Colorado GMU 102 Pronghorn Hunting
Washington and Yuma counties, northeast Colorado · 739 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 102 is like
GMU 102 spans 739 square miles across northeastern Colorado and offers pronghorn hunting across terrain that is gentle and rolling throughout. Elevation ranges from 3,300 feet to 4,400 feet, with typical elevations near 4,000 feet. The vast majority of the unit—96 percent—consists of gentle terrain, with the remainder moderate. This is low-elevation prairie and shortgrass country with minimal topographic relief.
Public hunting opportunity here is severely limited by land ownership. Approximately 92 percent of the unit is private land. State Wildlife Areas cover roughly 0.8 percent and are the only ground a hunter can count on accessing without permission. Colorado State Trust Land makes up about 4.2 percent, but it is open to hunting only where CPW has enrolled parcels in its Public Access Program; enrollment varies, and a hunter cannot assume any given parcel is available. The remaining acreage consists of unclassified and other public ownership. Access, not terrain difficulty, is the binding constraint on public-land hunting here.
CPW's pronghorn range mapping shows Overall Range covering 85 percent of the unit, indicating the extent of country where pronghorn may be found. Winter Range is mapped across 35 percent of the unit. Pronghorn distribution shifts with seasonal changes and weather; as fall advances into winter, animals concentrate on grounds that remain accessible and productive as temperatures drop and forage becomes scarce.
The unit offers two seasons in 2026. A Muzzleloader season runs September 21–29 and is open to bucks; hunters will encounter pronghorn in the Primary Rut and transitioning into the Late Rut phase. A Rifle season runs October 3–11, open to does and bucks, and falls during Late Rut and post-rut recovery. Hunter pressure is low overall, and the draw difficulty for the easiest qualifying hunt code is Moderate, requiring 1–2 preference points for an adult Colorado resident to draw reliably in the primary draw.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 3,300–4,400 ft, typically around 4,000 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 2.7°
- Slope breakdown
- 96% gentle · 4% moderate · 0% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~6 sq mi, plus ~31 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 102.
Across the unit
- Grass and meadow66%
- Other cover34%
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 <1% of GMU 102 is public land a hunter can count on — State Wildlife Areas. A further 4% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land4%
- Unclassified ownership3%
- 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 pronghorn live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps pronghorn seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 102 each range covers — the single best clue to whether pronghorn are here in September, in November, or only passing through. The layers overlap, so they do not add to 100%.
- Overall Range85%the full extent of range CPW maps for pronghorn — near 100% on most units, and not a statement about when pronghorn are present
- Winter Range35%used in winter
Pronghorn seasons & weapons (2026)
| Season | Dates | Tags offered |
|---|---|---|
| Muzzleloader | September 21 – September 29 | Buck |
| Rifle | October 3 – October 11 | 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 102 pronghorn hunting FAQ
How much public ground can a hunter actually access here without permission?
Only about 0.8 percent of the unit—roughly 6 square miles—consists of State Wildlife Areas that are open to public hunting. Colorado State Trust Land covers about 4.2 percent, but hunting there depends on CPW's enrollment in its Public Access Program, which varies by parcel and cannot be assumed in advance. Access is the primary limiting factor on public-land hunting in this unit.
Is this unit realistic for an applicant with no preference points?
An applicant with zero points can draw the easiest qualifying unit-wide hunt code, but it is not guaranteed. The draw difficulty for that code sits at 1–2 points, meaning applicants with 1–2 points drew reliably in recent primary draws; those below that tier sometimes draw anyway. Additionally, over-the-counter archery pronghorn licenses are available statewide during August and September, though data on this unit's archery availability is not provided here.
Does this unit's gentle terrain make it easy for a public-land hunter to cover ground?
The terrain itself is walkable—96 percent of the unit is gentle or rolling—but only a tiny fraction of the unit is legally huntable without permission. Even on easy ground, a hunter is confined to roughly 0.8 percent that is reliably open, plus any State Trust Land parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program, which vary. Terrain difficulty and legal access are separate constraints, and legal access is far more restrictive here.
When is the rut during this unit's seasons?
The Muzzleloader season (September 21–29) overlaps the Primary Rut and the transition into Late Rut / Post-Rut Recovery. The Rifle season (October 3–11) falls entirely within Late Rut / Post-Rut Recovery. Both seasons occur as pronghorn move past their peak breeding and begin regrouping for the transition to winter.
Should a hunter plan for early-season or late-season hunting here?
The Muzzleloader season in late September is the earlier opportunity and falls during the rut; the Rifle season in early October follows as animals are transitioning past peak breeding. Both seasons are available within a two-week window in fall. The choice depends on preferred weapon and whether the applicant draws the Muzzleloader, Rifle, or neither.
How much does draw difficulty matter for getting a tag here?
Draw difficulty is Moderate at 1–2 points for the easiest qualifying code, but overall hunter pressure is low, meaning tags for units with this draw profile are less competitive statewide. However, this is separate from access: even if a tag is drawn, the applicant faces the constraint of hunting on roughly 0.8 percent generally-open ground plus whatever State Trust Land may be enrolled.
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 — Pronghorn 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) — pronghorn 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.