Colorado GMU 117 Pronghorn Hunting
Kit Carson and Cheyenne counties, northeast Colorado · 449 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 117 is like
GMU 117 comprises 449 square miles of gentle and rolling country in the northeastern corner of Colorado, spanning Kit Carson and Cheyenne counties. Elevation ranges from 3,800 feet to 4,400 feet, with a typical elevation around 4,100 feet. The terrain is predominantly low-angle grassland and prairie, with a mean slope of 1.2 degrees across the entire unit.
Approximately 96% of the unit is private land. Of the publicly owned acreage, only 0.0% is generally open to public hunting. An additional 3.5% consists of Colorado State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it in the Public Access Program; access to these parcels depends on that enrollment status. Legal access is the limiting factor on this unit regardless of how walkable the terrain is.
The unit's Overall Range for pronghorn extends across the entire unit. This mapping reflects the full extent of pronghorn range that CPW has identified, not year-round occupancy. Pronghorn distribution within the unit shifts across the fall and winter months as seasonal conditions change.
The unit offers three seasons for pronghorn: a Muzzleloader season from September 21 to September 29 for either-sex harvest, a Rifle season from October 3 to October 11 for either-sex harvest, and a Late Rifle season from December 1 to December 31 for does only. Draw difficulty for this unit is easy, with the easiest qualifying either-sex code often drawing at zero preference points for adult Colorado residents. Overall hunter pressure is moderate.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 3,800–4,400 ft, typically around 4,100 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 1.2°
- Slope breakdown
- 100% gentle · 0% moderate · 0% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~0 sq mi, plus ~16 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 117.
Across the unit
- Other cover72%
- Grass and meadow28%
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 117 is public land a hunter can count on. A further 4% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land4%
- Private96%
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 117 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
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 117 pronghorn hunting FAQ
How much public land can a hunter actually hunt here?
Approximately 0.0% of the unit is generally open to public hunting. An additional 3.5% is Colorado State Trust Land, huntable only where CPW has enrolled parcels in the Public Access Program. A hunter should verify which State Trust Land parcels, if any, are enrolled before applying. Private land comprises 96% of the unit.
Is this unit realistic for an applicant with zero preference points?
Yes. The easiest qualifying either-sex pronghorn hunt code in this unit draws reliably at zero preference points for adult Colorado residents in the primary draw. An applicant with no points has a realistic chance at the Muzzleloader and Rifle seasons.
What rut phases do the seasons fall in?
The Muzzleloader season (September 21–29) spans the Primary Rut and Late Rut / Post-Rut Recovery phases. The Rifle season (October 3–11) falls in the Late Rut / Post-Rut Recovery phase. The Late Rifle season (December 1–31) occurs during Fall Grouping / Winter Transition.
Can a hunter walk most of this unit if access can be arranged?
Yes. The terrain is gentle and rolling with a mean slope of 1.2 degrees and no steep or rugged areas, making it generally walkable on foot. However, 96% of the unit is private land, so legal access to hunt the country remains the primary constraint regardless of how easy the walking is.
Are there archery pronghorn licenses available in this unit?
This data does not contain information about whether the unit's archery licenses are sold over-the-counter or through the draw. A hunter should contact CPW directly to confirm whether archery pronghorn licenses are limited draw or over-the-counter.
What are the hunter pressure conditions like?
Overall hunter pressure on the unit is moderate. Draw difficulty is easy, with the most accessible either-sex codes drawing at zero points for residents, but moderate pressure reflects the typical use level across the season.
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.