How big is GMU 42 in Colorado?

GMU 42 (GMU 42 — Mesa/Garfield Co.) covers about 606 square miles, ranging from roughly 5,000 to 10,500 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.

What species does the catalog list for GMU 42?

Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn, Black Bear. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Colorado agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.

GMU 42 GMU 42 — Mesa/Garfield Co.

OTC bull elk on Battlement Mesa, wedged between the Colorado River and the Grand Mesa high country

West-central Colorado — Mesa & Garfield Counties (Battlement Mesa / north flank of the Grand Mesa) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12

Bull elk standing at the edge of dark timber

Area

606

sq mi

Public land

60%

approx.

Elevation

5,000–10,500

feet

Motorized

moderate

access

Overview

GMU 42 is a roughly 606-square-mile unit north of the Grand Mesa proper, built around Battlement Mesa and its creek drainages between the Colorado River valley (Parachute–Rifle–Silt) and the national-forest high country to the south. It belongs to the greater Grand Mesa elk herd (units 41, 42 and 421) and is one of the west-slope units where 2nd and 3rd rifle bull tags are over-the-counter, so elk is very much an opportunity/general hunt rather than a trophy draw. The unit carries a big elk harvest (roughly 600 animals in recent years) at modest success — this is public-land, work-for-it country. Mule deer is fully limited-draw and the better trophy proposition; pronghorn is a token presence at best.

Terrain

Steep-sided mesa country. Elevation climbs from the Colorado River benches near I-70 up the shoulders of Battlement Mesa into spruce-fir and aspen on the high flat top. Deep timbered creek drainages — Battlement Creek and its neighbors — cut the mesa into rugged fingers, and much of the public ground is steep.

Cover: Pinyon-juniper and sage-oakbrush on the lower benches, thickening through Gambel oak and serviceberry into aspen, and dense spruce-fir and dark timber on the high mesa top.

Landmarks: Battlement Mesa · Battlement Creek · Battlement Cow Camp · Colorado River corridor · Grand Mesa National Forest (north flank) · Interstate 70 / Parachute · Rifle

Access

The high mesa top is largely Grand Mesa National Forest with BLM on the mid-elevation benches, but the Colorado River valley bottom (Parachute, Battlement Mesa community, Rifle, Silt) is heavily private, and energy development laces the lower country with private and leased ground. Most public access is from the south and east up onto the forest. Colorado State Trust lands are NOT open to hunting unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program, so do not count them as huntable. Know your ownership boundaries on the benches before you climb.

Managers: USFS Grand Mesa National Forest, BLM Colorado River Valley Field Office, private ranch, private (natural-gas / energy)

Access points: Battlement Creek Road / FSR access off the valley · County roads south from Parachute and Rifle · Grand Mesa NF roads onto the mesa top from the south · I-70 exits at Parachute / Rifle / Silt

Species notes

Rocky Mountain Elk

common opportunity

The volume species and the reason most hunters come — part of the Grand Mesa herd, with a large annual harvest (~600) at modest success (recent bull success in the high teens). Second and third rifle bull tags are over-the-counter, so treat this as a general opportunity hunt, not a trophy draw.

→Hunt the dark spruce-fir and aspen benches of the high mesa top early, then follow elk down into the oakbrush and timbered creek drainages as pressure and snow build.
→Break well off the forest roads — OTC pressure concentrates near easy access, and the better elk sit in the steep, thick fingers between drainages.
→For rifle, be ready to chase migrating animals to lower elevation as storms push the herd off the top.

Mule Deer

common quality

Fully limited-draw and the better trophy play here, with solid success (recent tags filling near half). Bucks hold the mid-elevation oakbrush and pinyon-juniper benches, sliding lower as the season progresses.

→Glass the oakbrush-and-sage transition and pinyon-juniper benches at first and last light rather than the timbered top.
→Later hunts improve as bucks move down off the mesa toward the winter range on the lower benches.
→This is spot-and-stalk glassing country — cover ground with optics from vantage points.

Pronghorn

transient low

A token presence at best — only a stray tag and a single animal in recent harvest. This is not a pronghorn unit; treat any tag as incidental.

→Look to the open sage flats and lower valley benches where the country opens up, not the mesa.
→Realistically pair it with elk or deer scouting rather than planning a standalone pronghorn trip.

Black Bear

common opportunity

Good black bear numbers ride the oakbrush and serviceberry benches — classic Grand Mesa–country bear habitat. A worthwhile add-on tag in the right food years.

→Focus on Gambel oak and serviceberry slopes when the mast and berries come on in late summer and early fall.
→Glass south-facing brush pockets morning and evening and watch for feeding sign.
→Overlap a bear tag with an archery elk hunt for the best odds.

Pro tips

→Second and third rifle bull elk are OTC here — treat GMU 42 as a general opportunity unit and hunt hard away from the crowds.
→The valuable trophy tag is the limited-draw mule deer, not the elk.
→Public access is best from the south/east onto the Grand Mesa NF; the Colorado River valley bottom is heavily private.
→Carry a current ownership map — energy leases and private benches checkerboard the lower country.
→Time archery to the rut on the high mesa top, then follow elk down as snow arrives.

Watch out for

!Colorado State Trust lands are not open to hunting unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program.
!Heavily private Colorado River valley bottom and scattered energy-development ground on the lower benches.
!OTC rifle crowding — pressure concentrates near forest-road access.
!Early snow can close mesa-top forest roads and strand vehicles.
!Late-summer fire risk in the oakbrush and timber.

Logistics

The I-70 towns of Parachute, Rifle and Silt sit right on the north edge of the unit with fuel, groceries, motels and repair, and Grand Junction to the west is the regional hub. That makes GMU 42 an easy unit to base out of — but it also means crowding on the OTC public ground. Expect gas-field traffic and private-land checkerboard on the lower benches; a good ownership map and GPS are essential, and forest roads onto the mesa can get greasy and snowbound fast in late seasons.

Nearest towns: Parachute, CO, Rifle, CO, Silt, CO, Grand Junction, CO

Nearby units

GMU 421 · GMU 421 — Mesa/Garfield Co. GMU 33 · GMU 33 — Garfield/Rio Blanco Co. GMU 32 · GMU 32 — Garfield Co. GMU 521 · GMU 521 — Delta/Gunnison Co.

Seasons & regulations

This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Colorado sources:

Research sources: CPW Big Game Hunting · HuntScore — Colorado GMU 42 (Mesa & Garfield Counties) · Hunters Domain — Colorado Unit 42 Hunting Information · Backcountry Chronicles — Colorado OTC Elk Units (2nd/3rd rifle)

FAQ

How big is GMU 42 in Colorado?: GMU 42 (GMU 42 — Mesa/Garfield Co.) covers about 606 square miles, ranging from roughly 5,000 to 10,500 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
How much public land is in GMU 42?: Approximately 60% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Grand Mesa National Forest, BLM Colorado River Valley Field Office, private ranch, private (natural-gas / energy). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
What species does the catalog list for GMU 42?: Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn, Black Bear. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Colorado agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.

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