Colorado GMU 5 Pronghorn Hunting
Moffat and Routt counties, northwest Colorado · 299 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 5 is like
GMU 5 covers 299 square miles in Moffat and Routt counties in the unit's northwest region, spanning elevations from 6,500 feet to 10,800 feet with a typical elevation near 8,200 feet. The terrain is rolling to moderately steep, with 47 percent gentle slopes, 46 percent moderate slopes, and 7 percent steep slopes. The country supports pronghorn hunting across a range of terrain types, making it accessible to hunters working a mix of open and broken country.
About 59 percent of the unit, roughly 175 square miles, is publicly open to hunting on National Forest and BLM land. An additional 1.1 percent, about 3 square miles of Colorado State Trust Land, may be huntable where CPW has enrolled it in the Public Access Program, though access to specific parcels depends on that enrollment. The remaining 40 percent is private land. The National Forest comprises 47 percent of the unit, while BLM makes up 12 percent of the open public ground.
CPW maps pronghorn across 39 percent of the unit as overall range, with 2 percent as winter range and 1 percent as winter concentration. The winter concentration layer indicates that pronghorn cluster in specific areas during winter rather than dispersing evenly across the broader winter range. The pronghorn season runs from mid-August through early October, with the rut occurring in early-to-mid September and lasting into mid-October. Hunters should expect pronghorn to be present across the mapped range, with concentrated groups on winter ground.
The unit offers five pronghorn seasons: archery from August 15 to September 20 (buck only), muzzleloader from September 21 to September 29 (buck only), rifle from October 3 to October 11 (buck only), a private-land-only season from September 19 to October 4 (buck only), and a Ranching for Wildlife season from August 15 to October 28 (buck only). The rifle season is one hunt code. September temperatures average highs around 65 degrees Fahrenheit and lows around 40 degrees, with no significant snow. October highs drop to about 51 degrees with lows near 30 degrees and roughly 3.7 inches of snowfall. By November, highs fall to about 38 degrees, lows to about 20 degrees, and snowfall averages 18.4 inches. The season cools steadily through the fall. Hunter pressure on the unit is low overall. The easiest buck code in the primary draw sits in the 6–9 point range, making this a hard-to-draw unit for the best opportunity at an adult resident's buck license.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 6,500–10,800 ft, typically around 8,200 ft
- Steepness
- Moderate — mean slope 12.1°
- Slope breakdown
- 47% gentle · 46% moderate · 7% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~175 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 5.
Lower elevations
- Sagebrush68%
- Aspen23%
- Conifer4%
- Other cover3%
- Riparian3%
Mid elevations
- Aspen49%
- Sagebrush31%
- Conifer17%
- Riparian2%
- Other cover2%
Higher elevations
- Conifer60%
- Aspen24%
- Sagebrush10%
- Grass and meadow4%
- Riparian2%
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 59% of GMU 5 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 Forest47%
- BLM12%
- State Trust Land1%
- Private40%
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 5 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 Range39%the full extent of range CPW maps for pronghorn — near 100% on most units, and not a statement about when pronghorn are present
- Winter Range2%used in winter
- Winter Concentration<1%where pronghorn bunch up in winter
Pronghorn seasons & weapons (2026)
| Season | Dates | Tags offered |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | August 15 – September 20 | Buck |
| Muzzleloader | September 21 – September 29 | Buck |
| Rifle | October 3 – October 11 | Buck |
| Private-land only | September 19 – October 4 | Buck |
| Ranching for Wildlife | August 15 – October 28 | 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 65°F, lows around 40°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 51°F, lows around 30°F, about 3.7 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 38°F, lows around 20°F, about 18.4 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 5 pronghorn hunting FAQ
How much public ground can a hunter actually count on hunting in this unit?
About 59 percent of the unit, roughly 175 square miles, is generally open to public hunting on National Forest and BLM land. An additional 1.1 percent of Colorado State Trust Land may be accessible where CPW has enrolled it in the Public Access Program, but enrollment is parcel-specific and must be verified. Private land makes up the remaining 40 percent.
Is this unit realistic for a hunter with no preference points?
The easiest buck code in the primary draw requires 6–9 preference points, making it hard to draw with zero points in that main system. Hunters with no points can still access tags through the secondary draw in June, which is open to anyone without preference-point requirements and operates on pure random selection, or the leftover list if licences remain after the primary draw. Either path is an alternative to building preference points.
When do pronghorn rut in this unit, and which seasons overlap the rut?
The primary rut in this unit runs from September 6 to September 25, with late-rut and post-rut recovery extending through October 15. The archery season (August 15–September 20) straddles the pre-rut and primary rut phases. The muzzleloader season (September 21–29) falls during the primary rut and into the late-rut phase. The rifle season (October 3–11) occurs during late-rut and post-rut recovery.
How steep is the terrain, and what does that mean for hiking and glassing?
The unit is rolling to moderately steep, with 47 percent gentle slopes and 46 percent moderate slopes, giving a hunter plenty of walkable country. The 7 percent steep terrain is scattered throughout. Most of the unit is manageable on foot, and the mix of elevation and slope supports glassing from moderate-slope benches and ridges.
Are pronghorn spread across the mapped range or concentrated in certain areas?
Pronghorn are mapped across 39 percent of the unit as overall range, but the 1 percent winter concentration layer shows they cluster in specific ground during winter rather than dispersing evenly. Outside the mapped concentration area, pronghorn presence depends on the broader range and varies with the season, but winter hunters should focus on the concentration zones for better chances of finding animals.
What weather should a hunter expect, and how does the terrain handle fall snow?
September is mild, with highs around 65 degrees and lows around 40 degrees, and no significant snow. October cools to highs near 51 degrees and lows near 30 degrees, with roughly 3.7 inches of snowfall on average. By November, highs are near 38 degrees and snow averages 18.4 inches. The rolling to moderately steep terrain should handle October snow without major problems, but November conditions can become more challenging.
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.