Colorado Pronghorn Mule Deer

Unit 137 (San Luis Valley / Alamosa)

Colorado Hunting Guide — Pronghorn, Mule Deer

GMU 137 covers a portion of the San Luis Valley in Alamosa and Costilla counties, one of Colorado's largest high-altitude basins. The wide-open sage and grassland terrain supports a resident pronghorn population managed by CPW through the preference point draw. The San Luis Valley's flat terrain, long sight lines, and mix of public and private land create a classic pronghorn hunting environment in south-central Colorado.

View Draw Odds Colorado Hunting Guide

Pronghorn Hunting in Unit 137

Where to Find Pronghorn in GMU 137

Pronghorn in GMU 137 range across the open sage and grassland of the San Luis Valley floor at approximately 7,500 feet elevation. The valley's extreme flatness and open character provides exceptional long-range visibility for locating herds.

Valley Floor Sage Flats

Pronghorn are highly visible from elevated county road berms, irrigation channels, and low ridges in the valley. Drive roads at dawn and glass systematically across the sage and grassland terrain. Herds of 20 or more animals are common in the valley in late summer.

Proximity to Great Sand Dunes NP

The Baca National Wildlife Refuge and areas adjacent to Great Sand Dunes National Park on the east side of the valley hold pronghorn in proximity to unique dune terrain. Verify refuge hunting regulations and boundaries before hunting near NWR land.

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How to Hunt GMU 137 Pronghorn

The San Luis Valley's extreme openness is both an advantage (easy spotting) and a challenge (difficult stalking).

Long-Range Shooting

The flat terrain of GMU 137 often means shots at 200–400 yards for rifle hunters. Practice at longer ranges before your hunt and confirm your rifle's zero at field distances. The calm valley air typically allows good shooting conditions early in the morning.

Water Hole Hunting

Stock tanks and irrigation ditches on the valley floor concentrate pronghorn during dry August conditions. Identify water sources on satellite maps and secure landowner access or confirm public land status before setting up near them.

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Pronghorn Success Rates

Rifle74%

San Luis Valley pronghorn units typically produce solid success rates of 65–80% for rifle hunters given the excellent visibility and relatively high pronghorn density. The primary challenge is navigating private land. Review CPW Big Game Statistics for current GMU 137 harvest data.

Pronghorn Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— 1st Season	6	32	18.8%	2
Rifle— 1st Season	8	53	15.1%	2
Rifle— 1st Season	17	10	100.0%	0
Rifle— 5th Season	12	0	100.0%	0
Rifle— 1st Season	23	249	9.2%	5
Rifle— 1st Season	49	40	100.0%	0

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

San Luis Valley pronghorn units draw moderate applicant interest. Some hunt codes may draw with 1–3 preference points, particularly for less-pressured archery seasons. Check CPW's annual draw statistics for current applicant numbers and point requirements by hunt code.

Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 137

Colorado GMU 137 is a mule deer unit managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). Limited-entry buck tags move through the CPW preference-point draw, and we use this page as a starting reference for scouting and point strategy before the season.

Where to Find Mule Deer in Unit 137

We pull the CPW Hunting Atlas for Unit 137 to map public-land boundaries, winter range, and access points. Mule deer bucks shift from high summer basins down to lower sage and oak benches as snow pushes in, and we verify current movement against CPW data before committing.

How to Hunt Mule Deer in Unit 137

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Mule Deer Success Rates

Rifle28%

Archery18%

Muzzleloader22%

Mule deer success in Unit 137 varies with weather, tag quotas, and herd health. We pull the most recent CPW Big Game Statistics release for the unit to compare season-by-season success and year-over-year trends.

Mule Deer Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— 2nd Season	9	2	100.0%	0
Rifle— 2nd Season	4	0	100.0%	0
Rifle— 1st Season	25	13	100.0%	0
Rifle— 2nd Season	2	1	100.0%	0
Rifle— 1st Season	13	7	100.0%	0
Rifle— 2nd Season	2	0	100.0%	0
Rifle— 1st Season	31	84	36.9%	1
Rifle— 1st Season	19	39	48.7%	0
Rifle— 1st Season	2	2	100.0%	0
Rifle— 1st Season	26	15	100.0%	0
Archery— 1st Season	13	13	100.0%	0
Muzzleloader— 2nd Season	3	0	100.0%	0
Muzzleloader— 2nd Season	7	7	100.0%	0

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Unit 137 mule deer tags are issued through the CPW preference-point draw. Rut-timed late rifle codes typically require more points than early seasons; we check the CPW draw summary for the prior cycle before committing points.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

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Terrain Difficulty

Easy — flat high-altitude basin at ~7,500 ft elevation

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Hunting Pressure

Low to moderate — good visibility but moderate applicant pressure

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Nearest Town

Alamosa (central access to the unit)

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Permit Notes

Limited-draw; significant private land in the valley floor — identify public land parcels using CPW Hunting Atlas before applying

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the San Luis Valley a good pronghorn hunting destination?

Yes — the San Luis Valley's open terrain makes locating pronghorn very straightforward. The primary challenge is securing access to public land or private permission in the mostly agricultural valley floor. Hunter success is high for those who solve the access problem before season.

How high is the San Luis Valley in GMU 137?

The San Luis Valley floor sits at approximately 7,500 feet above sea level — a consideration for hunters coming from lower elevations. The dry, high-altitude air can cause dehydration quickly. Plan accordingly and allow a day or two for acclimatization if coming from sea level.

How competitive is Unit 137 for mule deer?

Point requirements vary each cycle with applicant demand and tag quotas. Review the CPW draw statistics summary for Unit 137 mule deer to see recent resident and non-resident point needs.

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Sources & Verification

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

CPW Big Game Hunting — Colorado Parks and Wildlife · supports: GMU boundaries, Pronghorn license structure, Season dates · accessed 2026-04-17
CPW Big Game Statistics — Colorado Parks and Wildlife · supports: Pronghorn harvest totals, Hunter success rates, Population estimates per DAU · accessed 2026-04-17
CPW Big Game Draw — Colorado Parks and Wildlife · supports: Preference point system, Application period, Draw results · accessed 2026-04-17
CPW Hunting Atlas — GMU 137 — Colorado Parks and Wildlife / CSU NREL · supports: GMU boundary geometry, San Luis Valley public land layers · accessed 2026-04-17