GMU 682 GMU 682 — Saguache Co.
A flat, private valley unit where limited elk tags and access are everything
South-Central Colorado — San Luis Valley floor east of Saguache · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
255
sq mi
Public land
15%
approx.
Elevation
7,500–7,800
feet
Motorized
limited
access
Overview
GMU 682 is a small, nearly flat block of the San Luis Valley floor in Saguache County, bounded by US 285, Colorado 17, and County Road G, with the town of Saguache off its northwest corner. Roughly 85% of the unit is private — irrigated farmland and ranch ground — with poor public access, so this is fundamentally a private-land hunt. Elk lead the harvest here, moving onto the valley ag from surrounding units and drawing high success on a small number of limited tags, while mule deer and pronghorn are present in modest numbers. All three species are effectively limited-draw, and without private permission most hunters are better served by neighboring public units.
Terrain
Essentially flat San Luis Valley floor — irrigated farmland, hay meadows, and ranch pasture broken by ditches, fence lines, and scattered brush.
Cover: Center-pivot and flood-irrigated cropland, hay and pasture, greasewood and rabbitbrush on the drier ground, with willow and cottonwood along ditches and drains.
Landmarks: San Luis Valley floor · US 285 corridor · Colorado HWY 17 · irrigated farmland and ranch ground near Saguache
Access
About 85% private — this is farm and ranch country with poor public access. The limited public ground is scattered BLM and does not offer the kind of walk-in opportunity found in the surrounding mountain units. State Trust Land is generally closed unless enrolled in the CPW Public Access Program. A successful hunt here almost always means secured private-land permission or a landowner arrangement; hunters without access should look to Units 681 and 68.
Managers: private ranch and farmland, scattered BLM parcels, Colorado State Trust Land (generally closed unless in CPW Public Access Program)
Access points: US 285 and CO 17 highway frontage · County Road G and the valley county-road grid · scattered BLM parcels (verify boundaries)
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited qualityElk lead the harvest despite the unit's small size — animals filter onto the irrigated valley ag from bordering units, and a small pool of limited tags produces high success for hunters with access. Quality is real but access is the gate; this is a private-land, limited-draw opportunity, not a roam-anywhere hunt.
- →Focus on irrigated fields, hay meadows, and water where valley elk feed
- →Secure private-land permission well before the season
- →Glass the ag-to-brush edges at dawn and dusk
- →Hunt travel routes between crop fields and bordering-unit cover
Mule Deer
limited opportunityMule deer live in and around the valley farmland in modest numbers, with harvest small and mostly tied to private ground. A limited-draw, access-dependent opportunity.
- →Hunt ditch-bank brush, greasewood flats, and cropland edges
- →Glass at first and last light along cover-to-field transitions
- →Private permission is usually the deciding factor
Pronghorn
limited opportunityA small pronghorn presence on the open valley flats, with only a token harvest — a rare bonus tag rather than a destination pronghorn hunt.
- →Glass the open valley flats for scattered bands
- →Use the flat terrain and long sightlines to plan a stalk
- →Access and permission drive success
Pro tips
- →Treat 682 as a private-land hunt — secure permission or a landowner tag arrangement first, or hunt elsewhere
- →Elk key on irrigated fields and water; scout crop and feeding patterns before the opener
- →Hunters without access should shift to public Units 681 or 68 next door
- →Don't assume the scattered BLM parcels connect — verify every boundary on a GPS layer
- →High elk success here reflects a small tag pool on productive ag, not easy public opportunity
Watch out for
- !~85% private — poor public access is the defining constraint
- !State Trust Lands generally closed unless enrolled in the Public Access Program
- !Scattered, often landlocked BLM parcels — verify boundaries carefully
- !Success stats are skewed by limited private-ground tags, not public opportunity
- !Trespass risk is high in the tight private/public checkerboard of the valley floor
Logistics
Saguache and Center cover basic fuel and supplies; Alamosa is the regional hub for lodging, groceries, and processing. The unit is a flat county-road grid, easy to drive but hard to hunt without permission. Roads can drift or soften with valley weather, and cell coverage is generally usable along the highways.
Nearest towns: Saguache, Center, Moffat, Alamosa (services, ~40 min S)
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 · CPW Hunting Atlas — GMU boundaries and public access · BLM Colorado — San Luis Valley Field Office
FAQ
- How big is GMU 682 in Colorado?
- GMU 682 (GMU 682 — Saguache Co.) covers about 255 square miles, ranging from roughly 7,500 to 7,800 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 682?
- Approximately 15% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: private ranch and farmland, scattered BLM parcels, Colorado State Trust Land (generally closed unless in CPW Public Access Program). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 682?
- 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 682 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.