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Colorado Mule Deer

Unit 117

Colorado Hunting Guide — Mule Deer

Unit 117 occupies the Conejos and Archuleta county mountain terrain in the southern San Juan range, featuring dense spruce-fir forest, aspen parks, and high-elevation meadows. Three-year data shows 153 applicants against 184 tags — slightly more tags than applicants, making this a realistic draw for hunters with minimal preference points. We rate Unit 117 as a quality mule deer destination offering a good balance of buck quality and hunt accessibility.

View Draw Odds Colorado Hunting Guide

Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 117

Unit 117 occupies the Conejos and Archuleta county mountain terrain in the southern San Juan range, featuring dense spruce-fir forest, aspen parks, and high-elevation meadows. Three-year data shows 153 applicants against 184 tags — slightly more tags than applicants, making this a realistic draw for hunters with minimal preference points. We rate Unit 117 as a quality mule deer destination offering a good balance of buck quality and hunt accessibility.

Where to Find Mule Deer in Unit 117

Mule deer in Unit 117 use the southern San Juan terrain from the Conejos River valley at 8,000 feet to the alpine ridgelines near 12,500 feet.

Early Season

Bucks hold in the high spruce-fir basins above 10,500 feet through September. Glass the alpine meadow edges at dawn. Pre-rut bucks begin staging on the aspen park transitions by late September.

Rifle Season

By first rifle season, bucks are moving between doe groups on the mid-elevation aspen parks and piney ridges. The upper Conejos River drainages are particularly productive for sighting mature bucks in October.

How to Hunt Mule Deer in Unit 117

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Mule Deer Success Rates

Rifle28%

Mule Deer Draw Odds

SeasonTagsApplicantsDraw %Pts Req
Rifle— 1st Season000.0% 0
Rifle— 1st Season44100.0% 0
Rifle— 1st Season2618100.0% 0
Rifle— 1st Season202290.9% 0

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine
Colorado's pure preference-point system governs Unit 117. With tags slightly outnumbering applicants over three years, this is a draw-friendly unit — residents with 0-3 points are typically competitive. Non-residents have reasonable odds as well. Verify current point requirements in the CPW draw recap.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Unit 117 good for archery mule deer?
Unit 117 offers a solid archery mule deer experience. Bucks are accessible in the high country from mid-August through September. The challenging terrain filters out casual hunters and leaves the backcountry basins largely unhunted during early season.

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Sources & Verification

Every fact on this page is tied to a primary source below. Last fact-checked 2026-04-17.

  1. CPW Hunting Atlas — GMU 117 — Colorado Parks and Wildlife / CSU NREL · supports: GMU boundary geometry, Public land ownership layer, Mule deer migration corridors · accessed 2026-04-17
  2. Colorado Big Game Hunting Brochure (Current Cycle) — Colorado Parks and Wildlife · supports: Season dates, License structure, Tag quotas per hunt code · accessed 2026-04-17
  3. CPW Mule Deer Hunt Statistics and Draw Recap — Colorado Parks and Wildlife · supports: Per-GMU harvest totals, Hunter success rates, Draw recap preference point data · accessed 2026-04-17