Colorado GMU 135 Pronghorn Hunting
Las Animas, Pueblo and Otero counties, southeast Colorado · 743 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 135 is like
GMU 135 spans 743 square miles across southeastern Colorado in Las Animas, Pueblo and Otero counties, at elevations from 4,100 feet to 5,700 feet with a typical elevation near 4,600 feet. The terrain is gentle and rolling, with 97 percent of the unit classified as gentle slope, 3 percent moderate, and 1 percent steep. Pronghorn hunting here means covering open, accessible country across mixed public and private land.
About 32 percent of the unit—roughly 237 square miles—is publicly open to hunting, managed by the U.S. Forest Service and a small BLM holding. An additional 11 percent is Colorado State Trust Land, huntable only on parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program; access to these parcels cannot be assumed. The remaining 57 percent is private land. Public ownership is concentrated but does not guarantee easy entry; roads, trailheads and inholdings still govern what a hunter can actually reach.
Pronghorn in this unit occupy the mapped range throughout the fall hunting season. CPW maps Overall Range across 99 percent of the unit, reflecting the extent of potential pronghorn habitat. The seasons fall within the late-summer and early-fall rut period. A muzzleloader season in late September spans the Primary Rut and into the Late Rut phase, while the rifle season in early October falls entirely within the Late Rut phase, when pronghorn begin grouping for the transition toward winter.
The unit offers two public seasons: a muzzleloader season September 21–29 for either sex, and a rifle season October 3–11 for either sex. A third season, October 3–December 13, is private-land only. Draw difficulty for the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex hunt code is rated Moderate, with preference-point bands of 1–2 points. Hunter pressure across the unit is low overall. Over-the-counter archery licenses may also be available; applicants should verify current regulations with CPW.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,100–5,700 ft, typically around 4,600 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 2.1°
- Slope breakdown
- 97% gentle · 3% moderate · 1% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~237 sq mi, plus ~79 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 135.
Across the unit
- Grass and meadow90%
- Sagebrush7%
- Other cover3%
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 32% of GMU 135 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest and BLM. A further 11% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- National Forest32%
- BLM<1%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land11%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private57%
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 135 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 Range99%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 |
| Private-land only | October 3 – December 13 | 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 135 pronghorn hunting FAQ
How much of this unit can a hunter actually access and hunt on public land?
About 32 percent of GMU 135—roughly 237 square miles of National Forest and BLM—is generally open to public hunting. An additional 11 percent is State Trust Land, but access there depends on CPW enrollment in the Public Access Program, which cannot be assumed. Private land covers the remaining 57 percent, so legal access rather than terrain is the limiting factor for most hunters.
Is this unit realistic for a hunter with no preference points?
Yes. The easiest unit-wide either-sex or buck hunt draws reliably at 1–2 preference points, meaning applicants with zero points sometimes draw in the primary draw. Additionally, Colorado's secondary draw in June is open to anyone regardless of preference points and uses a pure random selection, and any unsold tags enter the leftover list on a first-come, first-served basis after the primary draw.
What do the muzzleloader and rifle seasons overlap with in terms of pronghorn behavior?
The muzzleloader season (September 21–29) straddles the Primary Rut and Late Rut phases, when bucks are actively territorial and responsive. The rifle season (October 3–11) falls entirely in the Late Rut phase, as pronghorn begin grouping and shifting toward winter behavior. Both seasons target periods when pronghorn are concentrated and mobile.
Is the terrain manageable for a foot hunter on public land?
The unit's terrain is overwhelmingly gentle to moderate—97 percent of the area is gentle slope—making foot travel straightforward from a steepness standpoint. However, the public land is fragmented among private holdings, so a hunter's actual range depends on where trailheads and road access lead onto the open ground.
What is the draw difficulty for this unit, and does it vary by season?
The stated Moderate draw difficulty (1–2 points) describes the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex hunt code available to adult Colorado residents in the primary draw. Other seasons or weapons may require substantially more points. The unit also holds at least one premium buck season with significantly higher point requirements.
Is this a good choice if I am looking for a less-pressured hunt?
Hunter pressure across GMU 135 is rated low overall, meaning fewer hunters are in the field. However, draw difficulty and hunter pressure are separate measures—an easy-to-draw unit can still see concentrated use on public land if access is limited. The fragmented ownership here likely keeps total hunters lower, but applicants should scout public access routes before applying.
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.