Colorado GMU 500 Pronghorn Hunting
Park County, central Colorado · 162 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 500 is like
Game Management Unit 500 spans 162 square miles in Park County and contains rolling to moderately steep country with elevations from 9,000 feet to 13,800 feet, typical around 10,600 feet. The terrain breaks down as 44 percent gentle, 43 percent moderate, 12 percent steep, and 1 percent rugged by area. This mix of topography supports pronghorn hunting across three separate seasons in the fall. The unit covers terrain where travel is manageable for a hunter on foot, though the rolling character means that spotting and stalking requires careful use of contour.
Approximately 68 percent of the unit—roughly 110 square miles—is open to public hunting. That ground includes National Forest (66 percent of the unit), BLM (1.1 percent), and State Wildlife Areas (1.1 percent). The remaining 32 percent is private land. The substantial National Forest base gives hunters access to the core of the unit, though private holdings interspersed throughout mean that route-finding and boundary awareness remain necessary.
Pronghorn range CPW maps covers 23 percent of the unit overall. This Overall Range layer shows the full extent of pronghorn occupancy that CPW has documented, though pronghorn are not evenly distributed across all terrain in the unit. Hunters should expect to find animals across the mapped range but should plan scouting and hunting strategy around actual sign and conditions on the ground, which can shift with weather and forage availability across the fall.
Three seasons are offered here: an Archery season from August 15 to September 20 (Doe/Buck), a Muzzleloader season from September 21 to September 29 (Doe/Buck), and a Rifle season from October 3 to October 11 (Doe/Buck). The Archery season overlaps the pre-rut and primary rut phases, when pronghorn are establishing territories and actively rutting. The Muzzleloader season spans the primary rut and early post-rut recovery. The Rifle season falls entirely within the late rut and post-rut recovery phase. September temperatures average highs around 60 degrees Fahrenheit, while October cooling brings highs near 49 degrees and October snowfall averages 5.3 inches. Draw difficulty for pronghorn in this unit is very hard, requiring 6 to 9 preference points for the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex season in the primary draw. This unit also holds at least one premium buck season that requires substantially more points. Overall hunter pressure is moderate.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 9,000–13,800 ft, typically around 10,600 ft
- Steepness
- Steep — mean slope 13.1°
- Slope breakdown
- 44% gentle · 43% moderate · 12% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~110 sq mi
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 500.
Lower elevations
- Grass and meadow30%
- Riparian29%
- Conifer19%
- Aspen13%
- Sagebrush7%
- Other cover3%
Mid elevations
- Conifer72%
- Aspen12%
- Sagebrush6%
- Grass and meadow5%
- Riparian4%
- Other cover2%
Higher elevations
- Conifer37%
- Sagebrush35%
- Grass and meadow21%
- Other cover4%
- 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 68% of GMU 500 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest, BLM and State Wildlife Areas.
- National Forest66%
- BLM1%
- State Wildlife Area1%
- State Trust Land<1%
- Private32%
Where pronghorn live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps pronghorn seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 500 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 Range23%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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 60°F, lows around 35°F, about 0.4 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 49°F, lows around 26°F, about 5.3 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 38°F, lows around 17°F, about 15.3 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 500 pronghorn hunting FAQ
Can someone with no preference points draw an archery tag here?
The Archery season listed in the unit's three seasons is limited and drawn rather than over-the-counter. The unit's easiest hunt code in the primary draw requires 6 to 9 preference points reliably, though applicants below that tier sometimes draw anyway. Two separate routes remain available without points: Colorado's secondary draw in June (pure random, no points used) and the leftover list afterwards (first-come, first-served).
Is this unit realistic for someone holding 6–9 preference points?
Six to nine points is the reliable range for the unit's easiest buck or either-sex hunt code in the primary draw, meaning applicants in that band drew dependably in recent years. However, this unit also holds at least one premium buck season requiring substantially more points, and other weapons and seasons can have different demands. Hunters should confirm current draw statistics for the specific season and weapon they want.
How much public ground can a hunter actually access here?
Roughly 68 percent of the unit—about 110 square miles—is open to public hunting on National Forest, BLM, and State Wildlife Areas. The remaining 32 percent is private. The National Forest comprises the bulk of that open acreage, though private inholdings are scattered throughout, so scouting and careful attention to boundaries are necessary before hunting.
Is October a good time to hunt here, or will snow shut things down?
The Rifle season runs October 3 to October 11, and October conditions include average highs near 49 degrees with about 5.3 inches of snowfall typical for the month. This snowfall can affect travel and hunting, but early October is not reliably snow-locked at the unit's mid-elevations. Snow depth and accumulation vary year to year, so hunters should check conditions closer to the hunt dates.
What part of the rut does each season target?
Archery (August 15 – September 20) spans the pre-rut and primary rut phases, when pronghorn are establishing territories and actively breeding. Muzzleloader (September 21 – September 29) covers the primary rut and early post-rut recovery. Rifle (October 3 – October 11) falls entirely in the late rut and post-rut recovery phase, after peak breeding activity has passed.
How does terrain affect hunting strategy in this unit?
The unit is predominantly gentle to moderate (87 percent combined), with rolling country that makes travel on foot feasible but requires deliberate use of elevation and contour for spotting and stalking. The moderate slope and mix of terrain mean hunters can cover ground without extreme scrambling, but the rolling character demands patience and fieldcraft to locate pronghorn effectively.
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.