GMU 94 GMU 94 — Larimer/Adams/Weld Co.
Ag-and-development plains deer unit on the growing Front Range edge
Northern Front Range plains — South Platte/Poudre farm country, Larimer/Weld/Adams Co. · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
737
sq mi
Public land
3%
approx.
Elevation
4,600–5,400
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
GMU 94 sits on the northern Front Range plains across Larimer, Weld, and Adams counties, an intensively farmed and increasingly developed landscape northeast of the Denver metro and around Greeley. Irrigated cropland, feedlots, CRP, and shortgrass prairie are stitched together by the South Platte and Cache la Poudre river bottoms. Deer dominate the harvest; pronghorn and elk are incidental. Spreading residential and commercial development is squeezing habitat, and nearly all huntable ground is private.
Terrain
Flat to gently rolling High Plains at the base of the Front Range, cut by the South Platte and Cache la Poudre valleys. Minimal relief — hunting keys on river bottoms, draws, and crop-field edges rather than topography.
Cover: Irrigated cropland (corn, alfalfa, sugar beets), CRP grass, shortgrass prairie, and cottonwood/willow river-bottom galleries along the South Platte and Poudre, with expanding subdivisions and commercial development.
Landmarks: South Platte River · Cache la Poudre River · Greeley · Interstate 76 · US Highway 85 · Front Range foothills to the west
Access
Almost entirely private farm and ranch ground, with development steadily reducing access near Greeley and the metro fringe. Public hunting is limited to a few South Platte and Poudre State Wildlife Areas and CPW Public Access Program walk-in tracts. State Trust Land is closed to hunting unless enrolled in the Public Access Program, and city/county open space here is generally non-hunting — do not count either as open ground.
Managers: Private cropland and ranch, CPW State Wildlife Areas (South Platte/Poudre), State Trust Land (walk-in / PAP only), Municipal/open-space (mostly closed to hunting)
Access points: US-85 and I-76 corridors · South Platte/Poudre SWA parking areas · County-road grid through the ag land
Species notes
Mule Deer
common qualityThe unit's primary big-game target — mule deer use CRP, shortgrass draws, and irrigated crop edges. Fully limited-draw; success runs relatively high for those with access, but development pressure is trimming quality habitat year over year.
- →Glass CRP fields and draws at first/last light near irrigated feed
- →Hunt crop-edge transitions between cover and alfalfa/corn
- →Prioritize written landowner access away from developing areas
- →Time late seasons to the late-Oct through December rut
Whitetail Deer
limited opportunityWhitetails inhabit the South Platte and Cache la Poudre cottonwood bottoms and connected shelterbelts — a solid second deer option tied tightly to the river corridors.
- →Hunt the Poudre and South Platte cottonwood/willow bottoms
- →Ambush travel lanes between river bedding and crop feed
- →Work shelterbelts and tree lines linking water to agriculture
Pronghorn
transient lowPronghorn pass through the shortgrass on the unit's open eastern and northern edges, but harvest is negligible — cropland and development make this poor antelope country.
- →Glass the more open shortgrass flats away from cropland and towns
- →Landowners often grant antelope access more readily than deer
- →Treat any pronghorn opportunity as incidental
Rocky Mountain Elk
transient lowA few plains elk drift the river bottoms and cropland, yielding only a trickle of harvest. Elk are limited-draw here (no OTC on the plains) and are strictly an opportunistic add-on.
- →Check South Platte/Poudre bottoms and adjacent crop fields where small groups feed
- →Lean on landowner intel — resident elk pattern to specific private ground
- →Treat an elk tag as a low-odds bonus
Pro tips
- →Nail down landowner access early — development is steadily closing ground near Greeley
- →Hunt the river corridors for whitetails and the CRP/crop edges for muleys
- →Use the flat, road-gridded terrain to glass efficiently from the truck
- →Learn the South Platte/Poudre SWAs and PAP walk-in tracts as public fallbacks
- →Mind property boundaries carefully in the patchwork of farms and subdivisions
Watch out for
- !Overwhelmingly private with fragmenting access due to Front Range development
- !State Trust Land and most city/county open space are closed to hunting
- !Safety zones and shooting restrictions near homes, roads, and towns
- !Limited public SWA/PAP parcels get pressured quickly
- !Heavy ag traffic, irrigation infrastructure, and posted crop ground
Logistics
Greeley and Fort Collins offer full services, lodging, and gear, with Fort Morgan and Brighton as eastern bases. The dense county-road grid makes the unit easy to reach, but suburban growth means access is fragmenting — scout and secure permission early. Cell coverage is strong throughout given the populated Front Range setting.
Nearest towns: Greeley, Fort Collins, Fort Morgan, Brighton, Kersey
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Colorado sources:
Research sources: HuntScore — GMU 94 (Larimer, Adams & Weld Counties) · CPW Deer Hunting — plains unit access and habitat notes
FAQ
- How big is GMU 94 in Colorado?
- GMU 94 (GMU 94 — Larimer/Adams/Weld Co.) covers about 737 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,600 to 5,400 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 94?
- Approximately 3% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Private cropland and ranch, CPW State Wildlife Areas (South Platte/Poudre), State Trust Land (walk-in / PAP only), Municipal/open-space (mostly closed to hunting). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 94?
- Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, Pronghorn, Rocky Mountain Elk. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Colorado agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put GMU 94 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.