GMU 62 GMU 62 — Delta/Mesa/Montrose/Ouray Co.
The big, attainable side of the Uncompahgre — high elk numbers and easier tags than its neighbor
Uncompahgre Plateau — northeast slope (Delta/Mesa/Montrose/Ouray Co.) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,379
sq mi
Public land
60%
approx.
Elevation
5,500–9,500
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
GMU 62 is one of the largest units in the region, covering the northeastern half of the Uncompahgre Plateau above the Uncompahgre River valley and the towns of Montrose, Olathe, and Delta. It shares the plateau crest with GMU 61 — the graveled Divide Road (FSR 402) splits 62 to the northeast from 61 to the southwest. The plateau top runs mostly between about 8,300 and 9,200 feet, dropping steeply through oakbrush and canyons toward the Uncompahgre Valley on the east. GMU 62 trades a little trophy quality for accessibility: it holds strong elk and mule deer numbers with tags that are considerably easier to get than 61's, making it a popular general-season elk unit. Elk lead the harvest (recent 5-year total over 800), with quality mule deer on limited draw and a token pronghorn tag.
Terrain
A broad, flat plateau crest of parks and timber falling away in steep, oakbrush-choked canyons toward the Uncompahgre Valley to the east. Good road access exists on top, but many spur roads become impassable in wet weather and the canyon country is remote and rugged.
Cover: Aspen, ponderosa, and spruce-fir with grassy parks on the crest, thick Gambel oakbrush and pinyon-juniper on the mid slopes, and sage-and-juniper on the lower valley benches.
Landmarks: Divide Road (FSR 402) · Dave Wood Road · Uncompahgre River valley · Uncompahgre National Forest · Log Hill Mesa · Montrose / Olathe / Delta benches · Cimarron area (southeast)
Access
The plateau top is national forest with BLM on the flanks, but the eastern, valley-facing side toward Montrose, Olathe, and Delta carries substantial private ranch and orchard ground — the public/private mosaic is more complex than on 61's side, so map boundaries carefully before hunting the lower benches. The Divide and Dave Wood roads are the main access spines. Colorado State Trust lands are NOT open to hunting unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program. Many top-of-plateau roads turn to impassable clay when wet.
Managers: USFS Uncompahgre National Forest (GMUG), BLM Uncompahgre Field Office, private ranch
Access points: Divide Road (FSR 402) · Dave Wood Road from the Montrose side · US-50 / US-550 approaches from the Uncompahgre Valley · Forest roads off Log Hill Mesa near Ridgway · CO-90 from the west
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
abundant opportunityThe headline hunt and the reason 62 stays popular — a large unit with healthy elk numbers and easily obtained tags. Bull tags are over-the-counter for archery and the 2nd/3rd rifle seasons (1st rifle is limited-draw). It doesn't produce the bull quality of neighboring 61, and recent overall success ran modest (near 16%) under heavy general-season pressure, but the sheer country and elk numbers reward hunters who leave the roads. Oakbrush at the mid elevations is the elk magnet.
- →Push into the dense oakbrush and canyon breaks off the plateau flanks — the thick oak holds elk, and close-range still-hunting or calling beats glassing the open parks up top.
- →Get well off the Divide Road and the easy road grid; pressure is heavy on the accessible crest, and elk shift into the remote canyons fast once seasons open.
- →Hunt the mid-elevation oak-and-juniper transition where elk feed and bed, and time archery or 2nd rifle to catch bulls still vocal near the rut.
Mule Deer
common qualityA solid, fully limited-draw deer hunt across big country — deer grow well here, though general elk-season pressure keeps many bucks from reaching top age class. Recent success ran near 48%. Bucks use the oakbrush ridges and canyon rims. Draw tags are more attainable than on 61.
- →Glass the oakbrush and pinyon-juniper breaks along the canyon rims at first and last light; this is spot-and-stalk terrain.
- →Get away from the roaded crest to find the older bucks — the accessible tops see heavy pressure.
- →Later seasons concentrate deer as they migrate off the high plateau toward the Uncompahgre Valley winter range.
Pronghorn
transient lowA trivial pronghorn presence — recent harvest was a single animal on a very limited tag. This is not a pronghorn destination; any tag is an incidental hunt on the open valley-edge flats, not a reason to come.
- →Look only on the open sage-grass benches on the lower eastern edge of the unit toward the Uncompahgre Valley.
- →Treat it purely as a bonus tag paired with other scouting — the unit is overwhelmingly timber and oakbrush.
Pro tips
- →This is a numbers-and-access unit, not a trophy unit — come for a good general elk hunt, and beat the crowds by hunting hard away from the Divide Road.
- →The oakbrush is the key habitat; learn to hunt it close and quiet rather than trying to glass elk in the open.
- →Later rifle seasons pull migrating animals toward the Montrose/Olathe/Delta benches — a productive late-season move.
- →Sort out the busier east-side private ground near the valley towns on your mapping app before hunting the lower benches.
Watch out for
- !Substantial private ranch/orchard ground on the eastern valley-facing side near Montrose, Olathe, and Delta — verify boundaries.
- !State Trust lands are closed to hunting unless in CPW's Public Access Program.
- !Heavy OTC general-season crowds on the road-accessible plateau top.
- !Clay roads become impassable when wet, and higher roads close with early snow.
Logistics
Montrose and Delta are full-service hubs with lodging, gear, fuel, and game processors right at the base of the unit — logistics are among the easiest of any plateau unit. Dispersed camping on the national forest along the Divide Road is standard. Cell coverage fades quickly off the valley; download offline maps before heading up top.
Nearest towns: Montrose, Olathe, Delta, Ridgway, Cimarron
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Colorado sources:
Research sources: HuntScore — GMU 62 (Delta/Mesa/Montrose/Ouray) · GOHUNT — Colorado Unit 62 Profile · Hunters Domain — Colorado Unit 62 hunting info
FAQ
- How big is GMU 62 in Colorado?
- GMU 62 (GMU 62 — Delta/Mesa/Montrose/Ouray Co.) covers about 1,379 square miles, ranging from roughly 5,500 to 9,500 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 62?
- Approximately 60% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Uncompahgre National Forest (GMUG), BLM Uncompahgre Field Office, private ranch. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 62?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Colorado agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put GMU 62 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.