GMU 591 GMU 591 — Pueblo/Fremont/El Paso Co.
The Fort Carson installation hunt — a low-pressure, permit-controlled managed herd, not open public land
South-central Front Range — Fort Carson Military Reservation (Pueblo/El Paso/Fremont Co.) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
216
sq mi
Public land
—
approx.
Elevation
5,300–7,800
feet
Motorized
limited
access
Overview
GMU 591 is the Fort Carson Military Reservation, a roughly 137,000-acre Army installation carved out as its own game management unit from surrounding GMU 59. It runs from shortgrass prairie and rolling piñon-juniper foothills up toward the Wet Mountain and Turkey Creek country in the southwest. Because hunting is tightly controlled and pressure is low, the resident mule deer, elk and pronghorn herds hunt better than the open plains would suggest — mule deer are the strongest and best-quality harvest, elk hold in the rougher training-area breaks, and pronghorn use the open impact-area grasslands. This is NOT open public land: access is only through Fort Carson's installation hunting-permit program.
Terrain
Rolling shortgrass prairie and grassland flats broken by piñon-juniper foothills, mesas, gulches and canyon breaks, rising toward the Wet Mountain foothills and Turkey Creek country in the southwest.
Cover: Shortgrass prairie and grassland on the flats; piñon-juniper woodland and Gambel oak on the foothills and breaks; riparian cottonwood and brush along Turkey Creek and the gulches; scattered ponderosa in the higher southwest.
Landmarks: Turkey Creek · Booth Gulch / installation training areas · piñon-juniper foothills and mesas · Wet Mountain foothills (southwest) · GMU 59 boundary (surrounds this unit)
Access
The entire unit is the Fort Carson installation and is NOT open public hunting ground. Hunting is administered by the installation through a permit / registration program (background check, mandatory check-in and hunter registration), with large portions closed at any time for military training and live-fire operations. There is no general walk-in access, no state-trust or BLN public component, and no DIY route around the permit system. Verify eligibility, area openings/closures and permit requirements directly with the Fort Carson program before planning.
Managers: U.S. Army — Fort Carson Military Reservation (federal)
Access points: Fort Carson installation hunting-permit / registration program (only legal access) · designated open training areas per daily installation status · no general public access points
Species notes
Mule Deer
common qualityMule deer are the strongest and best-quality harvest on the installation — low hunting pressure and managed access let bucks reach better age in the piñon-juniper foothills and gulch country. The top reason to hold a Fort Carson permit.
- →Glass PJ foothills, mesa breaks and gulch heads at first and last light
- →Still-hunt oak-brush and canyon draws mid-day
- →Focus on the rougher southwest foothill country
- →Use the low pressure — hunt patiently for mature bucks in undisturbed pockets
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityA resident elk herd uses the installation's rougher training-area breaks, timbered pockets and canyon country. Limited-draw and permit-controlled, with modest but real success given the light pressure.
- →Hunt the PJ-and-timber breaks and canyon heads where elk shelter
- →Glass into rough training-area country at dawn before elk move to cover
- →Focus on the higher southwest toward the Wet Mountain foothills
- →Work quiet, undisturbed pockets between training closures
Pronghorn
limited opportunityPronghorn use the open grassland flats and impact-area prairie across the installation. Limited-draw and permit-gated, but the open ground and low pressure make for a workable spot-and-stalk hunt.
- →Drive-and-glass the open grassland flats at first light
- →Spot-and-stalk using the rolling prairie folds for cover
- →Watch water sources and creek edges in dry early seasons
- →Plan around installation training closures that limit open ground
Pro tips
- →This is Fort Carson — hunting is by installation permit/registration only, not open public access
- →Mule deer are the quality draw; the low pressure lets bucks reach better age than the surrounding plains
- →Plan every day around the training and range-status schedule — areas open and close constantly
- →Do not confuse this with GMU 59, which surrounds it and is the general public unit
- →Verify eligibility and current program rules with Fort Carson well before applying
Watch out for
- !Not open public land — hunting requires a Fort Carson installation permit and registration
- !Large portions close without notice for military training and live-fire operations
- !Unexploded-ordnance and impact-area restrictions — stay strictly within designated open areas
- !No general walk-in or DIY access around the permit system
- !PJ and grassland fire risk in dry, windy conditions
Logistics
The installation sits between Colorado Springs and Pueblo; Fountain and Colorado Springs are the nearest full-service towns. All logistics run through the installation's hunting program — you must register, check in and follow daily open-area and range-status rules. Expect abrupt closures for training and live fire, restricted road access, and no general amenities inside the boundary. Confirm the day's open areas before you go.
Nearest towns: Colorado Springs, Fountain, Pueblo West, Cañon City
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Colorado sources:
Research sources: CPW Game Management Units (GMU) boundaries — Colorado Geodata · HuntScore — Colorado GMU 591 (Pueblo, Fremont, El Paso — Fort Carson) · CPW GMU 59 boundary (Fort Carson carved out as standalone GMU 591)
FAQ
- How big is GMU 591 in Colorado?
- GMU 591 (GMU 591 — Pueblo/Fremont/El Paso Co.) covers about 216 square miles, ranging from roughly 5,300 to 7,800 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 591?
- Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Pronghorn. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Colorado agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put GMU 591 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.