Colorado GMU 134 Elk Hunting
Las Animas and Pueblo counties, southeast Colorado · 398 sq mi
Based on the EASIEST unit-wide bull 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 134 is like
Colorado GMU 134 lies in the Las Animas and Pueblo counties of the southeast region and covers 398 square miles of gentle and rolling country. Elevations across the unit range from 4,800 feet to 6,500 feet, with typical elevations around 5,700 feet. The terrain is exceptionally mild: 97 percent of the unit is gentle, 3 percent is moderate, and no area is steep or rugged. Walking the ground is not physically demanding.
Legal access to hunt, however, is severely limited. Only about 0.7 percent of the unit—roughly 3 square miles—is generally open to public hunting on State Wildlife Areas and BLM land. An additional 5.2 percent (about 21 square miles) is Colorado State Trust Land where hunting access depends on CPW's Public Access Program enrollment status. The remaining 92 percent is private land, with roughly 2 percent unclassified in ownership. Hunters will need to research specific parcels and work with landowners to find realistic hunting opportunities beyond the small open areas.
Elk occupancy on GMU 134 is concentrated on resident areas that CPW maps across 22 percent of the unit. The broader mapped range encompasses 27 percent. This suggests that while some elk use the unit year-round, much of the landscape supports only seasonal or occasional presence. With the gentle terrain and moderate elevation band, the unit offers no stark seasonal migration pattern driven by snow and slope. Hunters should expect resident elk on core areas throughout the fall but recognize that much of the wider unit sees lighter, more variable use.
The unit offers three elk seasons: Muzzleloader from September 12 to September 20 (either-sex), 4th Rifle from November 18 to November 22 (bull only), and Late Rifle from October 24 to January 31 (antlerless). The muzzleloader season falls during the primary rut, while the numbered rifle season occurs in the migration transition phase. Draw difficulty for the easiest unit-wide bull or either-sex code available to adult Colorado residents is easy—often achievable at zero points. Despite the easy draw, overall hunter pressure on GMU 134 is extreme, reflecting the unit's proximity to population centers and limited public-land access.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,800–6,500 ft, typically around 5,700 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 2.5°
- Slope breakdown
- 97% gentle · 3% moderate · 0% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~3 sq mi, plus ~21 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About <1% of GMU 134 is public land a hunter can count on — State Wildlife Areas and BLM. A further 5% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- BLM<1%
- State Trust Land5%
- Unclassified ownership2%
- Private92%
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 elk live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps elk seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 134 each range covers — the single best clue to whether elk are here in September, in November, or only passing through. The layers overlap, so they do not add to 100%.
- Overall Range27%the full extent of range CPW maps for elk — near 100% on most units, and not a statement about when elk are present
- Resident Population22%the only layer that means year-round use
Elk seasons & weapons (2026)
| Season | Dates | Tags offered |
|---|---|---|
| Muzzleloader | September 12 – September 20 | Either-sex, Antlerless |
| 4th Rifle | November 18 – November 22 | Bull |
| Late Rifle | October 24 – January 31 | Antlerless |
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 134 elk hunting FAQ
How much public land can a hunter actually access and hunt on GMU 134?
Only about 0.7 percent of the unit—roughly 3 square miles on State Wildlife Areas and BLM—is generally open to public hunting without special permission. An additional 5.2 percent is State Trust Land where hunting depends on CPW Public Access Program enrollment. The overwhelming majority of the unit is private land, so realistic hunting opportunities for walk-on public hunters are very limited, and most successful hunters will need to arrange access with private landowners.
Is the terrain manageable for a hunter on foot?
Yes. The unit is 97 percent gentle terrain and 3 percent moderate, with no steep or rugged ground. Average slopes are very mild, so hiking and covering ground are not physically demanding. The constraint on GMU 134 is not terrain difficulty but legal access to land where hunting is permitted.
Is GMU 134 realistic for a hunter with zero preference points?
Yes, for the easiest unit-wide bull or either-sex code available to adult Colorado residents. That hunt draws at easy difficulty and often requires zero points. Other weapons, seasons, or nonresident applicants can require substantially more points, and tags remain limited relative to the extreme hunter pressure.
When should a hunter apply for GMU 134—early or late season?
The muzzleloader season (September 12–20) coincides with the primary rut, typically an attractive time for bull hunting during peak vocal activity. The 4th Rifle season (November 18–22) falls in the migration transition phase, when some shifting of elk may occur. The Late Rifle antlerless hunt (October 24–January 31) spans the longest window but targets antlerless elk. Choice depends on weapon and game preference, not on any inherent seasonal advantage from elk distribution.
What does extreme hunter pressure mean for hunting success on GMU 134?
Extreme pressure indicates that the unit will be crowded with other hunters during seasons, making solitude unlikely and potentially affecting elk behavior and distribution. This is partly because the unit draws easily but sits near population centers. Even with mild terrain and walkable ground, hunters should expect significant competition and plan for a different experience than they might on a more remote unit.
Do elk stay on GMU 134 year-round, or do they migrate out?
CPW maps year-round resident use across 22 percent of the unit, indicating that some elk do occupy core areas throughout the year. The unit's low to moderate elevations and lack of extreme winter terrain suggest no major forced migration, though some seasonal shift toward or away from core resident areas is possible as conditions change. Overall, expect resident elk presence rather than a dramatic migration in or out.
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 — Elk 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) — elk 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 28, 2026.