GMU 98 GMU 98 — Logan/Phillips/Yuma/Washington Co.
Big, deer-rich dryland-farm and prairie country in Colorado's northeast corner, with pronghorn as the second draw
Far northeastern Colorado plains — the Nebraska-line corner (Logan, Phillips, Yuma & Washington Counties) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,793
sq mi
Public land
5%
approx.
Elevation
3,400–4,300
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
GMU 98 is a large (roughly 1,790-square-mile) block of far-northeastern Colorado plains stretching to the Nebraska state line, bounded by Colorado 6 on the north, the Nebraska line on the east, US 34 on the south, and Colorado 61 on the west. Unlike most of the surrounding plains units, deer — not pronghorn — is the marquee here: recent hunters took roughly 235 deer at about 55% success, far more than the pronghorn take. This is agricultural, ranch-dominated country (well over 90% private) where the Republican River drainage, Frenchman Creek bottoms, cropland, and CRP hold a strong plains deer population. Success is far more about securing private-land access than about finding animals.
Terrain
Flat to gently rolling High Plains that step down toward the Nebraska line and the Republican River basin — easy walking country throughout. Open shortgrass and mid-grass prairie mixes with extensive dryland and irrigated cropland, sandy draws, CRP grassland, and wooded creek bottoms.
Cover: Dryland and irrigated cropland (wheat, corn, milo) interspersed with shortgrass and sandsage prairie, CRP grassland, sandy draws, and cottonwood/willow riparian corridors along the Republican River, Frenchman Creek, and Arikaree drainages.
Landmarks: Colorado 6 corridor (north) · Nebraska state line (east) · US 34 corridor (south) · Colorado 61 (west) · Republican River drainage · Frenchman Creek · Arikaree River bottoms · Wray and Yuma farm country
Access
Overwhelmingly private — roughly 95% — with only a thin sliver of genuinely huntable public ground across this very large unit. The 'state' land shown on maps is Colorado State Trust land, which is NOT open to hunting unless the specific parcel is enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program (walk-in access), so do not assume it is huntable. Success hinges on landowner permission, a leased ranch, an outfitter, or CPW walk-in tracts. A dense county-road grid plus CO 6, US 34, and CO 61 make the country easy to reach and glass from, but the land beyond the fence is almost all private, and the river bottoms that hold the best deer are prime leased ground.
Managers: private ranch and farm, Colorado State Trust land (generally closed to hunting), scattered public
Access points: Colorado 6 · US 34 · Colorado 61 · US 385 (Wray corridor) · county road grid throughout
Species notes
Mule Deer
common qualityThe headliner and by far the biggest harvest here — roughly 235 deer taken at about 55% success. Plains mule deer hold in the sandsage draws, CRP, cropland edges, and river-bottom cover across this large unit. Limited-draw like all Colorado deer; access-limited but genuinely productive where you can hunt.
- →Focus on sandsage and mid-grass draws, CRP fields, and the cover strips and river bottoms where plains muleys hold during the day.
- →Hunt the edges between cropland feed and brushy or riparian bedding cover early and late.
- →Secure permission on specific ranches ahead of time — the best deer ground along the drainages is often leased, so line up access early.
Whitetail Deer
limited opportunityWhitetails occur along the Republican River, Frenchman Creek, and Arikaree bottoms and their shelterbelts, mixing with mule deer near the Nebraska line — classic eastern-plains river-bottom whitetail habitat. A secondary, access-dependent opportunity in the wooded riparian corridors.
- →Key on cottonwood/willow bottoms, tree-lined drainages, and shelterbelts along the Republican and Frenchman systems rather than the open prairie.
- →Hunt travel routes between riparian bedding cover and adjacent crop fields at dawn and dusk.
- →Verify which deer species your tag covers and confirm private-land permission on the river/creek bottoms.
Pronghorn
limited opportunityA secondary opportunity here — the pronghorn take is modest (about 12 animals at roughly 52% success), well below the deer harvest. Antelope use the open shortgrass and cropland flats, but this heavily-farmed corner holds fewer than the shortgrass units to the west.
- →Glass the more open shortgrass and cropland flats away from the intensively-farmed and riparian ground.
- →Use the subtle terrain rolls and draws of the plains to close the distance on a bedded buck.
- →Pronghorn access is often easier to secure than deer access — ask landowners about antelope specifically.
Rocky Mountain Elk
transient lowElk are incidental on these plains — only about 4 animals taken recently. Wandering, transient animals rather than a resident herd; not a species to plan a trip around.
- →Treat any elk as an opportunistic encounter while hunting deer or pronghorn, not a target.
- →Watch large CRP blocks, river bottoms, and cropland where a stray elk might hold.
- →Focus your effort and access work on deer and pronghorn instead.
Pro tips
- →Deer — not pronghorn — is the marquee species here; the deer harvest dwarfs the antelope take, so build the trip around deer.
- →Access is everything — roughly 95% of GMU 98 is private, so secure permission, a lease, an outfitter, or CPW walk-in tracts before the hunt.
- →Do not count State Trust land as huntable unless the parcel is enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program.
- →The Republican River, Frenchman Creek, and Arikaree bottoms hold the best deer — including whitetails — but are prime leased ground.
- →It is a very large unit; scout and plan long drives between glassing areas, and confirm which deer species your tag covers.
Watch out for
- !Roughly 95% private land — trespass risk is high; get permission in writing and know boundaries.
- !Colorado State Trust land is closed to hunting unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program.
- !The best deer ground along the drainages is often leased — secure access early.
- !Confirm which deer species your tag covers where mule deer and whitetail overlap in the river bottoms.
- !Dirt county roads become impassable gumbo when wet.
Logistics
Easy-access plains country served by a dense county-road grid and paved CO 6, US 34, CO 61, and US 385. Wray and Yuma sit within the unit and offer fuel, groceries, motels, and repair; Holyoke and Sterling are also within reach. This is a very large GMU, so plan for long drives between glassing points. Standard vehicles handle most dry county roads, though dirt turns to gumbo after rain. The real logistics challenge is not terrain but access — line up permission, a lease, or CPW walk-in tracts well before opening day.
Nearest towns: Wray, CO, Yuma, CO, Holyoke, CO, Fleming, CO, Sterling, CO
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Colorado sources:
Research sources: CPW GMU Boundary (Big Game) — geodata.colorado.gov · HuntScore — Colorado GMU 98 (Logan, Phillips, Yuma, Washington) — secondary cross-check · CPW Deer Hunting
FAQ
- How big is GMU 98 in Colorado?
- GMU 98 (GMU 98 — Logan/Phillips/Yuma/Washington Co.) covers about 1,793 square miles, ranging from roughly 3,400 to 4,300 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 98?
- Approximately 5% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: private ranch and farm, Colorado State Trust land (generally closed to hunting), scattered public. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 98?
- 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 98 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.