Colorado GMU 551 Pronghorn Hunting
Gunnison and Saguache counties, central Colorado · 546 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 551 is like
GMU 551 spans 546 square miles across rolling to moderately steep terrain in the Central region, encompassing land in Gunnison and Saguache counties. Elevation ranges from 7,800 feet to 13,400 feet, with a typical mid-unit elevation near 9,500 feet. The terrain breaks down to 35% gentle, 52% moderate, and 13% steep by area, making this a mixed landscape of open parks and rolling ridges suitable for pronghorn hunting across multiple seasons.
Public hunting ground dominates the unit, with roughly 86% of the 546 square miles—approximately 470 square miles—open to public hunting on National Forest and BLM land. The National Forest comprises about 67% of the total unit while BLM accounts for roughly 19%, both accessible to hunters. Private land makes up the remaining 13%. The large share of public ground means the majority of the unit is available for exploration, though access varies with terrain and road conditions.
Winter Range covers 17% of the unit and Winter Concentration marks 2%, indicating that pronghorn cluster on specific ground as the year progresses into the colder months. Overall Range extends across 34% of the unit, mapping the full extent of pronghorn distribution CPW has recorded. The unit offers three buck seasons: Archery from August 15 to September 20, falling in the Pre-Rut and Primary Rut phases when pronghorn are forming territories and entering the rut; Muzzleloader from September 21 to September 29, spanning the Primary Rut and into the Late Rut phase; and one Rifle season from October 3 to October 11, occurring in the Late Rut and Post-Rut Recovery phase. Weather cools significantly across the fall, from September highs around 66 degrees Fahrenheit to October highs near 55 degrees and November highs around 42 degrees, with negligible September snowfall, roughly 1.7 inches in October, and approximately 7.6 inches in November.
This unit draws very hard, with the easiest unit-wide buck season requiring 6–9 preference points reliably. The unit ranks low in overall hunter pressure despite the competitive draw.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 7,800–13,400 ft, typically around 9,500 ft
- Steepness
- Steep — mean slope 14.6°
- Slope breakdown
- 35% gentle · 52% moderate · 13% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~470 sq mi, plus ~4 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 551.
Lower elevations
- Sagebrush74%
- Other cover10%
- Conifer9%
- Riparian5%
- Aspen2%
- Grass and meadow1%
Mid elevations
- Conifer52%
- Sagebrush32%
- Aspen13%
- Riparian2%
- Grass and meadow1%
Higher elevations
- Conifer79%
- Sagebrush11%
- Aspen5%
- Grass and meadow3%
- Other cover2%
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 86% of GMU 551 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest and BLM.
- National Forest67%
- BLM19%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land<1%
- Private13%
Where pronghorn live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps pronghorn seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 551 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 Range34%the full extent of range CPW maps for pronghorn — near 100% on most units, and not a statement about when pronghorn are present
- Winter Range17%used in winter
- Winter Concentration2%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 |
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 55°F, lows around 26°F, about 1.7 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 42°F, lows around 15°F, about 7.6 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 551 pronghorn hunting FAQ
Is the archery season a rut hunt or a pre-rut opportunity?
The Archery season spans August 15 to September 20 and covers both the Pre-Rut/Territory Formation phase (through September 5) and the Primary Rut phase (September 6 through 25). Early archery hunters will encounter pronghorn forming and defending territories; later archery hunters will find them in the rut itself.
How does terrain affect public-land hunting across this unit?
With 52% moderate terrain and 35% gentle terrain, most of the unit is walkable and navigable for a hunter on foot. The 13% steep sections are interspersed rather than dominating, so a hunter with typical fitness can access public ground across much of the 470 square miles available for hunting.
What does the draw difficulty rating mean for a first-time applicant?
Draw difficulty of very hard (6–9 points) describes the easiest unit-wide buck code available in the primary draw. An applicant with zero or few points is unlikely to draw the listed seasons through the primary draw, though the secondary draw (a separate random June draw open to anyone) and leftover licences offer other routes to a tag.
Does pronghorn distribution shift through the fall on this unit?
Winter Range covers 17% of the unit and Winter Concentration marks 2%, indicating pronghorn cluster on specific ground during the winter months. As temperatures drop from September through November, pronghorn are expected to concentrate on that 2% of especially preferred winter ground, but the timing and extent vary with snow and weather.
What kind of weather should a hunter prepare for across the three seasons?
Archery season remains mild, with September highs around 66 degrees and almost no snow. Muzzleloader season sees temperatures drop to October highs near 55 degrees with roughly 1.7 inches of snowfall possible. Rifle season in early October averages similar temperatures with early snow potential, and by late October conditions cool further toward the November trend of highs around 42 degrees and heavier snow accumulation.
Which buck season falls deepest into the rut?
The Muzzleloader season (September 21–29) covers the Primary Rut and Late Rut phases, placing hunters in peak rut timing. The Rifle season (October 3–11) occurs in the Late Rut/Post-Rut Recovery phase, after the rut's peak. Archery season bridges Pre-Rut and Primary Rut, offering both pre-rut and early-rut hunting.
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.