Colorado GMU 681 Pronghorn Hunting
Saguache County, southwest Colorado · 444 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 681 is like
GMU 681 is a 444-square-mile pronghorn unit in Saguache County in the southwest region of Colorado. The terrain is rolling to moderately steep, with 37 percent gentle ground, 51 percent moderate slopes, and 11 percent steep terrain, spread across an elevation range from 7,700 feet at the low end to 13,300 feet at the high end, with typical elevations around 9,300 feet. The country is a mix of open basin, foothill, and montane terrain where pronghorn share space with mule deer and elk as the unit's elevation climbs.
Public hunting ground makes up approximately 87 percent of the unit—roughly 389 square miles—split between National Forest (50 percent of the total unit) and Bureau of Land Management land (37 percent). The remainder is private ground. This division means a hunter working public land has substantial country to cover, though private inholdings and the lay of the access routes will still govern where a hunter can actually get in.
Pronghorn distribution across the fall is shaped by the Winter Range and Winter Concentration mapping. Overall Range covers 48 percent of the unit and describes the full extent of pronghorn habitat CPW has mapped here. Winter Range—the seasonal ground pronghorn occupy as the year cools—covers 28 percent of the unit, while a Winter Concentration layer marks 2 percent where pronghorn cluster during that season. A hunter should expect pronghorn presence to shift toward winter range as October advances and cold sets in, though timing and extent vary with weather and snow.
The unit offers four seasons: Archery from August 15 to September 20 (doe/buck), Muzzleloader from September 21 to September 29 (buck only), Rifle from October 3 to October 11 (doe/buck), and a private-land-only season from September 16 to September 30 (doe). A public hunter can draw three of these four. Weather in September runs highs around 68 degrees Fahrenheit and lows around 37 degrees. October cools to highs near 56 degrees and lows near 27 degrees, with about 1.5 inches of snowfall on average. By November, highs drop to the low 40s and lows to the high teens, with 6.6 inches of snowfall typical. The Archery season spans the Pre-Rut and Primary Rut phases of the pronghorn year. Muzzleloader and Rifle seasons fall across the Primary Rut and Late Rut / Post-Rut Recovery phases. The draw for this unit is very hard, with the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex hunt code requiring 6 to 9 preference points reliably in the primary draw, though other seasons and weapons can demand substantially more.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 7,700–13,300 ft, typically around 9,300 ft
- Steepness
- Steep — mean slope 13.9°
- Slope breakdown
- 37% gentle · 51% moderate · 11% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~389 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 681.
Lower elevations
- Sagebrush62%
- Grass and meadow19%
- Conifer12%
- Riparian4%
- Other cover2%
Mid elevations
- Conifer45%
- Sagebrush41%
- Aspen7%
- Grass and meadow6%
- Riparian1%
Higher elevations
- Conifer65%
- Aspen18%
- Sagebrush13%
- Grass and meadow3%
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 87% of GMU 681 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest and BLM.
- National Forest50%
- BLM37%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land<1%
- Private12%
Where pronghorn live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps pronghorn seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 681 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 Range48%the full extent of range CPW maps for pronghorn — near 100% on most units, and not a statement about when pronghorn are present
- Winter Range28%used in winter
- Winter Concentration2%where pronghorn bunch up in winter
- Migration Corridors<1%movement between ranges, not residence
Pronghorn seasons & weapons (2026)
| Season | Dates | Tags offered |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | August 15 – September 20 | Doe, Buck |
| Muzzleloader | September 21 – September 29 | Buck |
| Rifle | October 3 – October 11 | Doe, Buck |
| Private-land only | September 16 – September 30 | 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 68°F, lows around 37°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 56°F, lows around 27°F, about 1.5 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 43°F, lows around 17°F, about 6.6 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 681 pronghorn hunting FAQ
Is there a realistic way to hunt this unit with few or no preference points?
The primary draw for GMU 681's easiest public hunt requires 6 to 9 preference points reliably. However, Colorado's secondary draw in June is a separate, purely random system open to any resident at no cost in preference points, and leftover tags are available first-come, first-served after the primary draw closes. Neither route is guaranteed, but both exist outside the points-based system.
When should a hunter be in the field to find pronghorn here?
The Archery season (August 15–September 20) falls during the Pre-Rut and Primary Rut phases when pronghorn are territory-forming and rutting actively. The rifle season (October 3–October 11) falls in the Late Rut / Post-Rut Recovery phase as animals transition to winter behavior and grouping. Early seasons catch animals spread across their summer and transitional range; later seasons should find them shifting toward winter range as weather cools.
How much public ground can a hunter actually reach and hunt?
Public land covers about 389 square miles of the unit's 444 total, split between National Forest and BLM. The actual amount a hunter can access depends on roads, trailheads, and seasonal closures, which vary by location and agency. A visit to the relevant Forest Service and BLM field offices is necessary to scout specific entry points and current conditions.
Is this unit better suited to early- or late-season hunting?
The early Archery season finds pronghorn in Pre-Rut and Primary Rut phases when bucks are territorial and active, often making them more visible. The Rifle season in early October occurs as animals begin transitioning to winter grouping and range, so pronghorn may be shifting toward the mapped Winter Range and Winter Concentration areas where clustering makes spotting and stalk opportunities more predictable.
What does the 'very hard' draw label mean for this unit?
The label describes the lowest preference-point tier—6 to 9 points—that drew the easiest unit-wide buck or either-sex code reliably in the primary draw. It does not account for private-land-only hunts or all possible weapon and season combinations, which can require many more points. Even the simplest public hunt in this unit sits in the 6–9-point range.
Where should a hunter expect to find pronghorn as the season progresses?
The Winter Range layer covers 28 percent of the unit and marks where pronghorn are mapped to occupy as temperatures drop. Winter Concentration ground—2 percent of the unit—indicates where pronghorn actually cluster during that period. As October turns toward November and snow arrives, a hunter should expect pronghorn presence to shift progressively toward these winter-range areas, though the specific timing and extent depend on weather and snow.
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.