Colorado GMU 77 Mule Deer Hunting
Archuleta, Hinsdale, La Plata and Mineral counties, southwest Colorado · 557 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 77 is like
GMU 77 sprawls across 557 square miles in southwestern Colorado, encompassing Archuleta, Hinsdale, La Plata and Mineral counties. Elevation ranges from 6,500 feet to 13,000 feet, with typical hunting occurring around 8,700 feet. The terrain is rolling to moderately steep, with 38% gentle slopes, 39% moderate slopes, 20% steep slopes and 3% rugged terrain by area. The unit sits at a mean slope of 15.9 degrees, placing it in the steep band, though the distribution of terrain types offers varied country for different hunting approaches and hunter mobility.
Public hunting access covers roughly 83 percent of the unit, or about 461 square miles. The National Forest comprises the majority of this open ground, along with smaller acreage of State Wildlife Areas and Bureau of Land Management land. Private land makes up the remaining 17 percent of the unit. Road access and trailheads vary across this large landscape, and hunters should verify specific routes before the season.
Mule deer occupy summer range across the entire unit. Winter range covers 14 percent of the unit, with 3 percent mapped as winter concentration ground where deer cluster during the coldest months. Migration corridors cover 57 percent of the unit, reflecting the movement of animals between seasonal ranges as conditions change through fall and winter. As temperatures drop and snow accumulates from October through November, hunters should expect deer to shift toward lower-elevation winter grounds, though the timing and extent of this movement vary with weather patterns and snow depth.
The unit offers seven seasons for 2026, six of which are open to public applicants. Archery runs September 2–30 for either-sex deer. A muzzleloader season follows September 12–20 for doe and buck. Four rifle seasons are offered: the 1st Rifle October 14–18 (buck only), 2nd Rifle October 24–November 1 (doe and buck), 3rd Rifle November 7–15 (doe and buck) and 4th Rifle November 18–22 (doe and buck). A private-land-only season runs October 24–January 15. The unit draws at the easy level for the most accessible unit-wide buck or either-sex hunt code available to adult Colorado residents, though this characterizes only the easiest tier and other hunts within the unit can require substantially more preference points. Hunter pressure on the unit is high.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 6,500–13,000 ft, typically around 8,700 ft
- Steepness
- Steep — mean slope 15.9°
- Slope breakdown
- 38% gentle · 39% moderate · 20% steep · 3% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~461 sq mi
Land & access
About 83% of GMU 77 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest, State Wildlife Areas and BLM.
- National Forest82%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- BLM<1%
- Private17%
Where mule deer live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps mule deer seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 77 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
- Migration Corridors57%movement between ranges, not residence
- Winter Range14%used in winter
- Winter Concentration3%where mule deer bunch up in winter
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 66°F, lows around 41°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 55°F, lows around 31°F, about 1.9 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 44°F, lows around 21°F, about 10 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 77 mule deer hunting FAQ
Can a hunter with zero preference points draw a tag here?
Yes. The unit draws at the easy level, often at zero points for the easiest qualifying buck or either-sex hunt code available to adult Colorado residents. Other seasons and weapon types within the unit can require substantially more points, and nonresident applicants face different draw odds entirely.
When do mule deer move to winter range in this unit?
Mule deer occupy summer range across the entire unit and winter range covers only 14 percent of the unit. Hunters should expect a shift toward lower-elevation winter grounds as temperatures drop and snow accumulates from October through November, though the timing and extent of this movement vary with weather and snow depth. The migration corridors that cover 57 percent of the unit reflect this seasonal movement.
Which rifle seasons fall during the rut?
The 3rd Rifle season (November 7–15) spans from early pre-rut into the primary rut, while the 4th Rifle season (November 18–22) falls entirely within the primary rut. The earlier rifle seasons—1st and 2nd—occur during the early fall migration and nocturnal buck phase, before the rut begins.
How much of this unit is public land a hunter can actually access?
Approximately 83 percent of the unit, or about 461 square miles, is open to public hunting and consists of National Forest, State Wildlife Areas and Bureau of Land Management land. Road access and trailheads vary across this large landscape, and hunters should verify specific routes and seasonal closures before planning their hunts.
Is archery season a viable option on this unit?
Archery runs September 2–30 for either-sex deer during the velvet-shed phase, when bucks are transitioning out of summer bachelor patterns and beginning to move. Early September offers warmer temperatures, while late September becomes cooler as fall progresses, but archery sits before the main migration corridors activate and before the rut.
What is the typical weather like during the rifle seasons?
October temperatures range from highs around 55°F to lows around 31°F, with roughly 2 inches of snowfall typical for the month. November is substantially colder, with highs dropping to around 44°F and lows near 21°F, and snowfall averaging 10 inches, making late-season hunting significantly more challenging than early-season conditions.
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.