Colorado GMU 88 Mule Deer Hunting
Weld County, northeast Colorado · 686 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 88 is like
GMU 88 occupies 686 square miles of Weld County in the northeast region and consists of gentle and rolling terrain averaging 2.3 degrees of slope. Elevations range from 4,400 feet to 5,600 feet, with the typical elevation near 5,000 feet. The landscape is 98 percent gentle by area, making it walkable for hunters on foot across most of the country.
Public hunting access is limited to approximately 16 percent of the unit, which is National Forest ground. An additional 5.6 percent is Colorado State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment in CPW's Public Access Program—parcels not enrolled are closed to public hunting. The remaining 79 percent is private land. Legal access, not terrain difficulty, is the primary constraint for hunters in this unit.
Mule deer use the unit across a broad seasonal range that covers 85 percent of the unit in winter and concentrates on 42 percent during the winter concentration period. The Overall Range layer encompasses 100 percent of the unit but indicates only the full extent of mapped range, not year-round occupancy. Hunters should expect mule deer to concentrate on approximately 42 percent of the unit during the winter consolidation and recovery months, with broader distribution across the winter range during the rest of the season.
The unit offers four seasons for mule deer hunting: Archery from September 2 through September 30, a Muzzleloader season from September 12 through September 20, and two rifle seasons—Plains Early Rifle from October 1 through November 3, and Plains Late Rifle from December 1 through December 14. The Archery and Muzzleloader seasons occur during the velvet-shed phase, while Plains Early Rifle falls in the early fall migration and early pre-rut phases. Plains Late Rifle occurs during late rut and winter consolidation. Draw difficulty for the easiest unit-wide either-sex or buck code available to adult Colorado residents is easy, often drawing at zero preference points. Overall hunter pressure in the unit is low.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,400–5,600 ft, typically around 5,000 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 2.3°
- Slope breakdown
- 98% gentle · 2% moderate · 0% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~108 sq mi, plus ~39 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 16% of GMU 88 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest. A further 6% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- National Forest16%
- State Trust Land6%
- Private79%
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 88 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
- Winter Range85%used in winter
- Winter Concentration42%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 |
| Plains Early Rifle | October 1 – November 3 | Either-sex, Doe, Buck |
| Plains Late Rifle | December 1 – December 14 | 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.
GMU 88 mule deer hunting FAQ
How much ground can a public-land hunter actually access here?
Only about 16 percent of GMU 88 is generally open to public hunting on National Forest land. An additional 5.6 percent is State Trust Land where hunting is possible only if parcels are enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program, which is not guaranteed. The remaining 79 percent is private. Hunters need to research specific parcels and access points before applying.
Is this unit realistic for an applicant with no preference points?
Yes. The easiest unit-wide either-sex or buck code for adult Colorado residents draws at zero preference points on average, making this an accessible unit for first-time applicants. However, other weapon seasons and specific hunt codes may require additional points.
When should a hunter apply for GMU 88 if they want the rut?
The mule deer primary rut in this unit runs from November 11 through November 25, which falls during the Plains Late Rifle season (December 1–14). Hunters targeting the rut should apply for Plains Late Rifle; however, the season does not overlap entirely with peak rut timing, as the late-rut and winter-consolidation phase begins November 26. Archery and Muzzleloader seasons occur before the rut, during the velvet-shed phase in September.
Where do mule deer concentrate in this unit during late season?
Winter concentration covers 42 percent of GMU 88, but the mapping does not specify the location of this ground within the unit. Hunters should consult detailed maps from CPW and conduct pre-season scouting to identify these concentration areas, then determine whether those areas fall on public or accessible State Trust Land.
Is the terrain manageable for a hunter on foot?
Yes. The unit is 98 percent gentle terrain with an average slope of 2.3 degrees, so walking and covering ground is straightforward from a physical standpoint. Access to that ground is the limiting factor, not the terrain itself.
How does hunter pressure compare to draw difficulty in this unit?
GMU 88 has both low overall hunter pressure and an easy draw for the simplest unit-wide hunts. An easy draw does not guarantee solitude—nearby population centers can concentrate hunters—but the combination of low pressure and accessible tags suggests fewer applicants are competing for this unit than for more difficult draws.
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.