GMU 31 GMU 31 — Mesa/Garfield/Rio Blanco Co.
Rugged BLM canyon-and-mesa unit on the Roan Plateau with OTC elk and quality deer
West-Central Colorado — Roan Plateau elk and mule deer country · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
702
sq mi
Public land
58%
approx.
Elevation
5,250–9,035
feet
Motorized
limited
access
Overview
GMU 31 covers roughly 700 square miles of Mesa, Garfield, and Rio Blanco counties on and around the Roan Plateau, east of the Book Cliffs. It is a little over half public — some 256,000 acres of BLM — with private ground concentrated in the drainage bottoms, and it carries the biggest elk harvest of this west-central group along with a quality mule deer herd. Elk is an over-the-counter opportunity in the second and third rifle seasons, while mule deer is limited-draw. The Roan's steep canyons, rimrock, and travel-management restrictions make access physical, which keeps a lid on pressure back in the country.
Terrain
Dramatic Roan Plateau relief: deep, steep, rocky canyons and cliff-rimmed drainages climbing to a high, timbered plateau top near 9,000 feet. The southern portion is especially rugged, with steep canyons and rocky ground that challenge even seasoned hunters.
Cover: Roughly sage and mountain shrub over much of the unit, with about a third evergreen forest and significant aspen and deciduous pockets up high; pinyon-juniper on mid slopes and rims, and barren rimrock throughout.
Landmarks: Roan Plateau · Roan Creek · steep south-end canyons · rimrock plateau tops (~9,000+ ft) · BLM travel-management routes
Access
About 58% public — roughly 256,000 acres of BLM — but the ~42% private sits in the drainage bottoms you often need to cross to reach the high plateau, so access takes real map work. The BLM travel-management plan on the Roan restricts motorized travel to designated routes, cutting motor access into drainage bottoms and making much of the good country a foot or horseback proposition. Colorado State Trust lands are generally NOT open to hunting unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program.
Managers: BLM Grand Junction / Colorado River Valley Field Offices, private ranch (drainage bottoms), Colorado State Trust (generally closed to hunting)
Access points: Roan Creek Road (De Beque) · BLM designated travel routes onto the plateau · county roads off the Colorado River valley · foot/horseback access into canyon heads
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common opportunityThe volume species and the biggest elk harvest of this west-central group (over 400 animals in a typical year), though success runs around 25% because elk are OTC for second and third rifle. The rugged plateau holds elk well for hunters willing to get off the roads.
- →Use the travel-management restrictions to your advantage — hike or ride past where the trucks stop into the canyon heads and plateau timber.
- →Glass sage and mountain-shrub benches at first and last light where elk feed, then follow them to aspen and dark-timber cover.
- →Time archery/muzzleloader to the September rut and locate bugling bulls off the plateau shoulders.
Mule Deer
common qualityA quality limited-draw mule deer herd (managed with GMU 32 under the Logan Mountain D-41 plan) with roughly half to well over half of tags filled recently. Bucks use the pinyon-juniper benches, shrub rims, and canyon breaks, and the travel restrictions have benefited deer.
- →Grid-glass pinyon-juniper and mountain-shrub rims from high vantage points across the canyon country.
- →Hunt the steep south-end breaks where pressure is lightest and mature bucks hold.
- →Later, colder weather slides deer down off the plateau toward the lower benches — follow the migration.
Pro tips
- →Elk is OTC in 2nd and 3rd rifle — the Roan's travel restrictions reward hunters who hike or pack in past the road ends.
- →Private ground is in the drainage bottoms; map it so you can legally reach the public plateau above.
- →The steep south end is the toughest access and holds the least pressure — where mature deer and bulls hang on.
- →Know the BLM designated-route travel plan before you go; off-route motorized travel is prohibited.
- →Bring high-clearance 4WD, water, and recovery gear; plateau roads are treacherous when wet or snowed.
Watch out for
- !OTC elk pressure in 2nd and 3rd rifle, concentrated near road access.
- !BLM travel-management plan restricts motorized travel to designated routes — much of the unit is foot/horseback only.
- !Private inholdings in the drainage bottoms block some access to the public high country.
- !Colorado State Trust lands are generally closed to hunting unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program.
- !Steep, rocky canyon terrain and clay/snow roads make travel and game recovery physically demanding.
Logistics
De Beque and Parachute sit along I-70 at the south edge with basic services; Grand Junction (southwest) and Rifle (east) are the full-service hubs for fuel, groceries, lodging, and repair. Plan to be self-contained and to camp — with motorized access limited on the Roan, budget time and effort for foot or horseback travel into the good country. High-clearance 4WD reaches the trailheads; roads turn to clay with rain and to chain-only with plateau-top snow. Cell coverage is minimal off I-70 — carry a satellite communicator.
Nearest towns: De Beque, CO, Grand Junction, CO, Rifle, CO, Parachute, CO, Rangely, CO
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Colorado sources:
Research sources: Colorado GMU boundaries (CPW GIS) · CPW — Logan Mountain Deer Management Plan (DAU D-41, GMUs 31 & 32) · Hunters Domain — Colorado Unit 31 · Uncover Colorado — Roan Plateau BLM
FAQ
- How big is GMU 31 in Colorado?
- GMU 31 (GMU 31 — Mesa/Garfield/Rio Blanco Co.) covers about 702 square miles, ranging from roughly 5,250 to 9,035 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 31?
- Approximately 58% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM Grand Junction / Colorado River Valley Field Offices, private ranch (drainage bottoms), Colorado State Trust (generally closed to hunting). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 31?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Colorado agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put GMU 31 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.