Colorado GMU 16 Pronghorn Hunting
Jackson County, northwest Colorado · 320 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 16 is like
GMU 16 spans 320 square miles in the low mountains and basins of Jackson County in Colorado's northwest region. Elevation ranges from 8,000 feet to 11,900 feet, with the typical hunting elevation around 8,500 feet. The terrain is gentle and rolling, with 72 percent of the unit in gentle slopes, 23 percent moderate, and just 6 percent steep or rugged combined. The unit offers a mix of open country and scattered timber, typical of the high-elevation intermountain basins of the region.
Public hunting ground covers roughly 47 percent of the unit—approximately 152 square miles on National Forest, BLM, and State Wildlife Area. An additional 4.4 percent is Colorado State Trust Land, huntable only where CPW has enrolled parcels in its Public Access Program; access to these tracts varies parcel by parcel. Private land comprises the remaining 48 percent of the unit. Hunters should confirm access on specific ground before planning a trip, as the mix of public and private creates a patchwork that can constrain movement.
Pronghorn range across 61 percent of the unit overall, with smaller concentrations of mapped Winter Range and Winter Concentration covering 13 percent and 3 percent respectively. Migration Corridors occupy 2 percent. The Winter Concentration layer marks specific areas where pronghorn cluster during the colder months, but pronghorn distribution can shift as seasonal conditions and snow accumulation change. Early seasons occur as temperatures are still moderate—September archery hunts see highs near 66 degrees and minimal snowfall—while October rifle seasons bring cooler temperatures and the first significant snow, averaging 3.8 inches for the month. By November, conditions turn cold with highs near 40 degrees and substantial snowfall averaging 14.6 inches.
The unit offers four pronghorn seasons. Archery runs August 15 through September 20 and targets buck and either-sex hunting during pre-rut and primary-rut phases when pronghorn are dispersing and establishing territories. Muzzleloader follows September 21 through September 29, spanning the primary rut and early post-rut recovery. The first rifle season runs October 3 through October 11 in the late post-rut phase, and a second rifle season follows October 17 through October 25 as pronghorn transition to fall grouping and begin shifting to winter range. Both rifle seasons are either-sex for the October 3 hunt and doe-only for the October 17 hunt. Hunter pressure on the unit is low overall. Drawing the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex code here requires a resident applicant to be competitive in the 6 to 9 preference-point band; other seasons and nonresident applicants face substantially steeper odds. The unit also holds at least one premium buck season requiring far more points.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 8,000–11,900 ft, typically around 8,500 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 8.1°
- Slope breakdown
- 72% gentle · 23% moderate · 5% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~152 sq mi, plus ~14 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 16.
Lower elevations
- Sagebrush55%
- Riparian22%
- Other cover22%
- Grass and meadow2%
Mid elevations
- Sagebrush50%
- Aspen17%
- Riparian14%
- Conifer14%
- Other cover3%
- Grass and meadow1%
Higher elevations
- Conifer59%
- Sagebrush19%
- Aspen10%
- Grass and meadow5%
- Other cover4%
- Riparian3%
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 47% of GMU 16 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest, BLM and State Wildlife Areas. A further 4% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- National Forest34%
- BLM12%
- State Wildlife Area1%
- State Trust Land4%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private48%
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 16 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 Range61%the full extent of range CPW maps for pronghorn — near 100% on most units, and not a statement about when pronghorn are present
- Winter Range13%used in winter
- Winter Concentration3%where pronghorn bunch up in winter
- Migration Corridors2%movement between ranges, not residence
Pronghorn seasons & weapons (2026)
| Season | Dates | Tags offered |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | August 15 – September 20 | Doe, Buck |
| Muzzleloader | September 21 – September 29 | Doe, Buck |
| 2nd Rifle | October 17 – October 25 | Doe |
| 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.
Fall weather
- September — highs around 66°F, lows around 36°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 53°F, lows around 27°F, about 3.8 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 40°F, lows around 17°F, about 14.6 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 16 pronghorn hunting FAQ
How much ground can a public-land hunter actually count on hunting here?
Roughly 47 percent of the unit—152 square miles—is generally open on National Forest, BLM, and State Wildlife Area. An additional 4.4 percent on State Trust Land is huntable only on parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program, and which parcels those are is not specified in available data. The remaining 48 percent is private. A hunter should verify access on specific tracts before committing to an application.
Is this unit realistic for someone with no preference points?
The easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex code here requires 6 to 9 preference points in the primary draw and draws reliably in that band. A zero-point applicant can enter the secondary draw (a separate June random drawing open to anyone) or try the leftover list after the primary draw closes, but the primary draw path is not available without points. Applicants should check current draw odds before applying.
When is the rut in this unit and which season falls in it?
The pronghorn primary rut spans September 6 through September 25, and late rut recovery runs September 26 through October 15. The archery season (August 15 – September 20) spans pre-rut and primary-rut phases, making it a rut hunt. Muzzleloader (September 21 – 29) catches the tail of the primary rut and early recovery. The October 3 rifle season falls entirely in post-rut recovery, and the October 17 rifle season occurs as pronghorn transition to fall grouping and begin moving toward winter range.
How does the weather trend through the fall hunting season?
September archery hunts occur in mild conditions with highs near 66 degrees and virtually no snow. October rifle seasons are considerably colder, with highs dropping to the low 50s and roughly 3.8 inches of average snowfall. By late October and into November, conditions turn cold with highs near 40 degrees and heavy snow averaging 14.6 inches per month. Hunters should prepare for a sharp cooling trend and the possibility of significant snow as the season progresses.
Where do pronghorn concentrate in this unit?
Three percent of the unit is mapped as Winter Concentration, where pronghorn cluster during the colder months, but the data does not specify the location of this ground. Pronghorn range across 61 percent of the unit overall, and Winter Range covers 13 percent. Migration Corridors occupy 2 percent of the unit. Hunters should consult local CPW staff or maps to pinpoint concentrated-use areas before the hunt.
Is this a good unit for early-season versus late-season hunting?
Early seasons—archery in August and September and muzzleloader in late September—occur during the pre-rut and primary-rut phases when pronghorn are dispersed and actively establishing territories, often offering more sightings and movement. Late rifle seasons in October find pronghorn already in post-rut recovery and beginning to group for winter. The October 17 season occurs as pronghorn transition to winter range, so late-season hunters may see more concentrated groups but may also find animals shifting position. Archery offers the mildest weather; rifle seasons bring snow and cold.
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.