Colorado GMU 74 Mule Deer Hunting
La Plata and San Juan counties, southwest Colorado · 595 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 74 is like
GMU 74 is a 595-square-mile elk unit spanning La Plata and San Juan counties in the San Juan region of southwestern Colorado. The unit rises from 6,500 feet to 13,900 feet, with typical elevations around 9,800 feet. Terrain is steep and broken: 42 percent of the area is steep, 36 percent moderate, and 16 percent gentle, with only 6 percent truly rugged by area. The landscape is a mix of high-country basins, timbered slopes, and open ridges characteristic of the southern San Juan complex.
Public land dominates the unit. The National Forest Service manages 77 percent of the total area, BLM another 7 percent, and State Wildlife Areas 2.1 percent, together comprising 86 percent generally open to public hunting. Private ground makes up the remaining 14 percent. State Trust Land accounts for 0.3 percent, hunted only where CPW has enrolled it, and a small unclassified parcel rounds out ownership. Hunters can count on roughly 511 square miles of open public land across National Forest, BLM, and state holdings, though access to specific areas depends on roads, trailheads, and seasonal closures managed by each agency.
Elk distribution across the unit shifts with elevation and season. Summer Range covers the entire unit, and Overall Range similarly spans 100 percent, indicating that elk use country across the full elevation band during parts of the year. Winter Range is much more restricted, covering only 18 percent of the unit, and Winter Concentration accounts for an additional 6 percent. As temperatures drop and snow accumulates through the fall, elk movements become concentrated; hunters planning a hunt in October or November should expect elk to shift toward concentrated winter-use areas rather than remain uniformly distributed across all elevations. Early-season hunts in September encounter elk still in their summer pattern, whereas October and November hunts occur as animals respond to weather and migrate toward winter ground.
The unit offers six public hunting seasons. Archery runs September 2–September 30 for bucks. Early Rifle runs September 5–September 13 for bucks. Muzzleloader runs September 12–September 20 for bucks. The three numbered rifle seasons—2nd, 3rd, and 4th—run October 24–November 22 for bucks. Early-season hunts (archery, muzzleloader, and Early Rifle) fall during the Velvet Shed and Early Fall Transition phase, when bulls are beginning to shed and are generally less vocal and harder to locate than during the rut. The 2nd Rifle season spans the Early Fall Migration and Early Pre-Rut phases. The 3rd Rifle season encompasses the Early Pre-Rut and Primary Rut phases. The 4th Rifle season occurs during the Primary Rut when bulls are most responsive. September temperatures average highs near 64°F with minimal snowfall, October sees highs drop to the mid-50s with about 2.7 inches of snowfall, and November highs fall to the low 40s with nearly 13 inches of snow, steadily shifting conditions through the fall. The draw is easy—often at zero preference points—for the accessible unit-wide buck hunts available to adult Colorado residents, though premium seasons within the unit may require substantially more points.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 6,500–13,900 ft, typically around 9,800 ft
- Steepness
- Rugged — mean slope 23.3°
- Slope breakdown
- 16% gentle · 36% moderate · 42% steep · 6% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~511 sq mi, plus ~2 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 86% of GMU 74 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest, BLM and State Wildlife Areas.
- National Forest77%
- BLM7%
- State Wildlife Area2%
- State Trust Land<1%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private14%
Where mule deer live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps mule deer seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 74 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 Range18%used in winter
- Winter Concentration6%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 |
| Early Rifle | September 5 – September 13 | Buck |
| Private-land only | October 24 – November 15 | 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 64°F, lows around 40°F, about 0.2 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 54°F, lows around 31°F, about 2.7 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 43°F, lows around 21°F, about 12.9 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 74 mule deer hunting FAQ
Can a hunter with zero preference points draw this unit?
Yes. The unit's easiest buck hunts draw reliably at zero preference points for adult Colorado residents, making it accessible to first-time applicants or those who have not accumulated points. This applies to the specific public-land, unit-wide buck hunts that represent the floor of the draw-difficulty band—other seasons, weapons, and nonresident applicants require more points.
Which seasons have the best chance of finding bulls in the rut?
The 3rd Rifle (November 7–November 15) and 4th Rifle (November 18–November 22) seasons occur during or immediately after the Primary Rut, when bulls are most vocal and responsive. The 2nd Rifle season (October 24–November 1) begins during Early Fall Migration and transitions into Early Pre-Rut, so the later part of that season overlaps pre-rut staging behavior.
How much snow and cold should an early-season hunter expect?
September hunts encounter mild conditions with highs around 64°F and essentially no snow. October temperatures drop to the mid-50s with about 2.7 inches of snowfall, creating variable conditions. By November, highs fall to the low 40s with nearly 13 inches of monthly snowfall, making weather a significant factor in late-season hunts.
How much publicly huntable ground is actually available?
Approximately 511 square miles of the unit's 595-square-mile total is generally open to public hunting—86 percent—across National Forest Service (77 percent of the total), BLM (7 percent), and State Wildlife Areas (2.1 percent). The remaining 14 percent is private land. Actual access depends on trailheads, roads, and seasonal closures managed by each agency.
Where should hunters focus in October and November?
Winter Range covers 18 percent of the unit and Winter Concentration covers 6 percent, marking areas where elk cluster as the season progresses. Early-season hunters in September will encounter a different distribution pattern than those hunting later in the fall, as bulls respond to cooling temperatures and snow by shifting toward concentrated winter-use areas.
What is the difference between the September and October rifle seasons?
Early Rifle (September 5–September 13) falls during Velvet Shed, when bulls are shedding velvet and less responsive to calls. The 2nd Rifle season (October 24–November 1) begins in Early Fall Migration as bulls start moving and transitioning to pre-rut behavior, making hunting conditions and elk activity patterns meaningfully different from the earlier hunt.
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.