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Colorado › Hunting seasons › GMUs › GMU 70

2026-27 seasons by unit

Colorado GMU 70: seasons, codes and harvest

San Miguel County, Montrose County and Dolores County hold all of its 1,511 square miles. Seasons, codes, 2024 harvest and the public land inside, unit by unit.

See the codesHunter numbersHunting gear
1,511Square miles
28Hunt codes
1,275Elk taken 2024
3Counties

Photo: Ken Lund (CC BY-SA 2.0)

GMU 70 by county

Colorado Parks and Wildlife draws GMU 70 at 967,247 acres, about 1,511 square miles. San Miguel County carries the largest piece, 69%, and the unit falls in the CPW Southwest Region.

The split by county is San Miguel 69%, Montrose 27% and Dolores 4%.

CountySquare milesOf the unitOf the county
San Miguel County1,042.269%81%
Montrose County409.927%18%
Dolores County55.94%5%

CPW manages herds by data analysis unit (DAU). GMU 70 sits in D-24 for deer, E-24 for elk, M-4 for moose, B-5 for bear and L-SW for lion. There is no pronghorn DAU code for this unit.

1,511Square miles
967,247Acres
D-24Deer DAU
E-24Elk DAU
M-4Moose DAU
B-5Bear DAU
L-SWLion DAU

Area, county overlap and DAU codes from the CPW GMU and DAU GIS layers (overlay with Census county lines); boundary text in the 2026 Big Game brochure GMU descriptions; checked November 5, 2026.

What applies in GMU 70

YesElk APR
SelectedElk CWD test
12Lion group
24Lion limit
OTCSpring turkey
OTCFall turkey
YesLynx area
MountainTerrain
2OTC elk rows
  • Antler point restriction: bulls taken in GMU 70 need 4 points on one antler or a brow tine of 5 inches or more, in every season.
  • Mandatory CWD testing: some rifle elk hunt codes valid in GMU 70 require a free head submission in 2026.
  • Lions here count toward group 12, which closes once 24 are taken across its 3 units.
  • Turkey status here: spring turkey is OTC; fall turkey is OTC.
  • GMU 70 is one of the 19 lynx-area units.
  • OTC elk: 2 over-the-counter elk rows include GMU 70 (Second rifle bull and Third rifle bull).

From the elk antler point list, the 2026 mandatory elk CWD GMUs, the 2026-2027 Mountain Lion brochure, the 2026 Turkey brochure and the Small Game brochure lynx rules (CPW); checked November 5, 2026. Guides: antler point GMUs, CWD testing, lion groups, turkey units.

GMU 70 season calendar

31 season rows name GMU 70: 9 elk, 11 deer, 8 black bear, 1 mountain lion and 2 wild turkey. The code count is for the whole row across Colorado.

GameHuntOpenKindCodes in row
Elk
Archery bull
limited
Sep 2–30Limited6
Elk
Archery cow
limited
Sep 2–30Limited6
Elk
Archery either sex
private land only
Sep 2–30Private only13
Elk
Muzzleloader bull
limited
Sep 12–20Limited50
Elk
Muzzleloader cow
limited
Sep 12–20Limited69
Elk
Rifle bull
limited
Oct 14–18Limited50
Elk
Rifle either sex
private land only
Oct 14–18Private only19
Elk
Second rifle bull
OTC
Oct 24–Nov 1OTC—
Elk
Third rifle bull
OTC
Nov 7–15OTC—
Deer
Archery buck
limited
Sep 2–30Limited33
Deer
Muzzleloader buck
limited
Sep 12–20Limited62
Deer
Rifle buck
limited
Oct 14–18Limited13
Deer
Rifle buck
private land only
Oct 14–18Private only4
Deer
Rifle buck
limited
Oct 24–Nov 1Limited71
Deer
Rifle buck
private land only
Oct 24–Nov 1Private only17
Deer
Rifle doe
private land only
Oct 24–Nov 1Private only12
Deer
Rifle buck
limited
Nov 7–15Limited71
Deer
Rifle buck
private land only
Nov 7–15Private only17
Deer
Rifle doe
private land only
Nov 7–15Private only12
Deer
Rifle buck
limited
Nov 18–22Limited59
Black bear
Archery either sex
limited
Sep 2–30Limited35
Black bear
Archery either sex
OTC
Sep 2–30OTC15
Black bear
Rifle either sex
limited
Sep 2–30Limited34
Black bear
Rifle either sex
private land only
Sep 2–30Private only20
Black bear
Muzzleloader either sex
limited
Sep 12–20Limited35
Black bear
Muzzleloader either sex
OTC
Sep 12–20OTC15
Black bear
Rifle either sex
private land only
Oct 1–Nov 22Private only15
Black bear
Rifle either sex
OTC
Oct 14–Nov 22OTC12
Mountain lion
Lion season
Nov 23–Mar 31Limited—
Wild turkey
Spring
OTC (2026)
Apr 11–May 31OTC—
Wild turkey
Fall
OTC
Sep 1–Oct 4OTC—

Season rows from the 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure (deer p. 30, elk p. 45, pronghorn p. 63, moose p. 68, bear p. 72), the Turkey brochure and the Mountain Lion brochure; checked November 5, 2026.

GMU 70 hunt codes by species

The brochure tables carry 28 codes good in GMU 70 (9 elk, 11 deer and 8 black bear). Some were drawn for a neighbouring unit and simply include this one.

Draw pressure varies: 0 of the 28 codes are marked 6+ points, 9 are private-land-only.

Elk archery, 3

CodeAnimalLicenseDaysList2025 take
E-E-070-P1-AEither sexPrivate land only
Sep 2–30
A
62 of 211
E-F-070-O1-ACowLimited
Sep 2–30
A
11 of 87
E-M-070-O1-ABullLimited
Sep 2–30
A
93 of 395

Elk muzzleloader, 2

CodeAnimalLicenseDaysList2025 take
E-F-070-O1-MCowLimited
Sep 12–20
A
10 of 21
E-M-070-O1-MBullLimited
Sep 12–20
A
23 of 74

Elk rifle, 4

CodeAnimalLicenseDaysList2025 take
E-E-070-P1-REither sexPrivate land only
Oct 14–18
A
125 of 190
E-M-070-O1-RBullLimited
Oct 14–18
A
60 of 144
E-M-000-U2-RBullOTC
Oct 24–Nov 1
A
4,558 of 23,668
E-M-000-U3-RBullOTC
Nov 7–15
A
2,096 of 17,371

Deer archery, 1

CodeAnimalLicenseDaysList2025 take
D-M-070-O1-ABuckLimited
Sep 2–30
A
39 of 137

Deer muzzleloader, 1

CodeAnimalLicenseDaysList2025 take
D-M-070-O1-MBuckLimited
Sep 12–20
A
42 of 91

Deer rifle, 9

CodeAnimalLicenseDaysList2025 take
D-M-070-O1-RBuckLimited
Oct 14–18
A
41 of 54
D-M-070-P1-RBuckPrivate land only
Oct 14–18
A
19 of 28
D-F-070-P2-RDoePrivate land only
Oct 24–Nov 1
B
16 of 19
D-M-070-O2-RBuckLimited
Oct 24–Nov 1
A
311 of 379
D-M-070-P2-RBuckPrivate land only
Oct 24–Nov 1
A
107 of 168
D-F-070-P3-RDoePrivate land only
Nov 7–15
B
12 of 14
D-M-070-O3-RBuckLimited
Nov 7–15
A
244 of 387
D-M-070-P3-RBuckPrivate land only
Nov 7–15
A
128 of 175
D-M-070-O4-RBuckLimited
Nov 18–22
A
55 of 79

Black bear archery, 2

CodeAnimalLicenseDaysList2025 take
B-E-060-O1-AEither sexLimited
Sep 2–30
B
4 taken
B-E-060-U1-AEither sexOTC
Sep 2–30
B
6 taken

Black bear muzzleloader, 2

CodeAnimalLicenseDaysList2025 take
B-E-060-O1-MEither sexLimited
Sep 12–20
B
1 taken
B-E-060-U1-MEither sexOTC
Sep 12–20
B
1 taken

Black bear rifle, 4

CodeAnimalLicenseDaysList2025 take
B-E-060-O1-REither sexLimited
Sep 2–30
B
46 taken
B-E-060-P1-REither sexPrivate land only
Sep 2–30
C
14 taken
B-E-060-P5-REither sexPrivate land only
Oct 1–Nov 22
C
4 taken
B-E-060-U5-REither sexOTC
Oct 14–18
Oct 24–Nov 1
Nov 7–15
Nov 18–22
B
8 taken

Code harvest for 2025 is shown as taken of hunters; bear rows show bears taken.

Hunt codes from the 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure tables (PDF pp. 29-77) and the 2026 Turkey brochure; List A/B/C rules on p. 26; 2025 code estimates from CPW harvest reports (elk, deer, pronghorn, bear, moose); checked November 5, 2026. How the draw works.

GMU 70 success rates

Elk: 1,275 taken by 3,448 hunters in GMU 70 during 2024 (37%).

1,249 deer hunters in the unit took 859 deer, 69% of them filling a tag.

58 black bears were taken in GMU 70.

30,320 elk is the 2025 post-hunt figure for the herd made of GMUs 70, 71, 711, 72, 73.

The 2025 elk hunt codes with 70 in the code took 742 over 11,039 days.

Last lion season the group containing GMU 70 reached 19.

2024 take in GMU 70 by species05001,0001,5002,000deer: 859859deerelk: 1,2751,275elkbear: 5858bear
GameHarvestMake-upHuntersSuccessRec. days
Deer859836/23/01,24969%6,015
Elk1,275950/320/53,44837%18,574
Black bear5838/20——204

Herd unit figures, 2025

SpeciesDAUHarvestHuntersSuccessPost-huntSex ratio
DeerD-241,5792,92754%21,76032
ElkE-242,2129,39524%30,32014

2024 “All Manners of Take” tables by GMU: deer, elk, pronghorn, bear; 2025 DAU estimates and 2025 post-hunt populations (elk, deer, pronghorn); 2025 lion harvest (CPW). Survey estimates; checked November 5, 2026.

GMU 70 SWAs, trust land and forests

Across GMU 70 there are 19 public land listings, from 3 state wildlife areas to 9 state trust parcels.

National forest and BLM pieces follow federal rules; state parcels need a license or SWA pass for anyone 16 or over.

State trust land, 9

Ranger districts, 3

State wildlife areas, 3

BLM offices, 2

National forests, 2

Land records from CPW, State Land Board, USFS, BLM and other agency sources (each land page cites its own); GMU tags from those records; checked November 5, 2026. All Colorado public land.

Close to GMU 70

Base camps: Telluride, Norwood and Redvale and others.

These GMUs share at least one county with GMU 70; the nearest are listed first with their 2024 take.

GMUCommon countiesSq miElk harvestDeer harvestCodes
GMU 61
Montrose
San Miguel
92372713729
GMU 711
Dolores
San Miguel
82036633134
GMU 71
Dolores
52146722234
GMU 62
Montrose
San Miguel
1,3781,02459941
GMU 72
Dolores
9798357836
GMU 65
Montrose
67275527044
GMU 60
Montrose
23814012835
GMU 64
Montrose
26918914943

Towns from Census places with their GMU and GMUs within 10 miles; neighbours from the CPW GMU layer county overlay; checked November 5, 2026. All town pages · all GMUs.

When hunting light starts in GMU 70

In GMU 70, the light goose conservation order and furbearer hunting both run to half an hour after sunset.

DayMomentFirst sunLast sunRifle hoursShotgun hours
Sep 2, 2026Elk/deer archery6:44 a.m.7:44 p.m.6:14 a.m. to 8:14 p.m.6:14 a.m. to 7:44 p.m.
Sep 12, 2026Muzzleloader opens6:52 a.m.7:29 p.m.6:22 a.m. to 7:59 p.m.6:22 a.m. to 7:29 p.m.
Oct 3, 2026Duck season opens7:10 a.m.6:55 p.m.6:40 a.m. to 7:25 p.m.6:40 a.m. to 6:55 p.m.
Oct 24, 2026Second rifle opens7:30 a.m.6:26 p.m.7:00 a.m. to 6:56 p.m.7:00 a.m. to 6:26 p.m.
Nov 23, 2026Lion season opens7:03 a.m.4:58 p.m.6:33 a.m. to 5:28 p.m.6:33 a.m. to 4:58 p.m.
Dec 21, 2026Shortest day7:26 a.m.4:57 p.m.6:56 a.m. to 5:27 p.m.6:56 a.m. to 4:57 p.m.

Furbearer night rules are in the CPW small game brochure.

Hours rules from the 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure and the Small Game and Waterfowl brochure; sunrise and sunset worked out for this location with the NOAA solar formula (Mountain Time); checked November 5, 2026. Legal hours for every county.

GMU pages near unit 70

The four closest GMU pages, then statewide guides.

GMU 61

923 sq mi

GMU 711

820 sq mi

GMU 71

521 sq mi

GMU 62

1,378 sq mi

All GMUsHunting seasonsCWD testing
Red peaks glowing at dusk above aspen forest at Mountain Village, San Miguel County
Red peaks glowing at dusk above aspen forest at Mountain Village, San Miguel CountyPhoto: Michael Kwok (CC BY 2.0)
Ajax Peak and Telluride's box canyon reflected in a pond, San Miguel County
Ajax Peak and Telluride's box canyon reflected in a pond, San Miguel CountyPhoto: Richard Hurd (CC BY 2.0)
Mossy boulder among aspens and ferns in a mountain forest, San Miguel County
Mossy boulder among aspens and ferns in a mountain forest, San Miguel CountyPhoto: Lars Plougmann (CC BY-SA 2.0)

GMU 70 questions

Where can I stay near GMU 70?

Telluride, Norwood and Redvale inside the unit.

Which counties does GMU 70 cross?

GMU 70 covers 1,511 square miles in San Miguel, Montrose and Dolores; San Miguel County has 69% of it.

Which species have hunt codes in GMU 70?

Elk, deer and black bear, across 28 codes.

Is there a 4-point rule in GMU 70?

Yes, in all seasons, on public and private land.

Is GMU 70 a CWD testing unit?

Yes, GMU 70 is one of 64 units on the 2026 list.

Can I hunt lions in GMU 70?

Yes, November 23, 2026 to March 31, 2027, until group 12 reaches 24.

Can I buy an OTC turkey license for GMU 70?

Spring: OTC. Fall: OTC.

How many elk were taken in GMU 70?

1,275 in 2024, 37% success.

Does GMU 70 have state trust land?

9 state trust land parcels list GMU 70.

What population estimate covers GMU 70?

30,320 (2025 post-hunt, units 70, 71, 711, 72, 73).

Answers drawn from the CPW sources cited on this page; checked November 5, 2026.