Colorado GMU 106 Pronghorn Hunting
Arapahoe, Elbert, Washington and Lincoln counties, northeast Colorado · 598 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 106 is like
GMU 106 is a 598-square-mile pronghorn unit in the high plains of northeastern Colorado, spanning parts of Arapahoe, Elbert, Washington and Lincoln counties. The terrain is gentle and rolling, with 95 percent of the unit in gentle slopes and the remainder in moderate terrain. Elevations range from 4,700 feet at the low end to 6,000 feet at the high end, with typical elevations around 5,200 feet. The open country and low relief make walking manageable throughout the unit, though terrain ease does not determine hunting opportunity here.
Legal access is the constraining factor in this unit. Approximately 92 percent of the unit is private ground. Only about 0.0 percent of the unit is dependably open to public hunting, managed by public agencies. An additional 7.9 percent is Colorado State Trust Land, which may be huntable only where it is enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program—the status of individual parcels varies. A hunter must confirm enrollment before planning to hunt State Trust Land in this unit.
Pronghorn in this unit occupy an overall range that covers 100 percent of the unit's extent. Winter Range is mapped across 70 percent of the unit, with Winter Concentration—areas where pronghorn cluster during winter—covering 11 percent. These concentration zones mark where pronghorn gather, and a hunter should expect to find animals concentrated there during the winter season. The extent of mapped range indicates where pronghorn may be present; it does not indicate uniform distribution across all elevations or aspects.
Two limited seasons are offered for adult residents: a Muzzleloader season from September 21 to September 29 for either-sex pronghorn, falling within the Primary Rut and Late Rut phases, and a Rifle season from October 3 to October 11, also for either-sex, falling within the Late Rut phase. The unit draws easily for pronghorn—the simplest qualifying either-sex code draws reliably at zero preference points in the primary draw—though hunter pressure is high throughout the season. Nonresident applicants and those seeking other weapons or season types may face different draw conditions.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,700–6,000 ft, typically around 5,200 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 3.7°
- Slope breakdown
- 95% gentle · 5% moderate · 0% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~0 sq mi, plus ~47 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 106.
Across the unit
- Grass and meadow66%
- Other cover32%
- Sagebrush2%
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 106 is public land a hunter can count on. A further 8% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- State Trust Land8%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- 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.
Where pronghorn live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps pronghorn seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 106 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 Range70%used in winter
- Winter Concentration11%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 |
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 106 pronghorn hunting FAQ
Can a hunter with no preference points draw this unit?
Yes. The easiest either-sex hunt code in the primary draw reliably draws at zero preference points for adult Colorado residents. This applies specifically to the simplest qualifying season; other weapons or season types may require more points, and nonresidents face a different draw system.
How much public ground is actually huntable here?
Approximately 0.0 percent of the unit is dependably open to public hunting. An additional 7.9 percent is State Trust Land, but only parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program are huntable—enrollment status must be confirmed for specific tracts. The remaining 92 percent is private.
Is this unit crowded despite the easy draw?
Yes. Overall hunter pressure is high in this unit. Easy draw odds and high pressure often occur together, especially in units near populated areas with accessible terrain. A hunter should expect significant use during the seasons offered.
When are pronghorn most concentrated in this unit?
Eleven percent of the unit is mapped as Winter Concentration, where pronghorn cluster during winter months. A hunter should expect to find concentrated animals there, particularly during the winter-transition period that spans October into December.
Does terrain make this unit walkable?
The terrain is gentle and rolling, making it physically easy to cover on foot. Legal access to hunt that terrain is the real limitation here—with 92 percent private ownership and minimal public ground, a hunter's ability to reach huntable country depends entirely on permission or enrollment confirmation on State Trust Land parcels.
Which season falls during the rut?
Both seasons fall within rut phases. The Muzzleloader season (September 21–29) spans the Primary Rut and Late Rut phases. The Rifle season (October 3–11) occurs entirely within the Late Rut phase, when pronghorn activity is shifting toward grouping behavior but breeding pressure remains.
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.