Colorado GMU 105 Pronghorn Hunting
Adams, Arapahoe and Elbert counties, northeast Colorado · 1,142 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 105 is like
Unit 105 spans 1,142 square miles across Adams, Arapahoe and Elbert counties in the northeast region and consists of gentle and rolling terrain. Elevations range from 5,100 feet to 7,300 feet, with a typical elevation around 5,800 feet. The country is 98 percent gentle or rolling by area, making it straightforward to walk, though steepness is not the limiting factor here.
The unit is predominantly private land, comprising approximately 91 percent of the area. Approximately 7.2 percent is Colorado State Trust Land, huntable only on parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program, and roughly 1.4 percent is unclassified in ownership. Less than one percent is generally open public land managed by public agencies. Legal access rather than terrain is the practical constraint for hunters here.
Pronghorn across the unit occupy a broad range, with Winter Range and Winter Concentration layers indicating where animals cluster through the colder months. Winter Range covers 84 percent of the unit, and concentrated-use ground comprises 31 percent of the unit's area during the winter season. The overall range mapping indicates pronghorn presence across the full unit, though distribution shifts with the seasons and weather.
The unit offers three seasons: Muzzleloader September 21–29 for either-sex, Rifle October 3–11 for either-sex, and Late Rifle December 1–31 for doe. The muzzleloader season occurs during the primary rut and early post-rut period, when animals are actively seeking mates or recovering from breeding. The rifle season falls in the late post-rut phase, as animals begin regrouping for winter. The late-rifle season extends through the fall-grouping and winter-transition phases into early winter. Draw difficulty is moderate, with the easiest qualifying unit-wide code requiring 1–2 preference points for adult Colorado residents. Hunter pressure on the unit is extreme.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,100–7,300 ft, typically around 5,800 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 3.3°
- Slope breakdown
- 98% gentle · 2% moderate · 0% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~0 sq mi, plus ~82 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 105.
Across the unit
- Grass and meadow80%
- Other cover12%
- Sagebrush4%
- Conifer3%
- Riparian2%
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 0% of GMU 105 is public land a hunter can count on. A further 7% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- State Trust Land7%
- Unclassified ownership1%
- Private91%
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 105 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 Range100%the full extent of range CPW maps for pronghorn — near 100% on most units, and not a statement about when pronghorn are present
- Winter Range84%used in winter
- Winter Concentration31%where pronghorn bunch up in winter
Pronghorn seasons & weapons (2026)
| Season | Dates | Tags offered |
|---|---|---|
| Muzzleloader | September 21 – September 29 | Doe, Buck |
| Rifle | October 3 – October 11 | Doe, Buck |
| Late Rifle | December 1 – December 31 | Doe |
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 105 pronghorn hunting FAQ
Can a hunter with zero preference points draw a pronghorn tag in this unit?
Yes. While the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex code is in the 1–2 point band, applicants below that tier sometimes draw in the primary draw. Additionally, Colorado's secondary draw in June and the leftover list after it both offer zero-point applicants a chance at any remaining tags without preference points being used.
Is there actually public ground to hunt here?
Meaningful public access is extremely limited. Less than one percent of the unit is generally open to public hunting on public-agency land. Another 7.2 percent is State Trust Land, but only parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program may be hunted, and the program's enrollment on this unit is not specified here. The remaining 91 percent is private. A hunter will need to scout carefully or secure permission on private ground.
When is the rut, and which season falls in it?
Pronghorn in Colorado rut from September 6–25. The muzzleloader season (September 21–29) straddles the tail end of the primary rut and early post-rut recovery, putting animals in the breeding phase and vulnerable to calling. The rifle season (October 3–11) begins after the rut, during post-rut recovery, when animals are still active and regrouping but no longer in the breeding surge.
Where do pronghorn concentrate in winter?
Concentrated-use ground comprises 31 percent of the unit during the winter season, but the mapping does not specify where that ground is located. Winter Range covers 84 percent of the unit overall, indicating broad seasonal use, though the concentration layer shows animals cluster on specific portions of that range. A hunter should check local sign and recent reports to pinpoint active areas.
Is the late-rifle season a good choice for hunting pronghorn here?
The late-rifle season (December 1–31) occurs after the rut and during the fall-grouping and winter-transition phases, when pronghorn are recovering from breeding and moving into winter patterns. Animals will be more wary and grouped up than during the rut seasons. The season is doe-only, so hunting is restricted to female animals.
How much of this unit can a foot hunter actually cover?
Terrain is gentle and rolling, making it easy to walk once a hunter is on ground. However, legal access is the limiting factor. With only a fraction of one percent of the unit in general public hunting and the balance private or access-dependent, most of the area is not legally accessible without permission. The walkability of the country does not translate to huntable area without private access or enrollment in the Public Access Program.
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.