Colorado GMU 7 Mule Deer Hunting
Larimer County, northwest Colorado · 243 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 7 is like
Colorado GMU 7 covers 243 square miles in the low peaks and rolling country of Larimer County in the northwestern region. Elevation ranges from 7,700 feet to 13,000 feet, with typical terrain around 9,300 feet. The unit is rolling, with some steeper breaks; about 52 percent of the area is gentle, 41 percent moderate, and 7 percent steep, with 1 percent rugged. Most of the unit sits in the moderate mean-slope band.
Approximately 85 percent of the unit—roughly 207 square miles—is publicly owned and generally open to public hunting, managed by the U.S. Forest Service, BLM, and State Wildlife Areas. An additional 1.3 percent (roughly 3 square miles) is Colorado State Trust Land, where hunting access depends on CPW enrollment in the Public Access Program; not all parcels are enrolled and hunters should verify status. Private land makes up about 13 percent of the unit.
Mule deer occupy summer range across the entire unit. Winter range covers about 13 percent, with 8 percent mapped as winter concentration grounds where mule deer cluster during the cold months. A hunter should expect mule deer to shift toward winter concentration areas as the season advances and snow accumulates through late fall, though timing and extent vary with weather. The unit sits entirely within the Overall Range mapping, which reflects the full extent of potential mule deer habitat rather than consistent presence.
Six seasons are offered to public applicants. Archery runs September 2–30 (either-sex); Early Rifle runs September 5–13 (buck only); Muzzleloader runs September 12–20 (doe or buck); and three rifle seasons run consecutively from October 24 through November 22: 2nd Rifle October 24–November 1 (doe or buck), 3rd Rifle November 7–15 (doe or buck), and 4th Rifle November 18–22 (buck only). September hunts occur in warm weather with highs near 62°F and minimal snowfall, while October brings cooling (highs near 49°F) and increasing snow (averaging 7.1 inches), and November turns cold (highs near 37°F) with heavy average snowfall of 15.3 inches. The draw for this unit is easy, often requiring zero preference points, though hunter pressure is extreme.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 7,700–13,000 ft, typically around 9,300 ft
- Steepness
- Moderate — mean slope 11.6°
- Slope breakdown
- 52% gentle · 41% moderate · 7% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~207 sq mi, plus ~3 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 85% of GMU 7 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest, BLM and State Wildlife Areas. A further 1% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- National Forest78%
- BLM7%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land1%
- Private13%
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 7 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
- 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 Range13%used in winter
- Winter Concentration8%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 | Doe, Buck |
| 3rd Rifle | November 7 – November 15 | Doe, Buck |
| 4th Rifle | November 18 – November 22 | Buck |
| Early Rifle | September 5 – September 13 | 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 62°F, lows around 34°F, about 0.7 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 49°F, lows around 25°F, about 7.1 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 37°F, lows around 17°F, about 15.3 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 7 mule deer hunting FAQ
Can someone with no preference points draw a tag here?
Yes. The draw difficulty is easy and often requires zero points for the most accessible either-sex and buck hunts. However, this applies only to the unit-wide public-land codes for adult Colorado residents in the primary draw; other weapons, seasons, and nonresident applicants can require substantially more points.
Which season would be best for cooler weather and tracking fresh snow?
The three rifle seasons from October 24 through November 22 offer progressively colder conditions and heavier snow. November average snowfall tops 15 inches, while October averages 7 inches and is transitional. September seasons have nearly no snow and temperatures in the low 60s.
When does the mule deer rut happen here, and which hunts fall in it?
The primary rut runs November 11–25. The 3rd Rifle season (November 7–15) spans the transition into the rut, while 4th Rifle (November 18–22) falls entirely within the primary rut. Earlier archery, muzzleloader, Early Rifle, and 2nd Rifle seasons occur during velvet shed and early fall migration phases, not the rut.
How much of this unit can a public-land hunter actually access?
Approximately 85 percent (roughly 207 square miles) is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, BLM, and State Wildlife Areas and is generally open to public hunting. An additional 1.3 percent is State Trust Land where access depends on CPW's Public Access Program enrollment. Roads, trailheads, and seasonal closures may still limit where a hunter can physically reach; ownership does not establish access.
Where should a hunter focus in late fall?
Eight percent of the unit is mapped as winter concentration ground where mule deer cluster as conditions cool. A hunter should expect deer to shift toward these areas as November progresses and snow accumulates, though the specific location and timing depend on weather. The mapping does not identify where these concentrations sit within the unit.
Is the hunter pressure here really as extreme as the rating suggests?
Yes, hunter pressure is extreme on this unit. However, that is a separate measure from draw difficulty; an easy-to-draw unit can still be crowded, especially near population centers. The easy draw does not mean light hunting pressure on the ground.
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.