Colorado GMU 861 Mule Deer Hunting
Huerfano County, southeast Colorado · 207 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 861 is like
GMU 861 is a 207-square-mile unit in Huerfano County, southeastern Colorado, spanning elevations from 7,300 feet to 14,300 feet with a typical mid-elevation around 8,900 feet. The terrain is rolling to moderately steep, with 46 percent gentle slopes, 39 percent moderate slopes, 14 percent steep slopes, and 1 percent rugged terrain by area. The unit offers roughly 74 square miles of ground generally open to public hunting, managed by the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Colorado State Wildlife Areas. An additional 5 square miles of Colorado State Trust Land may be hunted where enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program, though enrollment status is not known for individual parcels. The remaining 62 percent of the unit is private land.
Mule deer summer range covers the entire unit, and winter range covers approximately 70 percent. This distribution indicates that mule deer occupy the unit through the early fall but concentrate on winter range as the season progresses into November and December. Hunters should expect to find deer more widely distributed in September and early October, with increasing likelihood of concentration on winter-range ground later in the fall as weather and snow drive movement toward lower elevations and more sheltered terrain.
The unit offers seven seasons in total: archery from September 2 to September 30 (either-sex), muzzleloader from September 12 to September 20 (doe or buck), Early Rifle from September 12 to September 20 (buck), 2nd Rifle from October 24 to November 1 (buck), 3rd Rifle from November 7 to November 15 (buck), 4th Rifle from November 18 to November 22 (buck), and a private-land-only season from August 15 to November 15 (either-sex). Six of these seasons are available to public applicants. September hunting arrives during velvet shed and early fall transition, with daytime highs near 67 degrees and minimal snowfall. October cools considerably with highs near 56 degrees and an average of 3.2 inches of snowfall. By November, highs average around 45 degrees with approximately 5.7 inches of snowfall. The unit draws high hunter pressure overall and carries a moderate draw difficulty of one to two preference points for the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex hunt available to Colorado residents, though premium seasons require substantially more points.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 7,300–14,300 ft, typically around 8,900 ft
- Steepness
- Steep — mean slope 13.6°
- Slope breakdown
- 46% gentle · 39% moderate · 14% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~74 sq mi, plus ~5 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 36% of GMU 861 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest, BLM and State Wildlife Areas. A further 2% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- National Forest23%
- BLM12%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land2%
- National Park Service<1%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private62%
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 861 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
- Winter Range70%used 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 |
| Early Rifle | September 12 – September 20 | 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 67°F, lows around 40°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 56°F, lows around 31°F, about 3.2 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 45°F, lows around 21°F, about 5.7 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 861 mule deer hunting FAQ
Can a hunter with zero preference points expect to draw this unit?
Yes, the draw difficulty is moderate at one to two points for the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex hunt available to Colorado residents. A first-time applicant or holder of minimal points can expect to draw this hunt, though private-land-only and premium buck seasons require substantially more points and are not guaranteed at zero points.
Is this unit realistic for a public-land-only hunter, or is most of it private?
Roughly 36 percent of the unit is generally open to public hunting through the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Colorado State Wildlife Areas, while 62 percent is private land. This leaves meaningful public ground to hunt, though the heavy private ownership means a hunter should plan carefully for access and be prepared to spend time on public ground rather than assuming easy movement across the landscape.
Does this unit favor early season or late season hunters?
The unit works well for both. September archery and muzzleloader find deer widely distributed across summer range, while the October and November rifle seasons benefit from cooling temperatures and increasing deer movement toward winter range. Later November seasons overlap with the primary rut, when buck activity is highest.
What does the winter range coverage tell a hunter about where deer move as fall progresses?
Winter range covers 70 percent of the unit, meaning some ground—primarily at lower elevations and more sheltered terrain—becomes increasingly important to deer as snow and cold advance into late fall. Hunters in late-season rifle hunts should expect to find concentrating deer on this terrain rather than scattered across the summer-range portions of the unit.
How much elevation change is involved in hunting here, and is the terrain manageable for foot access?
The unit spans 7,000 vertical feet, from 7,300 to 14,300 feet, with 46 percent gentle and 39 percent moderate slopes dominating the terrain. While steep and rugged ground exists, most of the unit is rolling to moderately steep and is generally walkable for a hunter on foot, though elevation gain and the autumn cooling trend should factor into planning.
What rut conditions should a hunter expect during each rifle season?
Early Rifle (September 12–20) occurs during velvet shed, when bucks are not yet actively rutting. The 2nd Rifle season (October 24 – November 1) overlaps early migration and early pre-rut, with bucks becoming increasingly active as November approaches. The 3rd Rifle (November 7–15) runs partly through early pre-rut and into the primary rut, when buck activity peaks. The 4th Rifle (November 18–22) takes place during the primary rut, the peak of breeding activity.
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.