Colorado GMU 79 Mule Deer Hunting
Alamosa, Mineral, Rio Grande and Saguache counties, southwest Colorado · 426 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 79 is like
Unit 79 spans roughly 426 square miles across four counties in southwestern Colorado, occupying country that rolls gently in its lower reaches and breaks into steeper terrain at higher elevations. The unit runs from about 7,600 feet to 13,000 feet, with typical elevations around 9,100 feet. Overall, the terrain is gentle to moderate: 51% of the unit is gentle slopes, 39% moderate, and 10% steep or rugged combined. This rolling, with some steeper breaks character defines most of the hunting ground.
Public access covers approximately 72% of the unit—about 305 square miles of National Forest, BLM, and State Wildlife Areas that are generally open to public hunting. Colorado State Trust Land makes up roughly 1.1% of the unit; only parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program may be hunted on that ground. Private land comprises about 26% of the unit, and roughly 1.5% remains unclassified in ownership records. Taken together, publicly owned ground accounts for about 73% of the unit, though that ownership figure does not equal huntable acreage once private inholdings and access constraints are factored in.
Mule deer occupy the unit across a broad range. Summer Range covers 85% of the unit, while Winter Range covers 48%. Winter Concentration grounds, where mule deer cluster during the deepest months, account for 6% of the unit. Migration Corridors cover 5%. This pattern means summer deer are widely distributed across the unit, but as fall advances and conditions cool, mule deer move toward winter ground and concentrate there. Timing and extent of that shift vary with weather and snow. Hunters should expect buck movement to increase through October and into November as the fall progresses.
Unit 79 offers six seasons: five are open to public applicants and one is private-land only. The public seasons are 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), and 4th Rifle (November 18–November 22, buck). The three rifle seasons span cooling weather from mid-October into late November, carrying the hunt through the early pre-rut phases and into the primary rut. Archery and Muzzleloader seasons occur during the velvet shed and early fall transition period. A sixth season, private-land only (September 1–December 31, doe), is available only to hunters with permission on enrolled private ground. Draw difficulty for the easiest qualifying unit-wide buck code sits at Moderate—1–2 preference points for adult Colorado residents. Premium buck seasons in this unit require substantially more points. Hunter pressure is moderate overall, and pressure does not equal draw difficulty: an easy-to-draw unit can still experience crowded conditions, particularly during rifle seasons in November.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 7,600–13,000 ft, typically around 9,100 ft
- Steepness
- Moderate — mean slope 11.5°
- Slope breakdown
- 51% gentle · 39% moderate · 9% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~305 sq mi, plus ~5 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 72% of GMU 79 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.
- National Forest65%
- BLM7%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land1%
- Unclassified ownership1%
- Private26%
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.
“Ownership unclassified” means the source dataset does not record an owner for that acreage. It is not known to be public or private.
Where mule deer live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps mule deer seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 79 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 Range85%used in summer
- Winter Range48%used in winter
- Winter Concentration6%where mule deer bunch up in winter
- Migration Corridors5%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 – December 31 | Doe |
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 68°F, lows around 37°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 57°F, lows around 27°F, about 1.6 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 44°F, lows around 16°F, about 7.1 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 79 mule deer hunting FAQ
How much of Unit 79 can a public-land hunter realistically hunt?
Approximately 72% of the unit—about 305 square miles—is National Forest, BLM, and State Wildlife Areas that are generally open to public hunting. Roads, trailheads, and seasonal closures still govern whether a hunter can actually reach that ground, but those are the ownership categories available to public applicants. Colorado State Trust Land adds roughly 1.1% more, though only parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program are huntable, and enrollment varies by parcel.
Is this unit realistic for someone with no preference points?
Yes, for the easiest qualifying unit-wide buck code. Draw difficulty sits at Moderate—1–2 preference points for adult Colorado residents applying for that code in the primary draw. However, the unit also holds at least one premium buck season requiring substantially more points, so applicants should verify which specific hunt code they are targeting before applying.
When is the terrain actually steep, and does that affect hunting pressure?
About 10% of the unit is steep or rugged combined; the rest is gentle or moderate slopes. Steeper ground is scattered throughout the 13,000-foot elevations and breaks above 9,100 feet, but no specific location is guaranteed by the data. Terrain difficulty does not directly predict hunter pressure; the unit experiences moderate overall pressure, and congestion tends to peak during November rifle seasons regardless of topography.
When does the rut occur, and which seasons fall in it?
The mule deer primary rut in Unit 79 runs from November 11–25. The 3rd Rifle season (November 7–15) spans the transition into the rut, and the 4th Rifle season (November 18–22) falls squarely in the primary rut. Earlier seasons—Archery and Muzzleloader in early September, and 2nd Rifle in late October—occur in the velvet shed and early fall migration phases, well before the rut begins.
How much does weather change across the hunting seasons?
September highs average about 68°F and lows about 37°F, with no expected snowfall. By October, highs drop to around 57°F and lows to around 27°F, with roughly 1.6 inches of snow expected. November brings continued cooling—highs around 44°F, lows around 16°F, and roughly 7.1 inches of snow. Archery and Muzzleloader hunters experience fall conditions; rifle hunters, especially in November, should expect cold temperatures and snow on higher ground.
Where do bucks concentrate in winter, and does that shift the hunt?
Winter Concentration covers 6% of the unit, but the data does not specify where that ground is located. Winter Range more broadly covers 48% of the unit. Hunters should expect buck distribution to shift toward winter ground as November progresses and snow increases, but the exact timing and degree of movement depend on weather and vary year to year.
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.