Colorado GMU 73 Mule Deer Hunting
Montezuma County, southwest Colorado · 891 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 73 is like
GMU 73 spans 891 square miles across southwestern Colorado in Montezuma County, encompassing terrain that rises from 5,000 feet to 13,200 feet with a rolling character punctuated by steeper breaks. Sixty percent of the unit is gentle terrain, 24 percent moderate, 14 percent steep, and 2 percent rugged. The mean slope across the unit is 11.9 degrees. Mule deer hunting here reaches from early September through November, with opportunities across multiple seasons and weapon types.
Land access constrains hunting opportunity. Approximately 26 percent of the unit—roughly 231 square miles—is generally open to public hunting on National Forest, BLM, and State Wildlife Area ground. Colorado State Trust Land comprises an additional 1.1 percent, but it is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it in the Public Access Program; the actual acreage available varies. The National Park Service administers 9.4 percent of the unit where hunting is prohibited. Private land makes up the remaining 63 percent. The publicly owned land totals roughly 36 percent of the unit, but only the 26 percent figure represents ground a hunter can reliably access.
Mule deer distribution across the unit shifts with the seasons. Summer Range covers 48 percent of the unit, while Winter Range encompasses 36 percent. Winter Concentration ground, where deer cluster during winter months, comprises 18 percent of the unit. Migration Corridors account for 2 percent. As seasons progress from September through November, hunters should expect deer distribution to shift toward winter ground, though the timing and extent of that movement varies with weather and snow. The overall distribution is not uniform; mule deer concentrate in particular areas rather than spreading evenly across available range.
The unit offers six seasons: Archery from September 2 to September 30, Muzzleloader from September 12 to September 20, three rifle seasons spanning October 24 through November 22 (2nd Rifle October 24 to November 1, 3rd Rifle November 7 to November 15, 4th Rifle November 18 to November 22), and a private-land-only season from September 1 to November 15. Public applicants can access five of these six seasons. Archery and Muzzleloader seasons fall during the Velvet Shed and Early Fall Transition period when bucks have recently shed velvet. The 2nd Rifle season spans the Early Fall Migration and Nocturnal Buck Phase and into Early Pre-Rut staging. The 3rd Rifle season falls in Early Pre-Rut and Primary Rut phases. The 4th Rifle season occurs during the Primary Rut. Fall weather ranges from September highs near 74 degrees to November highs near 49 degrees, with average snowfall increasing from essentially zero in September to 0.6 inches in October and 1.5 inches in November. Hunter pressure across the unit is moderate, and draw difficulty is easy—often requiring zero preference points for the most accessible unit-wide buck hunt for adult Colorado residents.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,000–13,200 ft, typically around 6,900 ft
- Steepness
- Moderate — mean slope 11.9°
- Slope breakdown
- 60% gentle · 24% moderate · 14% steep · 2% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~231 sq mi, plus ~10 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 26% of GMU 73 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. Another 9% is public but closed to hunting — National Park Service.
- National Forest20%
- BLM6%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land1%
- National Park Service9%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private63%
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 73 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
- Summer Range48%used in summer
- Winter Range36%used in winter
- Winter Concentration18%where mule deer bunch up in winter
- Migration Corridors2%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 |
| 2nd Rifle | October 24 – November 1 | Buck |
| 3rd Rifle | November 7 – November 15 | Buck |
| 4th Rifle | November 18 – November 22 | Buck |
| Private-land only | September 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 74°F, lows around 49°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 62°F, lows around 38°F, about 0.6 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 49°F, lows around 28°F, about 1.5 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 73 mule deer hunting FAQ
How much ground can a hunter actually count on accessing here?
Approximately 26 percent of the unit—roughly 231 square miles—is generally open to public hunting on National Forest, BLM, and State Wildlife Area ground. An additional 1.1 percent is State Trust Land, but it is only huntable where CPW has enrolled it in the Public Access Program; availability varies. The remaining 73 percent is either private land or National Park Service (where hunting is closed), meaning legal public access is the primary limiting factor.
Is the terrain walkable for a hunter on foot?
Most of the unit favors foot travel. Sixty percent is gentle terrain and another 24 percent is moderate, making 84 percent of the unit relatively accessible to hiking. However, terrain difficulty and legal access are separate issues—even walkable ground that is private cannot be hunted without permission.
Which seasons are best for someone with no preference points?
The unit draws easily for residents applying for the most accessible buck hunts, often requiring zero points. Early seasons—Archery (September 2 to September 30) and Muzzleloader (September 12 to September 20)—fall before and around the velvet-shed phase when bucks are shedding their antlers. Applicants should verify current draw results for specific seasons and weapon types, as point requirements can vary.
When do mule deer shift to winter ground?
Mule deer begin moving toward winter range as conditions cool and snow accumulates. The 2nd Rifle season (October 24 to November 1) falls early in this transition, while the 3rd and 4th Rifle seasons (November 7 through November 22) occur later when deer concentrate more heavily on winter ground. Timing and extent of movement vary with weather and snow; no fixed date applies across all years.
Does the unit concentrate deer anywhere, or are they spread throughout?
Mule deer concentrate during winter rather than spreading evenly across available range. Winter Concentration ground comprises 18 percent of the unit, marking areas where deer cluster. This concentration becomes more pronounced as the season advances and winter intensifies, affecting hunter strategy and location selection across the fall.
What weapon and season combination covers the Primary Rut?
The 4th Rifle season (November 18 to November 22) falls entirely during the Primary Rut, when mule deer are actively breeding. The 3rd Rifle season (November 7 to November 15) covers both Early Pre-Rut staging and the beginning of the Primary Rut. Archery and Muzzleloader seasons occur much earlier when bucks are in the velvet-shed phase, months before the November rut begins.
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.