Colorado GMU 791 Mule Deer Hunting
Alamosa, Mineral, Rio Grande and Saguache counties, southwest Colorado · 409 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 791 is like
GMU 791 spans Alamosa, Mineral, Rio Grande and Saguache counties in Colorado's southwest region, covering 409 square miles of gentle and rolling country. Elevations across the unit range from 7,500 feet to 7,900 feet, with typical terrain sitting around 7,600 feet. The entire unit is classified as gentle terrain by area, making it walkable on foot once a hunter gains legal access to ground.
Public hunting access on this unit is extremely limited. State Wildlife Areas and BLM land comprise only about 1.1 percent of the unit, roughly 4 square miles. Colorado State Trust Land accounts for another 1.3 percent, approximately 5 square miles, but those parcels are huntable only where CPW has enrolled them in the Public Access Program; enrollment status is not disclosed here. The remaining 98 percent is private land. This scarcity of public ground makes legal access the primary constraint on hunting opportunity in 791, regardless of terrain difficulty.
Mule deer seasonal range covers the unit unevenly through the year. Summer Range occupies 34 percent of the unit, while Winter Range covers 15 percent. Migration Corridors represent 8 percent. The Overall Range mapping, which describes the full extent of potential deer occupancy, covers 100 percent of the unit but does not indicate year-round presence. Hunters should expect mule deer distribution to shift toward winter ground as the season advances, though the timing and extent of that movement vary with snow and weather conditions.
The unit offers six seasons in total, five open to the general public. Archery runs September 2 through September 30 for bucks. Muzzleloader hunts occur September 12 through September 20 for bucks. The unit holds three rifle seasons: the 2nd Rifle October 24 through November 1 for bucks, the 3rd Rifle November 7 through November 15 for bucks, and the 4th Rifle November 18 through November 22 for bucks. A private-land-only doe season runs September 1 through December 31 but is not a unit-wide public opportunity. The unit draws Moderate difficulty, typically requiring 1 to 2 preference points for the easiest unit-wide buck hunts, though premium buck seasons in 791 require substantially more points. Hunter pressure on the unit is extreme.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 7,500–7,900 ft, typically around 7,600 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 0.3°
- Slope breakdown
- 100% gentle · 0% moderate · 0% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~4 sq mi, plus ~5 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 1% of GMU 791 is public land a hunter can count on — State Wildlife Areas and BLM. A further 1% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- BLM<1%
- State Trust Land1%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private98%
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 791 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 Range34%used in summer
- Winter Range15%used in winter
- Migration Corridors8%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.
GMU 791 mule deer hunting FAQ
How much of this unit can a public-land hunter actually hunt?
Only about 1.1 percent of GMU 791—roughly 4 square miles of State Wildlife Area and BLM land—is dependably open to public hunting. Another 1.3 percent is Colorado State Trust Land, huntable only on parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program, but enrollment status is not published here. The remaining 98 percent is private. Legal access, not terrain difficulty, is the limiting factor.
When during the fall should a hunter expect to find elk concentrated in this unit?
The question asks about elk, but this unit guide covers mule deer. For mule deer, Summer Range covers 34 percent of the unit; Winter Range covers 15 percent. Hunters should expect mule deer to shift from summer toward winter ground as conditions cool and snow deepens, though timing varies year to year with weather.
What is the draw difficulty for this unit?
GMU 791 draws Moderate difficulty, typically 1 to 2 preference points for the easiest unit-wide buck hunts available to adult Colorado residents in the primary draw. However, premium buck seasons in the unit require substantially more points, so applicants should verify the specific hunt they are targeting.
Is the terrain walkable for a hunter on foot?
Yes, the unit is entirely gentle and rolling, with a mean slope of 0.3 degrees, making it walkable once a hunter reaches huntable ground. However, the extreme scarcity of public land means most hunters will never legally access terrain, regardless of how easy it is to walk.
Which rifle season falls during the rut?
The 3rd Rifle (November 7–15) overlaps the rut: it spans the Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging phase and the Primary Rut. The 4th Rifle (November 18–22) falls entirely within the Primary Rut. The 2nd Rifle (October 24–November 1) precedes the rut and falls in the Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase and Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging.
Does this unit make sense for an applicant with few or no preference points?
Yes. The easiest unit-wide buck hunts draw at 1 to 2 preference points, so an applicant with zero to two points can expect to draw one of those seasons in the primary draw. However, extreme public hunter pressure means the unit will be crowded, and the 1.1 percent public land—roughly 4 square miles—limits where one can legally 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.