GMU 104 GMU 104 — Denver/Adams/Arapahoe/Douglas/Elbert Co.
Suburban edge to open shortgrass — a pronghorn and mule deer unit that is almost all private ground
Front Range plains — Denver's southeast prairie · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,456
sq mi
Public land
10%
approx.
Elevation
4,900–6,800
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
GMU 104 sprawls east and southeast of metro Denver across Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas and Elbert counties, grading from the urban corridor into rolling shortgrass prairie and cropland cut by Kiowa, Box Elder and Coal creek drainages. Pronghorn are the marquee draw here, with solid 5-year success, followed by a healthy mule deer harvest and a smaller, limited-draw elk take. The catch is access: roughly 85% of the unit is private ranch and farm ground, so the hunt is won on relationships and homework, not on wandering national forest.
Terrain
Gently rolling High Plains grading up toward the Palmer Divide in the south. Broad grassland tables broken by shallow creek bottoms, sandy draws and scattered cottonwood corridors.
Cover: Shortgrass and mixed-grass prairie, dryland wheat and CRP fields, sagebrush and yucca flats, with cottonwood and willow along Kiowa and Box Elder creeks; ponderosa and scrub oak thicken near the Palmer Divide.
Landmarks: Kiowa Creek · Box Elder Creek · Palmer Divide · Coal Creek · town of Elizabeth
Access
Roughly 85% private. There is very little federal public land in this unit — no national forest of consequence. Public opportunity is mostly through CPW's Walk-In Access / Public Access Program parcels and a handful of State Wildlife Areas; a valid GMU 104 big-game license is required to hunt WIA ground here. State Trust Lands are NOT open to general hunting unless specifically enrolled in the Public Access Program — do not treat them as open. Most serious hunters either secure private permission well ahead of season or book a private-land outfitter.
Managers: private ranch, private cropland, Colorado State Trust (generally closed unless enrolled in CPW Public Access Program), scattered municipal open space
Access points: County roads gridding the prairie east of Kiowa and Bennett · CPW Walk-In Access parcels (check the annual atlas) · State Wildlife Areas along creek corridors
Species notes
Pronghorn
common qualityThe signature species of GMU 104, with strong 5-year success on the open prairie tables. Antelope hold on grassland and CRP flats away from the suburban fringe, especially in the eastern and southern reaches of the unit.
- →Glass the high prairie tables at first and last light, then plan a stalk using terrain rolls
- →Decoy or spot-and-stalk during the rut when bucks are preoccupied
- →Focus on private ground with permission or WIA parcels — pronghorn favor the open cropland/grassland mosaic
- →Water sources and fence-line pinch points concentrate movement in dry years
Mule Deer
common qualityFully limited-draw here. Mule deer use the creek bottoms, brushy draws and cropland edges, with better bucks toward the Palmer Divide oak and pine. Consistently the largest deer harvest of the three southeast metro units.
- →Still-hunt the cottonwood and willow corridors of Kiowa and Box Elder creeks at dawn
- →Watch cropland-to-cover transitions in the evenings
- →Push brushy draws and yucca pockets on the prairie tables
- →Better-antlered deer favor the timbered Palmer Divide ground in the south
Whitetail Deer
limited opportunityWhitetails filter along the wetter creek bottoms and cottonwood corridors, sharing the low ground with mule deer. A secondary opportunity rather than a target, concentrated near riparian cover.
- →Hunt the thick cottonwood and willow bottoms along creeks
- →Set up on trails between bedding cover and cropland
- →Expect them tight to water and heavy brush, unlike the open-country muleys
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityA small, limited-draw plains elk resource — NOT an OTC unit. Elk here are localized around larger private ranches and the timbered Palmer Divide, and harvest is modest. Drawing a tag and having private access are the real hurdles.
- →Concentrate on the Palmer Divide timber and big contiguous ranches in the south
- →Elk are patternable around private feed and water — permission is everything
- →Glass ag fields at the edges of dark timber morning and evening
Pro tips
- →Treat this as a private-land unit: secure permission months ahead or plan around specific WIA parcels in the annual atlas
- →State Trust Lands look inviting on a map but are closed unless enrolled in the Public Access Program — verify before you hunt
- →Pronghorn are the surest bet; glass the open eastern tables and let terrain do the stalking
- →The Palmer Divide timber in the south holds the best mule deer and what elk the unit has
- →Respect the suburban interface — much of the west side is too developed or posted to hunt
Watch out for
- !Very high private ownership — trespass risk is real, verify boundaries
- !State Trust Land closures
- !Suburban/urban fringe with discharge restrictions and dense development on the west side
- !Fire danger during hot, dry early seasons
- !Posted cropland and center-pivot fields throughout
Logistics
Full services across the Denver metro and along I-70; smaller towns like Elizabeth, Kiowa and Bennett offer fuel, food and lodging closer to the hunting ground. This is a day-drive unit for most Front Range hunters. The dominant logistical task is lining up private access or a WIA plan before opening day.
Nearest towns: Elizabeth, Bennett, Kiowa, Parker, Aurora
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Colorado sources:
Research sources: CPW Big Game Hunting Statistics · GOHUNT Colorado Unit 104 Profile · Colorado Outdoors — Hunting Pronghorn on the Eastern Plains
FAQ
- How big is GMU 104 in Colorado?
- GMU 104 (GMU 104 — Denver/Adams/Arapahoe/Douglas/Elbert Co.) covers about 1,456 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,900 to 6,800 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 104?
- Approximately 10% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: private ranch, private cropland, Colorado State Trust (generally closed unless enrolled in CPW Public Access Program), scattered municipal open space. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 104?
- Pronghorn, Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Colorado agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put GMU 104 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.