Colorado GMU 85 Mule Deer Hunting
Huerfano and Las Animas counties, southeast Colorado · 1,175 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 85 is like
GMU 85 spans 1,175 square miles of Huerfano and Las Animas counties in the southeastern region, rolling country with some steeper breaks. Elevation ranges from 6,000 feet at the low end to 13,600 feet, with typical terrain near 7,300 feet. The landscape is 54 percent gentle, 36 percent moderate, and 10 percent steep by area. This unit hunts mule deer through fall.
Public hunting access is limited. National Forest, BLM, and State Wildlife Areas make up approximately 14 percent of the unit (about 163 square miles) and are generally open to public hunting. Colorado State Trust Land covers roughly 4 percent (about 47 square miles), but access there depends on enrollment in CPW's Public Access Program. Private land comprises approximately 82 percent of the unit, dominating the landscape and concentrating hunting opportunity on the smaller public parcels.
Mule deer occupy the unit across summer and fall. Summer Range covers 100 percent of the unit, indicating that bucks spread widely during the summer bachelor pattern. Winter Range extends across 86 percent of the unit, and a Winter Concentration layer marks 18 percent where deer cluster during the post-rut recovery and early spring periods. Hunters should expect that as the season advances and weather cools from September highs near 75 degrees Fahrenheit to November highs around 52 degrees, bucks will shift from their summer distribution toward winter ground.
The unit offers seven mule deer seasons, five of which are open to public applicants. Archery runs September 2–30, hunting the velvet-shed and early fall transition phase. Muzzleloader follows September 12–20 in the same phase. Three rifle seasons follow: the 2nd Rifle October 24–November 1 (early fall migration and early pre-rut phases), 3rd Rifle November 7–15 (early pre-rut and primary rut), and 4th Rifle November 18–22 (primary rut). A private-land-only doe season runs September 1–December 31. Ranching for Wildlife bucks are also available, with no published dates. Overall hunter pressure on the unit is high. Draw difficulty for the easiest unit-wide buck hunt is moderate, reliably drawing at 1–2 preference points for adult Colorado residents in the primary draw.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 6,000–13,600 ft, typically around 7,300 ft
- Steepness
- Moderate — mean slope 11.5°
- Slope breakdown
- 54% gentle · 36% moderate · 10% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~163 sq mi, plus ~47 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Habitat & cover
What actually grows here, by elevation. Each band adds to 100% on its own — these are shares of that band, not of GMU 85.
Lower elevations
- Sagebrush43%
- Conifer26%
- Grass and meadow26%
- Other cover3%
- Riparian1%
Mid elevations
- Sagebrush41%
- Conifer38%
- Grass and meadow15%
- Aspen3%
- Riparian2%
- Other cover1%
Higher elevations
- Conifer40%
- Sagebrush26%
- Grass and meadow17%
- Aspen13%
- Other cover4%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database, split into elevation bands. “Other cover” is the remainder of the classification — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land — and is left unnamed rather than guessed at.
Land & access
About 14% of GMU 85 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest, BLM and State Wildlife Areas. A further 4% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- National Forest9%
- BLM4%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land4%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private82%
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 85 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 Range100%used in summer
- Winter Range86%used in winter
- Winter Concentration18%where mule deer bunch up in winter
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 |
| Ranching for Wildlife | Dates vary by hunt code | 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 75°F, lows around 46°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 64°F, lows around 35°F, about 2 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 52°F, lows around 26°F, about 3.1 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 85 mule deer hunting FAQ
How much public ground can a hunter actually hunt here?
Approximately 14 percent of the unit, or about 163 square miles, is National Forest, BLM, or State Wildlife Area and generally open to public hunting. An additional 4 percent is Colorado State Trust Land, but access there depends on enrollment in CPW's Public Access Program — not all parcels may be available. Private land makes up 82 percent of the unit, so legal access is the primary constraint on where a hunter can go.
Is this unit realistic for a hunter with no preference points?
An applicant with zero preference points can draw the easiest unit-wide buck hunt in the primary draw, which falls in the 1–2 point band; zero-point applicants sometimes draw even in moderate-draw-difficulty units. Alternatively, the secondary draw (a separate June drawing, random, open to all) and the leftover list (first-come, first-served after the primary draw) remain open to anyone regardless of points.
How does the terrain actually walk on foot?
The unit is rolling, with some steeper breaks — 54 percent gentle slope and 36 percent moderate, so much of the country is relatively walkable. The steep terrain comprises only 10 percent by area. However, walkability and legal access are different things; the limiting factor here is that only about 14 percent of the unit is public land generally open to hunting, regardless of terrain.
Do mule deer shift toward winter ground as the season progresses?
Summer Range covers the entire unit, but Winter Range covers 86 percent, and 18 percent is marked as Winter Concentration where deer cluster. As temperatures cool from September highs near 75 degrees Fahrenheit to November highs around 52 degrees, hunters should expect bucks to move from their summer distribution toward lower elevations and winter ground; timing and extent vary with weather and snow.
Which season offers the best hunting conditions — early archery or late rifle?
Archery (September 2–30) hunts the velvet-shed phase when bucks are still in summer patterns and active. The late 4th Rifle season (November 18–22) falls during the primary rut when bucks are responding to does, but November temperatures average highs around 52 degrees and snowfall can be 3 inches per month. Early and late seasons appeal to different hunters based on preference for weather, rut activity and current buck location.
What does the high hunter pressure actually mean for a public-land hunter?
High pressure indicates that public parcels receive significant hunting attention. However, draw difficulty (moderate, 1–2 points) describes tag availability, not the number of hunters on the ground — an easy-to-draw unit can still be crowded. A hunter working public ground should expect to encounter others, especially on weekends and during popular seasons like late rifle.
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
- USGS / MRLC — National Land Cover Database — habitat and cover classes by elevation band
- 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
- USGS PAD-US — Protected Areas Database of the United States — land ownership and access
- Daymet daily climate, 1991–2020 (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) — 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 September 24, 2026.