Colorado GMU 75 Mule Deer Hunting
La Plata and San Juan counties, southwest Colorado · 646 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 75 is like
Game Management Unit 75 sits in southwestern Colorado and spans 646 square miles across La Plata and San Juan counties. The terrain rolls from gentle slopes to moderately steep country, with 47 percent of the unit classified as gentle, 30 percent moderate, and 19 percent steep by area. Elevations range from 5,900 feet to 14,100 feet, with typical hunting occurring around 7,600 feet. The unit offers mule deer hunting across seven seasons using different weapons, from early September through late November.
Roughly 43 percent of the unit, about 279 square miles, is publicly open to hunting on National Forest and BLM land. The remainder—approximately 56 percent—is privately owned. This public-land share sets the realistic base for access; the actual ground a hunter can reach depends on road networks, trailheads, seasonal closures, and private inholdings that may restrict movement.
Mule deer occupy the summer range across the entire unit and are present on 100 percent of the mapped overall range. Winter range covers half the unit, and 24 percent of the unit is marked as winter concentration ground where mule deer cluster. Migration corridors occupy 7 percent. As seasons progress from September through November, hunters should expect mule deer to concentrate and shift behavior through fall migration and early winter consolidation. The timing and extent of any movement toward winter ground varies with weather and snow.
Seven seasons are offered to hunters in 2026: Archery from September 2 through September 30, Muzzleloader September 12 through September 20, and four rifle seasons spanning October 14 through November 22. Archery and Muzzleloader occur during velvet shed and early fall transition; the four rifle seasons progress from early fall migration and nocturnal buck phases through early pre-rut staging and into the primary rut from mid-November forward. September brings high temperatures averaging 74 degrees Fahrenheit, while November cools to 49 degrees. Snowfall averages near zero in September, 0.4 inches in October, and 2.4 inches in November. The unit draws an easy classification for adult Colorado residents seeking the most accessible unit-wide buck or either-sex code, though other hunts and weapons may require additional preference points.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,900–14,100 ft, typically around 7,600 ft
- Steepness
- Steep — mean slope 15°
- Slope breakdown
- 47% gentle · 30% moderate · 19% steep · 5% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~279 sq mi, plus ~3 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 43% of GMU 75 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest and BLM.
- National Forest35%
- BLM8%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land<1%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private56%
Where mule deer live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps mule deer seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 75 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 Range50%used in winter
- Winter Concentration24%where mule deer bunch up in winter
- Migration Corridors7%movement between ranges, not residence
Mule Deer seasons & weapons (2026)
| Season | Dates | Tags offered |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | September 2 – September 30 | Either-sex |
| Muzzleloader | September 12 – September 20 | Doe, Buck |
| 1st Rifle | October 14 – October 18 | Buck |
| 2nd Rifle | October 24 – November 1 | Doe, Buck |
| 3rd Rifle | November 7 – November 15 | Doe, Buck |
| 4th Rifle | November 18 – November 22 | Doe, Buck |
| Private-land only | October 24 – January 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 44°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 62°F, lows around 33°F, about 0.4 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 49°F, lows around 23°F, about 2.4 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 75 mule deer hunting FAQ
How much of this unit can I actually hunt on public land?
Approximately 279 square miles—43 percent of the unit—is open to public hunting on National Forest and BLM ground. The remaining 56 percent is private. Whether a hunter can access specific public tracts depends on road networks, trailheads, seasonal closures, and the location of private inholdings, which this figure does not account for.
Is this unit realistic with zero preference points?
An adult Colorado resident seeking the most accessible unit-wide buck or either-sex code can draw with zero points on this unit, as it carries an easy draw classification. Other hunts, weapons, and tags may require additional points; nonresident applicants face different thresholds entirely.
When during the fall do mule deer here move toward winter ground?
Winter range covers half the unit, and 24 percent is marked as winter concentration where mule deer cluster. Hunters should expect deer to shift and concentrate as the season advances into fall migration and early winter consolidation phases from late October through November, though the timing and extent of movement depend on weather and snow.
Which seasons fall during the rut?
The 3rd Rifle season (November 7–15) and 4th Rifle season (November 18–22) bracket the primary rut. The 2nd Rifle season (October 24–November 1) straddles early pre-rut staging. Archery and Muzzleloader occur in the velvet shed phase before the rut begins.
What kind of weather should I expect in October and November?
October highs average 62 degrees Fahrenheit with lows near 33 degrees and light snowfall around 0.4 inches per month. November cools further to highs of 49 degrees and lows of 23 degrees, with average snowfall of 2.4 inches, making conditions progressively more challenging as the season advances.
How crowded is this unit during the rifle seasons?
This unit experiences high overall hunter pressure. Draw difficulty—the ease of drawing a tag—is separate from on-the-ground crowding; an easy-to-draw unit can still see significant numbers of hunters in the field during rifle seasons, particularly during the popular rut hunts in November.
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.