Colorado GMU 71 Mule Deer Hunting
Dolores and Montezuma counties, southwest Colorado · 520 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 71 is like
GMU 71 spans 520 square miles across the southwestern corner of Colorado, rising from 6,900 feet to over 14,200 feet. The country is mixed, with substantial steep ground: 37 percent gentle terrain, 37 percent moderate, and 25 percent steep, with 2 percent rugged. The mean slope across the unit is 16.5 degrees. Elevations shift from lower, open slopes suitable for early-season hunting to high-country terrain where conditions dictate late-season movement and weather plays a major role in deer distribution and accessibility.
About 85 percent of the unit—roughly 441 square miles—is generally open to public hunting, managed by the U.S. Forest Service, state wildlife areas, and the Bureau of Land Management. The remaining 15 percent is private land. Access depends on the specific roads, trailheads and seasonal closures that serve each part of the open ground; public ownership does not guarantee easy entry. The terrain and elevation span mean that access varies considerably across the unit.
Mule deer occupy summer range across the full unit. Winter range covers only about 4 percent of the unit, and winter concentration—where deer cluster during the coldest months—accounts for 1 percent. Migration corridors span 3 percent. This distribution means that as temperatures drop and snow accumulates through fall, hunters should expect mule deer to shift from their broad summer range toward the limited winter ground, though the timing and extent of that movement vary with weather and snow conditions. The shift is not instantaneous and does not occur uniformly across all deer in the unit.
Five seasons are open to public applicants. Archery runs September 2 to September 30, and muzzleloader follows September 12 to September 20; both hunt bucks during the velvet-shed phase when temperatures range from highs near 62 degrees Fahrenheit to lows around 37. Three rifle seasons follow: the second-rifle season October 24 to November 1, the third-rifle season November 7 to November 15, and the fourth-rifle season November 18 to November 22. The second-rifle season falls during early fall migration and the early pre-rut phase; the third-rifle overlaps the early pre-rut and primary-rut phases; the fourth-rifle occurs during the primary rut. October snowfall averages 5.2 inches, and November averages 18.6 inches, meaning conditions cool and steepen through the fall, with high temperatures dropping from 51 degrees in October to 41 degrees in November. A private-land-only season runs October 1 to November 15. Draw difficulty for the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex hunt available to adult Colorado residents is moderate, requiring 1 to 2 preference points. Hunter pressure across the unit is moderate.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 6,900–14,200 ft, typically around 9,600 ft
- Steepness
- Steep — mean slope 16.5°
- Slope breakdown
- 37% gentle · 37% moderate · 25% steep · 2% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~441 sq mi, plus ~2 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 85% of GMU 71 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest, State Wildlife Areas and BLM.
- National Forest84%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- BLM<1%
- State Trust Land<1%
- Private15%
Where mule deer live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps mule deer seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 71 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 Range4%used in winter
- Migration Corridors3%movement between ranges, not residence
- Winter Concentration<1%where mule deer bunch up in winter
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 | October 1 – 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 62°F, lows around 37°F, about 0.5 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 51°F, lows around 28°F, about 5.2 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 41°F, lows around 17°F, about 18.6 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 71 mule deer hunting FAQ
Can a hunter with zero preference points draw here?
Yes, but only for the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex hunt code. Draw difficulty is moderate at 1–2 points for that code, meaning a resident with zero points can draw, though the chance is not guaranteed. Other seasons and weapons, as well as nonresident applicants, require substantially more points.
How much of this unit is actually huntable by a public-land hunter?
Approximately 85 percent, or 441 square miles, is generally open to public hunting—managed by the U.S. Forest Service, state wildlife areas, and BLM. The remaining 15 percent is private land. However, public ownership does not guarantee easy physical access; roads, trailheads, seasonal closures and private inholdings all still affect what ground a hunter can actually reach.
Is this unit better for early-season or late-season hunters?
Early-season archery and muzzleloader hunts (early September) occur during the velvet-shed phase when temperatures are mild and deer are distributed across summer range. Late-season rifle hunts (mid-to-late November) fall during the primary rut, when bucks are more active but conditions are harsh—November averages 18.6 inches of snowfall and highs near 41 degrees. Early-season hunters face easier conditions but may hunt deer broadly distributed; late-season hunters encounter concentrated movement and rut behavior but must contend with snow and cold.
Where do the deer concentrate, and when?
Winter concentration—where mule deer cluster—accounts for 1 percent of the unit, but the mapped data does not specify where that ground is located. As temperatures drop and snow accumulates in October and November, hunters should expect deer to shift from their broad summer range toward limited winter grounds, though timing and extent vary with weather and snow conditions.
What does the terrain actually look like for a hunter on foot?
The unit is mixed in slope: 37 percent gentle, 37 percent moderate, 25 percent steep, and 2 percent rugged. The mean slope of 16.5 degrees falls in the steep band, so a hunter will encounter substantial rough ground alongside more walkable terrain. Elevation spans from 6,900 to over 14,200 feet, and seasonal conditions change dramatically from September highs near 62 degrees to November highs near 41 degrees with heavy snowfall, affecting both accessibility and where deer are found.
Is the 4 percent winter range enough for late-season hunters?
Winter range covers only 4 percent of the unit, and migration corridors span 3 percent, meaning late-season hunters should expect concentrated deer movement and clustering on a limited portion of ground. However, late-season hunts (especially the November rut hunts) coincide with peak buck activity during the primary-rut phase, when bucks are more vulnerable even on restricted range. Success depends on finding where deer have moved by late November, not on the size of the winter range itself.
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.