Colorado GMU 83 Pronghorn Hunting
Alamosa and Costilla counties, southeast Colorado · 1,252 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 83 is like
GMU 83 spans 1,252 square miles across Alamosa and Costilla counties in Colorado's southeast region and is pronghorn country with gentle and rolling terrain. Elevations range from 7,400 feet at the low end to 14,300 feet at the high point, with typical elevation around 8,200 feet. The landscape is 72% gentle, 21% moderate slope and 7% steep; rugged terrain does not exist here. This is open country suited to pronghorn hunting across a broad seasonal range.
Public hunting ground is scarce. BLM and State Wildlife Areas account for roughly 0.9% of the unit—about 11 square miles—that a hunter can dependably access. The remainder is 97% private land, with 1.6% in ownership unclassified by the source data. The dominance of private ownership constrains where a hunter may legally pursue pronghorn.
Pronghorn in GMU 83 occupy overall range covering 36% of the unit. Winter Range is mapped across 33% of the unit, with concentrated winter use on 6% of that area. Hunters should expect pronghorn to cluster on winter concentration ground as the season progresses through fall, though the exact distribution and timing shift with weather and snow. The three seasons offered—archery from August 15 through September 20, muzzleloader from September 21 through September 29, and rifle from October 3 through October 11—all pursue bucks. Archery season spans the pre-rut and primary rut phases of the pronghorn breeding cycle. Muzzleloader hunts both the primary rut and the late rut into early post-rut recovery. The rifle season sits squarely in late rut and post-rut recovery. Weather cools through the fall: September highs average 73°F with no appreciable snowfall, October highs drop to 62°F with 1.5 inches of snow, and November highs fall to 49°F as snowfall climbs to 3.7 inches. Hunt timing shifts from warm early-season conditions to cold late-fall weather and snow.
The draw is easy, often requiring zero preference points for the most accessible buck hunts. However, the unit holds at least one premium buck season that demands substantially more points. Extreme hunter pressure affects this unit despite the easy draw.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 7,400–14,300 ft, typically around 8,200 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 7.3°
- Slope breakdown
- 72% gentle · 21% moderate · 7% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~11 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 83.
Lower elevations
- Sagebrush81%
- Other cover13%
- Riparian5%
- Grass and meadow1%
Mid elevations
- Sagebrush72%
- Conifer13%
- Other cover8%
- Grass and meadow4%
- Riparian4%
Higher elevations
- Conifer51%
- Sagebrush19%
- Grass and meadow14%
- Aspen11%
- Other cover4%
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 <1% of GMU 83 is public land a hunter can count on — BLM and State Wildlife Areas.
- BLM<1%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- National Forest<1%
- State Trust Land<1%
- Unclassified ownership2%
- Private97%
“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 83 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 Range36%the full extent of range CPW maps for pronghorn — near 100% on most units, and not a statement about when pronghorn are present
- Winter Range33%used in winter
- Winter Concentration6%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 73°F, lows around 41°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 62°F, lows around 30°F, about 1.5 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 49°F, lows around 20°F, about 3.7 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 83 pronghorn hunting FAQ
Can a hunter with no preference points draw a pronghorn tag here?
Yes. The easiest unit-wide buck hunt draws reliably at zero points in the primary draw, though premium buck seasons in the unit require far more points. A zero-point applicant also enters Colorado's secondary draw (a separate June draw using no preference points) and may pursue leftovers on the first-come, first-served list after the primary draw closes.
How much public ground can actually be hunted here?
Roughly 0.9% of the unit—about 11 square miles—managed by the BLM and State Wildlife Areas is open to public hunting. The other 97% is private land. Legal access, not terrain, is the severe constraint in this unit.
Does the rut timing shift between the three seasons offered?
Yes, substantially. The archery season (August 15–September 20) covers the pre-rut period and the primary rut. Muzzleloader (September 21–29) hunts primarily the primary rut into the late rut phase. The rifle season (October 3–11) falls entirely in the late rut and post-rut recovery period, when breeding activity declines sharply.
Where should a hunter expect pronghorn to be as the season progresses?
Pronghorn occupy overall range across 36% of the unit, with winter range mapped on 33%. Winter concentration areas cover 6% of the unit, marking places where pronghorn cluster as conditions tighten in fall. Weather and snow drive the exact timing and extent of any shift toward concentrated winter ground.
Is the terrain hikeable on foot?
Yes. The landscape is 72% gentle and 21% moderate slope with no rugged terrain. Walking the ground is feasible, but only the ~11 square miles of open BLM and State Wildlife Area land is legally accessible without private permission.
What should a hunter pack for the rifle season?
October highs average 62°F and lows 30°F with 1.5 inches of snow typical for the month. By November, if the season extended that far, highs would be 49°F and snowfall 3.7 inches. A rifle hunter should prepare for cold weather and possible snow, especially if conditions persist from October into early November.
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.