GMU 96 GMU 96 — Logan/Washington/Morgan Co.
A compact draw-deer unit in the dryland farm country south of the Platte
Northeast Colorado — Logan/Washington plains · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
247
sq mi
Public land
2%
approx.
Elevation
4,200–4,900
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
GMU 96 is a small unit on the shortgrass and dryland-farming plains of Logan, Washington and Morgan counties, southeast of the South Platte River. It is primarily a limited-draw mule deer unit — deer are the clear focus, using draws, CRP, sandhills and crop edges, with whitetails along the wetter bottoms. Pronghorn and elk are marginal here. As with the surrounding plains, opportunity is defined by private-land access.
Terrain
Rolling shortgrass and dryland-farm plains broken by shallow draws and sandhills; open country with limited but concentrated cover.
Cover: Shortgrass and grama prairie, CRP grass, dryland wheat and corn stubble, sandhills, yucca flats, and scattered shelterbelts and creek-bottom cottonwoods.
Landmarks: dryland wheat/CRP mosaic · sandhills country · shallow tributary draws toward the South Platte · shelterbelt farmsteads
Access
Almost entirely private dryland farm and ranch ground. Colorado State Trust Lands are closed to hunting unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program and must not be counted as open public land. Realistic public access is limited to CPW Walk-In Access parcels; nearly all hunting requires landowner permission.
Managers: Private ranch/farmland, Colorado State Trust Land (not open unless enrolled), CPW Walk-In / Public Access Program parcels
Access points: County-road grid off US-6 and US-34 · CPW Walk-In Access properties (seasonal signage) · public-road pullouts adjacent to private fields
Species notes
Mule Deer
common opportunityThe unit's primary draw species; mule deer concentrate in the limited cover — draws, CRP, sandhills and shelterbelts — and account for the large majority of harvest.
- →Hunt shelterbelts, CRP and draw heads at dawn and dusk as deer shift to and from crops
- →Still-hunt sandhill pockets and yucca draws during midday
- →Focus on the sparse cover where deer are forced to hold, and hunt it where you have access
Whitetail Deer
limited opportunityWhitetails use the wetter creek and river-adjacent bottoms and irrigated corridors on the unit's fringes, a secondary component of the deer harvest.
- →Hunt cottonwood bottoms and ditch/creek corridors at first and last light
- →Watch travel lanes between bedding cover and grain fields
- →Secure permission on riparian private ground where whitetails concentrate
Pronghorn
limited lowPronghorn are present but sparse and inconsistent in this small unit — a marginal opportunity compared with deer, with very low recent harvest.
- →Glass open CRP and grassland sections early before deciding to commit time here
- →Prioritize deer; treat pronghorn as an incidental add-on
- →Check current CPW harvest and draw data before applying — pronghorn numbers are thin
Pro tips
- →This is a deer unit first — build your plan around mule deer in the draws, CRP and shelterbelts rather than open-country pronghorn
- →Access is everything on this small private-dominated unit; secure permission or Walk-In ground before the season
- →Do not rely on State Trust Land unless the parcel is enrolled in the Public Access Program
- →Hunt the limited cover hard — deer stack into shelterbelts and draws when the surrounding country is bare
Watch out for
- !Nearly all private, posted dryland farm/ranch ground
- !State Trust Lands closed unless enrolled in the Public Access Program
- !Sparse, inconsistent pronghorn — do not overweight it
- !Muddy county/two-track roads after rain or snow
Logistics
Akron, Brush and Sterling provide fuel, lodging and groceries; Otis serves the interior. The county-road grid gives extensive drive access, but virtually all fields are posted — arrange permission or map Walk-In parcels before arriving. Cell service is decent along the highways and thin off-pavement.
Nearest towns: Akron, Sterling, Brush, Otis, Fort Morgan
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 GMU boundary descriptions (Colorado Big Game brochure) · CPW Public Access Program
FAQ
- How big is GMU 96 in Colorado?
- GMU 96 (GMU 96 — Logan/Washington/Morgan Co.) covers about 247 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,200 to 4,900 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 96?
- Approximately 2% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Private ranch/farmland, Colorado State Trust Land (not open unless enrolled), CPW Walk-In / Public Access Program parcels. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 96?
- Mule Deer, Whitetail 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 96 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.