Colorado GMU 49 Pronghorn Hunting
Lake, Park and Chaffee counties, central Colorado · 538 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 49 is like
GMU 49 spans 538 square miles across Lake, Park and Chaffee counties in Colorado's Central region and offers rolling to moderately steep terrain rising from 7,800 feet to 14,300 feet. The unit's elevation bands are mixed—42 percent of the area is gentle terrain, 46 percent moderate, and 10 percent steep—creating a landscape suitable for foot travel with pockets of steeper country. Pronghorn inhabit only a small portion of the unit; its Overall Range extends across 9 percent of the total area, with a mapped Winter Range covering just 1 percent.
About 69 percent of GMU 49—roughly 369 square miles—is generally open to public hunting on National Forest, BLM, and State Wildlife Areas. Colorado State Trust Land comprises an additional 3.3 percent, though hunting there depends on enrollment in CPW's Public Access Program. The remainder is private land (28 percent) or unclassified. National Forest land dominates the unit's public acreage at 60 percent of the total, with BLM contributing 8.6 percent and State Wildlife Areas a small fraction. This mix of public ownership provides a foundation for hunting access, though roads, trailheads and private inholdings will govern actual approach to specific areas.
The unit offers three pronghorn seasons: Archery from August 15 to September 20, Muzzleloader from September 21 to September 29, and one Rifle season from October 3 to October 11. All three are doe/buck seasons. The Archery season spans the Pre-Rut and Primary Rut phases, with temperatures around 59 degrees Fahrenheit at mid-elevation. The Muzzleloader season falls in the Primary Rut and Late Rut phases as conditions cool into the upper 40s. The Rifle season occupies the Late Rut phase in early October and represents the only rifle opportunity. Draw difficulty for the easiest buck or either-sex hunt code reaches the very-hard range at 6–9 preference points, reflecting significant competition for this unit's pronghorn tags.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 7,800–14,300 ft, typically around 10,500 ft
- Steepness
- Steep — mean slope 13.3°
- Slope breakdown
- 42% gentle · 46% moderate · 10% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~369 sq mi, plus ~18 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 49.
Lower elevations
- Conifer29%
- Sagebrush29%
- Grass and meadow26%
- Riparian8%
- Aspen5%
- Other cover3%
Mid elevations
- Conifer69%
- Aspen9%
- Sagebrush7%
- Grass and meadow7%
- Riparian5%
- Other cover2%
Higher elevations
- Sagebrush32%
- Conifer27%
- Grass and meadow26%
- Other cover11%
- Riparian4%
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 69% of GMU 49 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest, BLM and State Wildlife Areas. A further 3% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- National Forest60%
- BLM9%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land3%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private28%
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 49 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 Range9%the full extent of range CPW maps for pronghorn — near 100% on most units, and not a statement about when pronghorn are present
- Winter Range<1%used in winter
Pronghorn seasons & weapons (2026)
| Season | Dates | Tags offered |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | August 15 – September 20 | Doe, Buck |
| Muzzleloader | September 21 – September 29 | Doe, Buck |
| 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 59°F, lows around 34°F, about 0.7 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 48°F, lows around 25°F, about 6 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 37°F, lows around 15°F, about 14.1 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 49 pronghorn hunting FAQ
Is there a realistic path to draw this unit without preference points?
The primary draw at GMU 49 is very competitive, with the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex hunt code reliably requiring 6–9 preference points. Applicants with no points may still draw through Colorado's secondary draw in June, which is pure random and open to anyone regardless of preference-point balance, or via the leftover list after the primary draw closes. These are separate systems from the preference-point primary draw and neither guarantees success.
How much huntable ground is actually public here?
About 69 percent of the unit—roughly 369 square miles—is generally open to public hunting across National Forest (60% of the unit), BLM (8.6%), and State Wildlife Areas. An additional 3.3 percent is Colorado State Trust Land, huntable only if enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program; whether specific parcels are enrolled is not specified here. The remaining 28 percent is private land.
Where and when should a hunter expect to find pronghorn?
CPW maps pronghorn range across only 9 percent of the unit overall, with a concentrated Winter Range covering just 1 percent. This sparse coverage reflects pronghorn's limited presence in a unit that is primarily higher-elevation terrain. Neither layer specifies location by elevation or position; a hunter will need to scout or consult local resources to pinpoint where animals actually occupy the ground.
Which season offers the best hunting conditions?
The Archery season (August 15–September 20) takes place during warmer early-fall weather with highs around 59 degrees Fahrenheit and minimal snowfall. October's Rifle season is colder and wetter, with lows near 25 degrees and an average of 6 inches of snowfall expected. The Muzzleloader season (September 21–29) sits between these, bridging the Primary and Late Rut phases as conditions cool.
Is the terrain in GMU 49 manageable for a hunter on foot?
Most of the unit favors foot travel—42 percent is gentle terrain and 46 percent moderate. Steep terrain comprises only 10 percent of the area. Elevation ranges from 7,800 to 14,300 feet, so hunters should expect to gain and lose significant elevation, but the overall slope grades as rolling to moderately steep rather than rugged.
Is this unit more competitive than others in the region?
This data covers only GMU 49 and does not include comparisons to other units. The very-hard draw difficulty (6–9 points for the easiest hunt) and moderate overall hunter pressure indicate significant demand relative to available tags, but determining whether this reflects regional patterns would require similar data from neighboring units.
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.