Colorado GMU 94 Mule Deer Hunting
Larimer, Adams and Weld counties, northeast Colorado · 735 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 94 is like
GMU 94 spans 735 square miles across Larimer, Adams and Weld counties in northeast Colorado. The unit sits at low elevations, ranging from 4,600 feet to 5,200 feet with a typical elevation around 4,900 feet. Terrain is gentle and rolling: 99 percent of the unit is classified as gentle by area, with only 1 percent moderate terrain and no steep or rugged ground.
Hunting here faces a significant access constraint. Approximately 98 percent of the unit is private land. About 1.2 percent is ownership unclassified, meaning the source data does not record an owner. State Wildlife Areas make up roughly 0.1 percent—about 1 square mile—and are generally open to public hunting. This small acreage of reliably huntable ground is the only land a hunter can count on accessing without permission.
Mule deer occupy an overall range that covers the entire unit, but they do not distribute evenly across it. Winter Concentration covers 4 percent of the unit, marking where mule deer cluster during that season. Winter Range itself covers 29 percent of the unit. Migration Corridors account for 5 percent. This pattern reflects seasonal movement: mule deer use the broader winter range throughout that season but concentrate on a smaller portion of ground, and they move through specific corridors as conditions shift.
The unit offers four seasons. Archery runs September 2 through September 30 for either-sex hunting, and the Muzzleloader season follows September 12 through September 20, also for doe or buck. Two rifle seasons follow: Plains Early Rifle runs October 24 through November 3, and Plains Late Rifle runs December 1 through December 14, both for doe or buck. Draw difficulty is easy—often available at zero points for the lowest preference-point tier on unit-wide hunts. Hunter pressure is extreme.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,600–5,200 ft, typically around 4,900 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 1.5°
- Slope breakdown
- 99% gentle · 1% moderate · 0% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~1 sq mi, plus ~4 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About <1% of GMU 94 is public land a hunter can count on — State Wildlife Areas.
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land<1%
- Unclassified ownership1%
- Private98%
“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 94 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 Range29%used in winter
- Migration Corridors5%movement between ranges, not residence
- Winter Concentration4%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 24 – November 3 | 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 94 mule deer hunting FAQ
Can a public-land hunter actually hunt most of this unit?
No. Roughly 98 percent of GMU 94 is private land, and only about 0.1 percent—roughly 1 square mile of State Wildlife Areas—is generally open to public hunting. Legal access is the primary limiting factor here, regardless of how walkable the gentle terrain may be. A hunter needs permission to hunt the vast majority of the unit.
When should a hunter apply for this unit?
Archery and Muzzleloader seasons occur early, in September, when mule deer are in the Velvet Shed phase. Plains Early Rifle runs from late October through early November, spanning the Early Fall Migration phase and Early Pre-Rut staging period. Plains Late Rifle runs in early December, during Late Rut and Winter Consolidation. Each season targets different behavioral windows, and the choice depends on a hunter's preference for season timing and weapon.
Is this unit realistic for a hunter with zero preference points?
Yes. Draw difficulty is easy—often available at zero points for unit-wide either-sex or doe/buck codes for adult Colorado residents in the primary draw. Other weapons, seasons, and nonresident applicants can require substantially more points, but the lowest-point tier on public-land hunts draws reliably.
Where do mule deer concentrate on this unit?
Winter Concentration covers 4 percent of the unit, but the mapped data does not specify where that concentrated ground sits. Mule deer use a broader 29-percent Winter Range throughout the winter season, but cluster on a smaller portion of it. Migration Corridors account for 5 percent of the unit and reflect movement, not residence.
Is this unit crowded despite easy draw odds?
Yes. Draw difficulty and hunter pressure are separate measures. GMU 94 has easy draw odds but faces extreme hunter pressure. An easy-to-draw unit near populated areas can still receive heavy hunting effort.
What is the difference between the seasons on this unit?
Archery and Muzzleloader happen in September during Velvet Shed, when bucks have recently shed velvet and are in bachelor groups. Plains Early Rifle in late October through early November occurs as bucks are transitioning into Pre-Rut staging and nocturnal patterns. Plains Late Rifle in December happens after the Primary Rut has passed, during Late Rut and Winter Consolidation when mule deer are shifting toward winter concentration areas.
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.