5,400 feet to 8,700 feet in elevation, with a typical elevation around 7,500 feet. Terrain is rolling to moderately steep: 41 percent of the unit is gentle, 38 percent moderate, 19 percent steep, and 2 percent rugged. This mix supports ponderosa pine, mixed conifer, and aspen across a landscape shaped by moderate topography and a mean slope of 15.3 degrees.
About 43 percent of the unit—roughly 108 square miles—is generally open to public hunting and managed by BLM, State Wildlife Areas, and the National Forest. Another 3.3 percent is Colorado State Trust Land, huntable only where CPW has enrolled parcels in its Public Access Program. Private land comprises the remaining 54 percent. The public and trust land is scattered across the unit, so hunters must identify accessible parcels and approach routes before committing to the draw.
Mule deer occupy both summer and winter seasonal ranges across the entire unit. Winter concentration grounds, where mule deer cluster, cover 15 percent of the unit, indicating that while deer use a broad geographic span, they concentrate in specific areas as conditions shift. As fall advances from September through November, hunters should expect seasonal movement patterns tied to weather, snow, and the approaching rut, though the timing and extent of any shift vary with conditions.
Six seasons are offered on this unit, including five for public applicants. The seasons are 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); and 4th Rifle, November 18–November 22 (buck). Archery and Muzzleloader overlap the velvet-shed and early fall transition phases. 2nd Rifle spans the early fall migration and nocturnal buck phase into early pre-rut staging. 3rd Rifle bridges early pre-rut staging and the primary rut. 4th Rifle occurs during the primary rut. The draw carries moderate difficulty for the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex code available to adult Colorado residents, requiring roughly 1–2 preference points to draw reliably, though other seasons and weapons can require substantially more. Hunter pressure across the unit is low overall.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,400–8,700 ft, typically around 7,500 ft
- Steepness
- Steep — mean slope 15.3°
- Slope breakdown
- 41% gentle · 38% moderate · 19% steep · 2% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~108 sq mi, plus ~8 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 43% of GMU 691 is public land a hunter can count on — BLM, State Wildlife Areas and National Forest. A further 3% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- BLM42%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- National Forest<1%
- State Trust Land3%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private54%
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 691 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 Concentration15%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 |
| 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.
GMU 691 mule deer hunting FAQ
Can a hunter with zero preference points draw a tag on GMU 691?
Yes. The easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex hunt code draws reliably at 1–2 preference points, meaning some applicants will draw at zero points. However, the draw difficulty label describes the floor of that range; every qualifying hunt sits within it, and other seasons or weapons can require substantially more points.
How much public ground can a hunter actually access on foot here?
About 43 percent of the unit—roughly 108 square miles—is open to public hunting via BLM, State Wildlife Areas, and the National Forest. An additional 3.3 percent is State Trust Land, but it is huntable only where CPW has enrolled parcels in its Public Access Program; not all parcels are enrolled. The remainder is private. Hunters should map and scout specific public parcels and approach routes before applying.
Is this unit better suited to archery or rifle seasons?
That depends on a hunter's preferences and point balance. Archery and Muzzleloader occur during the velvet-shed and early fall transition, when bucks are still in bachelor groups and before the rut begins. The three rifle seasons—2nd, 3rd, and 4th—span the late-season movement phases and the primary rut from mid-November onward. Each weapon and season falls in a distinct behavioral window, so timing choice matters more than one being objectively better.
Does terrain here require extensive high-elevation hiking?
No. The unit spans 5,400 to 8,700 feet, with 41 percent gentle terrain and 38 percent moderate; only 21 percent is steep or rugged combined. Hunters can find rolling and moderately steep ground across much of the unit, and access does not inherently demand alpine hiking or extreme elevation gain.
Where should a hunter focus effort in late fall, and does that differ from early season?
Winter concentration grounds cover 15 percent of the unit and mark where mule deer cluster as fall progresses. Early-season hunters (archery and muzzleloader) may encounter deer more dispersed across the broader summer and winter ranges. As the rut advances through 3rd and 4th Rifle (early November into November 22), hunters should anticipate seasonal movement and increased nocturnal buck activity, but the exact timing and extent depend on weather and snow conditions that vary year to year.
Is this a realistic option for a hunter on a budget or with limited time to scout?
Low hunter pressure and moderate draw difficulty make the unit accessible to applicants without many preference points, which helps. However, 54 percent of the unit is private, and the remaining public land—43 percent—is scattered. Hunters must identify and access specific parcels in advance; there is no guarantee of finding huntable ground without prior reconnaissance and route planning.
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.