Colorado GMU 70 Mule Deer Hunting
Dolores, Montrose and San Miguel counties, southwest Colorado · 1,509 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 70 is like
GMU 70 spans 1,509 square miles across Dolores, Montrose and San Miguel counties in southwestern Colorado. The unit rolls from low elevations around 4,800 feet to highs above 14,000 feet, with typical hunting country at 6,900 feet. Terrain is predominantly rolling, with some steeper breaks: 59 percent of the unit is gentle, 26 percent moderate, and 13 percent steep, with rugged terrain making up the remaining 2 percent. The country supports a mix of public and private ownership across a landscape that spans multiple seasonal ranges.
Approximately 67 percent of the unit—roughly 1,016 square miles—is generally open to public hunting on BLM, National Forest and State Wildlife Areas. An additional 2.2 percent is Colorado State Trust Land where access depends on CPW's Public Access Program enrollment. The remaining 30 percent is private. The publicly-owned lands provide substantial opportunity for foot travel and dispersed hunting across the unit's broader seasonal range.
Mule deer occupy the unit seasonally across mapped ranges. Winter Range covers 73 percent of the unit, with an 18 percent Winter Concentration layer marking areas where deer cluster during that period. Summer Range covers 46 percent of the unit, and Migration Corridors account for 6 percent. This distribution suggests hunters should expect significant seasonal movement as fall progresses and weather changes drive animals toward lower, winter ground. The shift typically varies with snowfall timing and depth, and the extent of that movement varies year to year.
The unit offers six seasons open to public applicants: Archery from September 2 to September 30; Muzzleloader from September 12 to September 20; and four rifle seasons—the 1st from October 14 to October 18, the 2nd from October 24 to November 1, the 3rd from November 7 to November 15, and the 4th from November 18 to November 22. Archery and Muzzleloader seasons fall during the velvet-shed phase when bucks are shedding antler velvet and moving into early-fall patterns. The 1st and 2nd rifle seasons coincide with early fall migration and nocturnal buck activity, while the 3rd rifle season runs through the early pre-rut and into the primary rut. The 4th rifle season falls in the primary rut. Draw difficulty for the easiest qualifying unit-wide public hunt is easy—often drawing at zero preference points for adult Colorado residents. Hunter pressure across the unit is moderate.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,800–14,000 ft, typically around 6,900 ft
- Steepness
- Moderate — mean slope 11.8°
- Slope breakdown
- 59% gentle · 26% moderate · 13% steep · 2% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~1,016 sq mi, plus ~33 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 67% of GMU 70 is public land a hunter can count on — BLM, National Forest and State Wildlife Areas. A further 2% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- BLM49%
- National Forest17%
- State Wildlife Area2%
- State Trust Land2%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private30%
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 70 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 Range73%used in winter
- Summer Range46%used in summer
- Winter Concentration18%where mule deer bunch up in winter
- Migration Corridors6%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 |
| 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 | October 14 – 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 70 mule deer hunting FAQ
Can someone with no preference points draw this unit?
Yes. The easiest qualifying unit-wide public hunt for adult Colorado residents draws at zero preference points reliably, making this an accessible unit for first-time applicants or those who have not accumulated points.
How much ground can a public-land hunter actually count on here?
Roughly 1,016 square miles (67 percent of the unit) is open to public hunting on BLM, National Forest and State Wildlife Areas. An additional 2.2 percent is State Trust Land, though access there depends on CPW's Public Access Program enrollment, which varies by parcel.
Is this unit better for early-season or late-season hunting?
Both have merit. Early seasons (Archery and Muzzleloader in September) fall during velvet shedding when bucks are in predictable bachelor patterns. Late seasons (October through November) coincide with migration and the rut, when bucks are more dispersed and active, though weather and snow increasingly affect hunting as the season advances.
How does the terrain affect hunting on foot?
The unit is rolling with moderate breaks rather than rugged or steeply mountainous. With 59 percent gentle terrain, much of the ground is manageable for foot hunters, though the 26 percent moderate and 13 percent steep sections will require more effort in places.
Where do mule deer concentrate through the fall?
An 18 percent Winter Concentration layer marks areas where mule deer cluster, though the data does not specify elevation or location. Winter Range covers 73 percent of the unit overall, so as the season advances and weather drives animals downslope, hunters should expect movement toward lower-elevation winter ground, though the timing and scale of that shift varies with snow and cold.
What does 'moderate' hunter pressure mean for actual crowding?
Moderate pressure indicates neither light nor heavy use across the unit. Because draw difficulty is easy, tags are relatively available, but that does not necessarily mean crowds are absent in the most accessible areas. Hunters seeking solitude will need to venture beyond the most popular access points.
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.