Best deer hunting units in Colorado
Ranked by 2020–2024 success rate · CPW harvest reports
For planning only. Seasons, license rules, and boundaries change, and this site can contain errors. Before you apply, buy a license, or hunt, confirm everything in the official CPW 2026 big game brochure. Published state regulations always control. Terms of use
- 81.3%
- GMU 83 ranks #1, 2020–2024
- 43.2%
- statewide deer average
- 159
- units with 100+ hunters a year
These are the Colorado game management units where deer hunters filled licenses most often from 2020 to 2024, ranked from CPW's harvest reports. Each rate is total deer harvest divided by total deer hunters across those five seasons, counting mule deer and white-tailed deer together as CPW reports them. CPW's numbers are estimates from its annual big game harvest survey, and its data for 2025 doesn't include a per-unit table, so the list ends with 2024.
Open each unit's page to check its license rules, public land, and terrain. CPW doesn't split success rates by residency, so nonresidents should read the same list and check CPW's nonresident hunting page for how licenses are sold.
Top 15
| # | Unit | 2020–2024 rate | Latest year | Hunters / yr | Residents | Nonresidents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GMU 83 | 81.3% | 74.3% (2024) | 115 | Limited (draw) | Limited (draw) |
| 2 | GMU 21 | 79.6% | 79.3% (2024) | 431 | Limited (draw) | Limited (draw) |
| 3 | GMU 66 | 73.0% | 74.4% (2024) | 452 | Limited (draw) | Limited (draw) |
| 4 | GMU 63 | 72.9% | 65.4% (2024) | 361 | Limited (draw) | Limited (draw) |
| 5 | GMU 40 | 70.4% | 73.8% (2024) | 393 | Limited (draw) | Limited (draw) |
| 6 | GMU 53 | 70.3% | 72.4% (2024) | 346 | Limited (draw) | Limited (draw) |
| 7 | GMU 79 | 67.0% | 68.8% (2024) | 273 | Limited (draw) | Limited (draw) |
| 8 | GMU 67 | 66.1% | 67.5% (2024) | 482 | Limited (draw) | Limited (draw) |
| 9 | GMU 55 | 65.0% | 66.0% (2024) | 617 | Limited (draw) | Limited (draw) |
| 10 | GMU 3 | 64.2% | 56.1% (2024) | 1,824 | Limited (draw) | Limited (draw) |
| 11 | GMU 22 | 63.9% | 59.3% (2024) | 828 | Limited (draw) | Limited (draw) |
| 12 | GMU 70 | 62.5% | 68.8% (2024) | 1,212 | Limited (draw) | Limited (draw) |
| 13 | GMU 511 | 61.5% | 55.4% (2024) | 545 | Limited (draw) | Limited (draw) |
| 14 | GMU 72 | 60.8% | 66.0% (2024) | 780 | Limited (draw) | Limited (draw) |
| 15 | GMU 301 | 60.8% | 67.1% (2024) | 984 | Limited (draw) | Limited (draw) |
The top 5
- GMU 83 put 81.3% of deer hunters on an animal across 2020–2024. Residents and nonresidents both draw a limited license.
- GMU 21 put 79.6% of deer hunters on an animal across 2020–2024. Residents and nonresidents both draw a limited license.
- GMU 66 put 73.0% of deer hunters on an animal across 2020–2024. Residents and nonresidents both draw a limited license.
- GMU 63 put 72.9% of deer hunters on an animal across 2020–2024. Residents and nonresidents both draw a limited license.
- GMU 40 put 70.4% of deer hunters on an animal across 2020–2024. Residents and nonresidents both draw a limited license.
How we rank
Each rate is total harvest divided by total hunters across 2020–2024, counting only years the state surveyed hunters. A unit needs an average of 100 hunters a year to be listed. Ties go to the unit with more hunters.