Colorado GMU 118 Pronghorn Hunting
El Paso County, central Colorado · 503 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 118 is like
Unit 118 is a 503-square-mile pronghorn unit in El Paso County spanning elevations from 5,200 feet to 6,500 feet, with a typical elevation around 5,800 feet. The country is gentle and rolling, with virtually no steep or rugged terrain. Pronghorn hunting here takes place across relatively accessible landscape, though the openness of the terrain is not matched by the openness of the land itself.
The unit is heavily private, with approximately 67% in private ownership. Approximately 32% is Colorado State Trust Land, where hunting access depends on enrollment in CPW's Public Access Program—not all parcels are necessarily open to public hunting. Approximately 1.2% of the unit is unclassified in ownership. Less than one percent of the unit is mapped as generally open to public hunting through public agencies. Legal access is the primary constraint on where a hunter can actually pursue pronghorn here, regardless of terrain walkability.
Pronghorn occupy the unit across its full mapped range in fall and into early winter. The Overall Range layer covers 92% of the unit, reflecting the extent of mapped pronghorn range through the hunting season. No mapped layers indicate seasonal concentration or migration corridors within the unit. Pronghorn distribution follows the mosaic of public and private land rather than shifting predictably through the fall.
The unit offers three seasons in the general draw: Muzzleloader from September 21–29 for either-sex; Rifle from October 3–11 for either-sex; and Late Rifle from December 1–31 for does only. The Muzzleloader season falls during the primary rut and early post-rut recovery phase. The Rifle season occurs as the rut is ending and pronghorn begin to transition toward fall grouping. The Late Rifle season takes place during the fall grouping and winter transition phase. The unit draws as easy, often at zero preference points for the most accessible hunt codes. Hunter pressure is low.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,200–6,500 ft, typically around 5,800 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 2°
- Slope breakdown
- 100% gentle · 1% moderate · 0% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~0 sq mi, plus ~161 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 118.
Across the unit
- Grass and meadow75%
- Sagebrush13%
- Other cover11%
- Riparian1%
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 118 is public land a hunter can count on. A further 32% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- BLM<1%
- State Trust Land32%
- Unclassified ownership1%
- Private67%
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 118 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 Range92%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 118 pronghorn hunting FAQ
Is this unit realistic for a hunter with no preference points?
Yes. The easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex hunt code draws at zero preference points dependably in the primary draw. However, access is the primary barrier: less than 1% of the unit is mapped as generally open to public hunting, and approximately 32% is State Trust Land where access depends on CPW enrollment. A hunter will need to identify specific open ground or enrolled parcels before applying.
How much ground can a public-land hunter actually access in this unit?
Less than 1% of the unit is generally open to public hunting through public agencies. An additional 32% is State Trust Land, but only parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program are huntable, and enrollment varies. The terrain is gentle and walkable throughout, but legal access to the ground you want to hunt is far more limiting than the ability to walk it.
Does the Muzzleloader season offer different hunting than the rifle seasons?
The Muzzleloader season (September 21–29) occurs during the primary rut and early post-rut recovery, when pronghorn are territorial and vocally active. The Rifle season (October 3–11) happens as the rut ends and animals begin to regroup. The Late Rifle season (December 1–31) takes place during fall grouping and winter transition, when pronghorn form larger groups. Earlier seasons may offer rut-hunting opportunities, while later seasons present different movement patterns and herd structure.
What does the low hunter-pressure rating mean for this unit?
Low pressure means relatively few hunters pursue pronghorn in this unit compared to other areas. This reflects both the draw difficulty (easy, often zero points) and the limited public access—private land keeps the total number of hunters down even on an easy-draw unit. A hunter who can access enrolled State Trust Land or find private permission may encounter few competitors, but the access limitation itself limits total hunter numbers.
Is this unit better for someone planning to hunt early or late in the season?
The Muzzleloader season (September 21–29) coincides with the primary rut and early recovery phase, when pronghorn behavior is most predictable and responsive to calling. The Rifle season (October 3–11) occurs as animals transition toward regrouping. The Late Rifle season (December 1–31) offers only doe hunting and takes place during winter transition when animals group heavily. A hunter focused on buck hunting during active rut behavior would favor the Muzzleloader season; those comfortable with later-season hunting may find the December season offers different opportunities.
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.