Colorado GMU 84 Mule Deer Hunting
Custer, Fremont, Huerfano and Pueblo counties, southeast Colorado · 1,281 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 84 is like
Unit 84 spans Custer, Fremont, Huerfano and Pueblo counties and encompasses 1,281 square miles of rolling terrain, with some steeper breaks. Elevations range from 4,600 feet to 12,300 feet, with a typical elevation around 6,600 feet. The unit's terrain is 66 percent gentle, 25 percent moderate, and 9 percent steep or rugged. The country supports a mix of mule deer seasonal ranges across a broad elevation band, and the landscape transitions from lower-elevation breaks in the south and east to higher montane country toward the northwest.
Public hunting access is limited by ownership: approximately 24 percent of the unit (roughly 310 square miles) is generally open to public hunting on National Forest, BLM and State Wildlife Areas. An additional 3 percent is Colorado State Trust Land, where access depends on enrollment in CPW's Public Access Program. Private land comprises approximately 71 percent of the unit, and an additional 2 percent is unclassified. The open-access ground is therefore the constraining factor in how much of the unit a hunter can legally reach.
Mule deer occupy the unit across multiple seasonal ranges. Summer Range covers 91 percent of the unit, while Winter Range covers 74 percent, with 13 percent marked as Winter Concentration where deer cluster. As seasons progress from fall into winter, mule deer shift toward winter ground, and the presence of Winter Concentration indicates that deer do not spread evenly across available range even where mapped range is broad. A hunter should expect deer to concentrate on smaller portions of the unit as temperatures drop and snow arrives, though the timing and extent of that movement vary with weather and snow.
The unit offers six seasons: Archery (September 2–30, either-sex), Muzzleloader (September 12–20, doe/buck), three rifle seasons—2nd Rifle (October 24–November 1, buck), 3rd Rifle (November 7–15, buck) and 4th Rifle (November 18–22, buck)—and a private-land-only season (August 15–November 15, doe/buck). Five seasons are open to public applicants. Archery and Muzzleloader overlap and occur during the Velvet Shed/Early Fall Transition phase as velvet is dropping. The three rifle seasons span the period from early fall migration through the primary rut and into its tail. September temperatures at mid-elevation average highs around 78 degrees Fahrenheit; October averages around 67 degrees; November cools to an average high of 54 degrees. October brings average snowfall around 1.8 inches, and November around 1.7 inches. The draw is characterized as moderate difficulty, requiring 1–2 preference points for the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex code available to adult Colorado residents. Hunter pressure on the unit is moderate.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,600–12,300 ft, typically around 6,600 ft
- Steepness
- Moderate — mean slope 9.3°
- Slope breakdown
- 66% gentle · 25% moderate · 9% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~310 sq mi, plus ~38 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 24% of GMU 84 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest, BLM and State Wildlife Areas. A further 3% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- National Forest20%
- BLM3%
- State Wildlife Area1%
- State Trust Land3%
- Unclassified ownership2%
- Private71%
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 84 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 Range91%used in summer
- Winter Range74%used in winter
- Winter Concentration13%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 |
| 2nd Rifle | October 24 – November 1 | Buck |
| 3rd Rifle | November 7 – November 15 | Buck |
| 4th Rifle | November 18 – November 22 | Buck |
| Private-land only | August 15 – November 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 78°F, lows around 48°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 67°F, lows around 37°F, about 1.8 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 54°F, lows around 28°F, about 1.7 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 84 mule deer hunting FAQ
How much ground can a public-land hunter actually reach on Unit 84?
Approximately 24 percent of the unit, or roughly 310 square miles, is generally open to public hunting on National Forest, BLM and State Wildlife Areas. An additional 3 percent is State Trust Land accessible only if enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program; not all parcels are enrolled and which ones are must be checked independently. The remainder is private or unclassified, making legal access the primary limiting factor for a public hunter.
Is this a realistic unit to draw with no preference points?
An applicant with zero preference points can draw the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex hunt on Unit 84. The draw is moderate difficulty, meaning the lowest-tier hunts require 1–2 points for Colorado residents. Premium rifle seasons require substantially more points and would not be available at zero points.
When should a hunter expect to find concentrations of mule deer?
Thirteen percent of the unit is marked as Winter Concentration where deer cluster in response to snow and cold. As fall transitions into winter, mule deer move toward winter ground and concentrate on smaller portions of available range. Timing varies with weather and snow accumulation, but a hunter should expect this shift to accelerate as November progresses and temperatures drop.
Does terrain make this unit walkable for a hunter on foot?
Two-thirds of the unit is gentle terrain, making much of it manageable to traverse on foot. However, terrain and legal access are separate constraints: a hunter can only reach the 24 percent of the unit that is open public ground, regardless of how gentle the terrain beyond it might be.
Which seasons fall during the rut?
The 3rd Rifle season (November 7–15) begins during early pre-rut staging and transitions into the primary rut. The 4th Rifle season (November 18–22) occurs during the primary rut itself. Archery and Muzzleloader occur during velvet shed in early fall, well before the rut begins in mid-November.
Does this unit match a hunter with limited time in early fall?
Archery and Muzzleloader seasons run in early September (Archery September 2–30, Muzzleloader September 12–20) when weather is warm and deer are in velvet shed phase. Both seasons allow a quick trip during mild conditions before the rigor of late-season hunting, though legal access to only 24 percent of the unit means a hunter will need to scout their intended public ground before season.
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.