Colorado GMU 26 Pronghorn Hunting
Eagle, Garfield and Routt counties, northwest Colorado · 240 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 26 is like
Unit 26 spans 240 square miles across Eagle, Garfield and Routt counties in the northwest region, rolling terrain with some steeper breaks that reaches from 6,500 feet at its low point to 12,400 feet at its high point. The unit is 64 percent gentle by area, 31 percent moderate, 4 percent steep and 1 percent rugged. This is pronghorn country, and the unit offers both early and late seasons across its mixed-ownership landscape.
About 49 percent of the unit, roughly 117 square miles, is National Forest and BLM ground open to public hunting. Another 1.3 percent is Colorado State Trust Land, accessible only where CPW has enrolled parcels in the Public Access Program; the rest of that acreage is not huntable. Private land makes up the remaining 50 percent. A hunter here will find public ground distributed across the unit, but private holdings are substantial and access routes matter.
Pronghorn range across 51 percent of the unit overall, with migration corridors covering 6 percent. Winter Range is mapped on 3 percent of the unit. This mapping indicates that pronghorn move through the unit seasonally, concentrating on specific grounds as fall progresses and conditions change. A hunter should expect distribution to shift through the season, with animals using different elevations and aspects as weather and forage alter their patterns.
The unit offers three seasons to the public: Muzzleloader September 21–29 (doe/buck), Rifle October 3–11 (doe/buck), and a Private-land-only season September 26–October 18 (doe). The muzzleloader season falls during the primary rut and early post-rut period. The rifle season overlaps the late post-rut phase, when animals are grouping for winter. September temperatures at mid elevation average highs around 66 degrees Fahrenheit and lows around 36 degrees; October highs drop to 53 degrees with lows near 27 degrees and roughly 3 inches of snowfall. The draw for this unit is easy, with the easiest buck or either-sex code drawing at 0 points reliably, though premium seasons require substantially more. Overall hunter pressure is low.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 6,500–12,400 ft, typically around 8,900 ft
- Steepness
- Moderate — mean slope 9.4°
- Slope breakdown
- 64% gentle · 31% moderate · 4% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~117 sq mi, plus ~3 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 26.
Lower elevations
- Sagebrush57%
- Other cover18%
- Conifer17%
- Riparian4%
- Aspen3%
Mid elevations
- Sagebrush46%
- Aspen28%
- Conifer19%
- Riparian4%
- Other cover1%
- Grass and meadow1%
Higher elevations
- Conifer49%
- Sagebrush33%
- Aspen12%
- Riparian3%
- Grass and meadow2%
- Other cover1%
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 49% of GMU 26 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest and BLM. A further 1% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- National Forest30%
- BLM19%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land1%
- Private50%
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 26 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 Range51%the full extent of range CPW maps for pronghorn — near 100% on most units, and not a statement about when pronghorn are present
- Migration Corridors6%movement between ranges, not residence
- Winter Range3%used in winter
- Winter Concentration<1%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 |
| Private-land only | September 26 – October 18 | 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.
Fall weather
- September — highs around 66°F, lows around 36°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 53°F, lows around 27°F, about 3.1 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 40°F, lows around 16°F, about 12 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 26 pronghorn hunting FAQ
How much public land can a hunter actually access on foot?
National Forest and BLM make up 49 percent of the unit, roughly 117 square miles. The remaining public ground is State Trust Land, which is only huntable where CPW has enrolled parcels. Private land covers the other half of the unit, and roads, trailheads and seasonal closures will determine how much of even the public acreage is reachable. Checking current access on the agencies' maps is essential.
Is this a realistic draw without preference points?
The easiest buck or either-sex code on the unit draws at 0 points reliably in the primary draw. However, some premium seasons here require substantially more points, and success depends on which hunt code an applicant draws. The secondary draw in June is also open to anyone without preference points.
Which season is better for a hunter with limited time in the field?
The muzzleloader season (September 21–29) falls during the primary rut and early post-rut, when bucks are more active and visible. The rifle season (October 3–11) arrives after the rut peak, when animals are grouping for winter and temperatures have dropped further. Either window can be productive depending on hunting style and terrain familiarity.
Do pronghorn stay in the unit year-round or move through seasonally?
Pronghorn range covers 51 percent of the unit, with migration corridors present on 6 percent and Winter Range mapped on 3 percent. This pattern indicates animals move through the unit seasonally and concentrate on specific grounds as conditions change. The extent and timing of these shifts vary with weather and snow.
What does the terrain actually feel like on the ground?
The unit is rolling with some steeper breaks—64 percent is gentle, 31 percent moderate, and only 5 percent steep or rugged combined. Hunters can expect to navigate rolling country with occasional rock or shale exposure. Elevation runs from 6,500 feet to 12,400 feet, spanning multiple vegetation and climate zones across the season.
Does the draw difficulty mean it will be crowded?
Draw difficulty and hunter pressure are separate measures. Unit 26 has an easy draw and low overall hunter pressure, which suggests fewer total hunters. Even so, the distribution of private land and public access points may concentrate hunters on the accessible public ground.
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.