Colorado GMU 59 Pronghorn Hunting
Pueblo, Fremont, El Paso and Teller counties, central Colorado · 647 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 59 is like
Game Management Unit 59 spans 647 square miles across Pueblo, Fremont, El Paso and Teller counties in the central region. Elevation ranges from 4,700 feet to 14,100 feet, with a typical elevation near 7,100 feet. Terrain is rolling, with some steeper breaks: 58% of the unit is gentle, 27% moderate, 14% steep, and 1% rugged by area. The landscape transitions from lower-elevation plains through foothills to higher country as hunters move across the unit.
Public hunting access is limited. Approximately 31% of the unit (about 203 square miles) is generally open to public hunting on National Forest, BLM, and State Wildlife Areas. An additional 5% is Colorado State Trust Land, huntable only where CPW has enrolled parcels in its Public Access Program—specific parcels vary and hunters should verify current enrollment. Private land comprises approximately 61% of the unit. Approximately 2.8% of the unit is unclassified in ownership. Because legal access rather than terrain is the limiting factor on this unit, only the 31% of open public ground can be counted on for hunting.
Pronghorn range in the unit is mapped across the Overall Range layer at 32% of the unit's area; Winter Range covers 5%. Overall Range represents the full extent of pronghorn habitat CPW has mapped and does not indicate year-round occupancy. The specific seasonal distribution and how pronghorn use changes through fall depends on weather and snow conditions; hunters should expect pronghorn to be present within these mapped ranges as they plan their approach.
The unit offers two limited seasons: a Muzzleloader season from September 21–29 for doe or buck, falling during the Primary Rut and Late Rut / Post-Rut Recovery phases, and a Rifle season from October 3–11 for doe or buck, during the Late Rut / Post-Rut Recovery phase. September temperatures at mid-elevation average highs near 72°F and lows near 43°F, with negligible snow. October averages highs near 60°F and lows near 32°F, with about 1.9 inches of snowfall. Draw difficulty for the unit's easiest buck or either-sex season is Easy, often drawing at zero preference points in the primary draw, though other seasons and nonresident applicants may require substantially more points.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,700–14,100 ft, typically around 7,100 ft
- Steepness
- Moderate — mean slope 11.5°
- Slope breakdown
- 58% gentle · 27% moderate · 14% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~203 sq mi, plus ~32 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 59.
Lower elevations
- Grass and meadow62%
- Sagebrush19%
- Other cover11%
- Conifer7%
- Riparian1%
Mid elevations
- Conifer65%
- Sagebrush19%
- Other cover6%
- Aspen5%
- Grass and meadow4%
Higher elevations
- Conifer65%
- Sagebrush18%
- Grass and meadow9%
- Other cover4%
- Aspen3%
- 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 31% of GMU 59 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest, BLM and State Wildlife Areas. A further 5% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- National Forest20%
- BLM10%
- State Wildlife Area1%
- State Trust Land5%
- Unclassified ownership3%
- Private61%
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.
“Ownership unclassified” means the source dataset does not record an owner for that acreage. It is not known to be public or private.
Where pronghorn live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps pronghorn seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 59 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 Range32%the full extent of range CPW maps for pronghorn — near 100% on most units, and not a statement about when pronghorn are present
- Winter Range5%used in winter
Pronghorn seasons & weapons (2026)
| Season | Dates | Tags offered |
|---|---|---|
| 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 72°F, lows around 43°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 60°F, lows around 32°F, about 1.9 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 49°F, lows around 23°F, about 3.5 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 59 pronghorn hunting FAQ
Is there actually ground a hunter can walk here, or is it too steep?
The unit is walkable: 58% is gentle terrain and another 27% moderate, so most of the landscape is not steep. However, legal access is the real constraint—only about 31% is open to public hunting on National Forest, BLM, and State Wildlife Areas. Even easy terrain cannot be hunted if it is private land or inaccessible.
Can a hunter with no preference points draw here?
The easiest buck or either-sex season on this unit draws reliably at zero preference points in the primary draw. However, other seasons and nonresident applicants can require substantially more points, and the unit holds at least one premium buck season that requires far more preference points than the easiest available hunts.
Is this unit huntable with State Trust Land access?
Colorado State Trust Land makes up about 5% of the unit, but hunting is possible only on parcels CPW has enrolled in its Public Access Program. Not all State Trust Land parcels are enrolled, so a hunter must verify current participation before assuming access on any particular parcel.
When during the season is the rut happening?
The Muzzleloader season (September 21–29) falls during the Primary Rut and Late Rut / Post-Rut Recovery phases, with pronghorn behavior shifting as the season progresses. The Rifle season (October 3–11) occurs during Late Rut / Post-Rut Recovery, after peak rut activity.
How much ground can a public-land hunter realistically hunt?
About 31% of the unit is generally open to public hunting—roughly 203 square miles on National Forest, BLM, and State Wildlife Areas. The remaining 69% is private, unclassified, or State Trust Land with uncertain access, making that 31% the reliable base for planning.
What should a hunter expect for weather and snow in these seasons?
September brings highs near 72°F and lows near 43°F with essentially no snow, while October cools to highs near 60°F and lows near 32°F, with an average of about 1.9 inches of snowfall. October conditions will be notably colder and may introduce snow, particularly later in the month.
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.