Colorado GMU 87 Pronghorn Hunting
Larimer and Weld counties, northeast Colorado · 1,117 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 87 is like
GMU 87 spans 1,117 square miles across Larimer and Weld counties in the northeastern plains and low foothills of Colorado. Pronghorn hunting here takes place in gentle and rolling terrain with elevations ranging from 4,800 feet to 6,400 feet. The unit is 99 percent gentle terrain by area, with only minimal moderate slopes. The landscape is characterized by open country typical of the region's transition zone between plains and mountains.
Roughly 15 percent of the unit—about 162 square miles—is open to public hunting across National Forest and State Wildlife Areas. Colorado State Trust Land makes up approximately 6.3 percent (70 square miles) but is accessible to hunters only where CPW has enrolled parcels in its Public Access Program; these cannot be assumed open. Private land dominates at 77 percent, with an additional 2.5 percent unclassified. For a hunter planning to pursue pronghorn here, legal public access is the primary constraint, as private ground comprises the majority of the unit.
Pronghorn distribute across a mapped range covering 96 percent of the unit overall. Winter Range is mapped across 91 percent of the unit, with Winter Concentration covering 56 percent—indicating that pronghorn cluster substantially on winter-use ground rather than spreading uniformly. A hunter entering in fall should expect animals to concentrate on these winter-range areas as conditions drive seasonal grouping.
The unit offers four public-land hunt codes across five seasons. Archery runs August 15 through September 20 for either-sex and buck hunting. Muzzleloader follows from September 21 through September 29, also either-sex and buck. Two rifle seasons are available: Rifle October 3–October 11 for either-sex and buck, and the numbered 2nd Rifle October 17–October 25 for buck only. A private-land-only season also runs October 3–December 31. Draw difficulty is moderate, with the easiest qualifying unit-wide either-sex or buck code requiring 1–2 preference points. The unit experiences extreme hunter pressure.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,800–6,400 ft, typically around 5,200 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 1.9°
- Slope breakdown
- 99% gentle · 1% moderate · 0% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~162 sq mi, plus ~70 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 87.
Across the unit
- Grass and meadow83%
- Other cover15%
- Sagebrush3%
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 15% of GMU 87 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest and State Wildlife Areas. A further 6% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- National Forest14%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land6%
- Unclassified ownership2%
- Private77%
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 87 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 Range96%the full extent of range CPW maps for pronghorn — near 100% on most units, and not a statement about when pronghorn are present
- Winter Range91%used in winter
- Winter Concentration56%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 | Buck |
| Rifle | October 3 – October 11 | Doe, Buck |
| Private-land only | October 3 – December 31 | 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.
GMU 87 pronghorn hunting FAQ
How much ground can a public-land hunter actually count on accessing here?
About 15 percent of the unit—roughly 162 square miles across National Forest and State Wildlife Areas—is openly accessible. An additional 6.3 percent is Colorado State Trust Land, huntable only where CPW has enrolled it in the Public Access Program. With 77 percent private land, legal access is the primary limitation for hunters in this unit.
Is this realistic for a hunter with no preference points?
The easiest qualifying either-sex or buck code in the primary draw requires 1–2 points, so hunters with zero points should not plan on drawing reliably in that system. However, archery pronghorn licenses are sold over the counter in units where CPW leaves archery unlimited, though whether this unit's archery falls into that category is not specified in the draw data.
Which season falls during the primary rut?
Archery runs August 15 through September 20 and overlaps the pre-rut and primary-rut phases, while muzzleloader from September 21–29 sits in the primary rut and early post-rut period. Rifle (October 3–11) and 2nd Rifle (October 17–25) occur during post-rut recovery and fall grouping as pronghorn transition toward winter.
How does pronghorn distribution change through the fall?
Pronghorn are mapped across 96 percent of the unit overall, but Winter Range and Winter Concentration layers indicate they concentrate on 56 percent of the unit during winter use. A hunter should expect animals to cluster increasingly on winter-concentration ground as the season advances into October and beyond.
What is the terrain like for a hunter on foot?
The unit is 99 percent gentle terrain by area, making it walkable for most hunters in reasonable fitness. The primary constraint is not terrain difficulty but rather gaining legal access to hunt; with three-quarters of the unit in private ownership, a hunter's ability to cover ground depends on having permission or access to public areas.
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.