Colorado GMU 6 Pronghorn Hunting
Jackson County, northwest Colorado · 354 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 6 is like
Game Management Unit 6 covers 354 square miles in Jackson County in the unit's northwestern region. The terrain is rolling, with some steeper breaks: 69% of the unit is gentle, 25% moderate, and 6% steep by area. Elevations range from 7,700 feet at the low end to 12,900 feet at the high end, with typical elevations around 8,400 feet. Pronghorn occupy portions of this landscape through the fall and winter, with the mapped range covering half the unit overall.
Access to pronghorn habitat here is limited by land ownership. The 30% of the unit that is generally open to public hunting comprises ground managed by the Bureau of Land Management, United States Forest Service, and State Wildlife Areas, totaling roughly 108 square miles. An additional 9.5% of the unit is Colorado State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled parcels in the Public Access Program—the actual ground available depends on current enrollments. Private land comprises 59% of the unit, restricting where a hunter can legally roam even where terrain is walkable.
Pronghorn range in this unit follows seasonal patterns. Winter Range covers 17% of the unit, and Winter Concentration—ground where pronghorn cluster in the cold months—blankets 4%. Migration Corridors trace 5% of the unit, indicating the routes pronghorn use as they move between seasonal ranges. The mapped range extends across half the unit overall, but pronghorn presence clusters on winter ground as temperatures drop and snow accumulates through the fall. By late October and November, as snowfall averages 3.6 inches and then 10 inches at mid elevation, pronghorn congregate in the areas mapped for winter use.
The unit offers five seasons. Archery runs August 15 through September 20 for either sex or doe only. Ranching for Wildlife, a private-land-enrolled-ranch opportunity, runs August 15 through August 19 for either-sex or doe tags. Muzzleloader runs September 21 through September 29 for either sex or doe. Two rifle seasons are offered: the general Rifle season from October 3 through October 11 for either sex or doe, and the 2nd Rifle season from October 17 through October 25 for doe only. Draw difficulty for the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex hunt code available to adult Colorado residents in the primary draw is very hard, reliably requiring 6 to 9 preference points. Hunter pressure on the unit is extreme.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 7,700–12,900 ft, typically around 8,400 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 8.3°
- Slope breakdown
- 69% gentle · 25% moderate · 6% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~108 sq mi, plus ~34 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 6.
Lower elevations
- Sagebrush73%
- Riparian13%
- Other cover9%
- Grass and meadow5%
Mid elevations
- Sagebrush45%
- Conifer16%
- Grass and meadow16%
- Riparian13%
- Aspen6%
- Other cover3%
Higher elevations
- Conifer76%
- Sagebrush12%
- Grass and meadow7%
- Aspen2%
- 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 30% of GMU 6 is public land a hunter can count on — BLM, National Forest and State Wildlife Areas. A further 9% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- BLM17%
- National Forest13%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land9%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private59%
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 6 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 Range50%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
- Migration Corridors5%movement between ranges, not residence
- Winter Concentration4%where pronghorn bunch up in winter
Pronghorn seasons & weapons (2026)
| Season | Dates | Tags offered |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | August 15 – September 20 | Doe, Buck |
| Muzzleloader | September 21 – September 29 | Doe, Buck |
| 2nd Rifle | October 17 – October 25 | Doe |
| Rifle | October 3 – October 11 | Doe, Buck |
| Ranching for Wildlife | August 15 – August 19 | Either-sex, Doe |
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 67°F, lows around 35°F, about 0.2 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 53°F, lows around 26°F, about 3.6 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 40°F, lows around 17°F, about 10 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 6 pronghorn hunting FAQ
Is there enough public land here for a hunter with no preference points?
Not reliably through the primary draw—the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex hunt code requires 6 to 9 preference points. However, the Colorado secondary draw (a separate June drawing open to anyone, using no preference points) and the leftover list after the primary draw are separate opportunities that may yield tags in this unit. Archery licenses sold over the counter are also available in many units, though this data does not specify whether they are limited or unlimited here.
When in the fall should a hunter focus effort?
Early-season archery in mid-August through September targets pronghorn in pre-rut and primary-rut phases, when males are forming and defending territories. By October, pronghorn enter the fall grouping phase and begin moving toward winter grounds. Late October rifle seasons occur during the winter transition, when pronghorn are concentrating on their winter range.
How much public ground can actually be hunted?
Only the 30% that is generally open to public hunting—roughly 108 square miles of Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, and State Wildlife Area ground—can be counted on without special permission. An additional 9.5% is State Trust Land, but it is huntable only on parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program, which varies by year. Nearly 60% of the unit is private land, where hunting requires the landowner's permission.
Is the terrain actually walkable for someone on foot?
Yes—69% of the unit is gentle terrain and only 6% is steep. However, walkability and legal access are separate issues. Easy walking on private ground does not make it huntable, so terrain ease does not offset the fact that only 30% of the unit is dependably open to public hunting.
Where do pronghorn go as fall progresses?
Pronghorn concentrate on winter grounds as temperatures drop and snow accumulates from October into November. Winter Range covers 17% of the unit and Winter Concentration covers 4%, marking where animals cluster in the cold months. As conditions intensify, expect pronghorn to shift from the broader summer and migration corridors onto these winter-focused areas.
Does this unit have a premium season that requires far more points than the easier hunts?
Yes. In addition to the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex hunt code, which reliably requires 6 to 9 preference points, this unit holds at least one premium buck season that demands substantially more points. Applicants pursuing those elite opportunities should expect a much higher preference-point requirement.
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.