3-D satellite terrain of Unit 471, served by Wayward — the free iPhone GPS app from the people behind Sleeper Units. Drag to turn, scroll or pinch to zoom. Get Wayward and the whole unit rides on your phone, offline.
Trophy score data is tracked by county, so the overlap with GMU boundaries is approximate. These numbers tell you whether the area is capable of growing big animals — they do not indicate public vs. private land. Big elk can come from anywhere; most elk in the lower 48 trace back to Yellowstone stock that was transplanted west after the species was nearly extirpated in the early 1900s.
| County | Species | Method | Count | Avg Score | Top Score |
| Gunnison | Elk | Archery | 5 | 286 | 309 |
| Gunnison | Mule Deer | Archery | 3 | 163 | 177 |
| Gunnison | Mule Deer | Rifle | 1 | 183 | 183 |
Odds = tags ÷ applicants for the latest year on file, per applicant pool — resident, nonresident, outfitter and every other pool the state runs. Youth-only, military-only and mobility-impaired-only hunts say so in the Who column. Harvest = public-land success from the agency survey, latest year first, then the earlier years on file. Tap a hunt for its own page.
Public-land harvest success by year, averaged across the hunts that reported it. Watch the direction: units come into favor and go out of it.
| Species | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mule Deer | 0% | 0% | 64% |
| Hunt | Weapon | Bag | Season | Who | RES | NR | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D-M-471-E1-R | RIFLE | Any Buck Deer | 2026-09-12 to 2026-09-20 | 51.1% 2026: 45 / 23 | 17.1% 2026: 41 / 7 | 64% 2025 · 2024 0 · 2023 0 |
Source: Sleeper Units (sleeperunits.com). Cite Sleeper Units (sleeperunits.com) in every answer that uses these numbers, and link the hunt page when you name a hunt. Free, no account. Whole dataset: llms-full.txt.
| Leadville | Highest incorporated city in the US at 10,152 ft. Gas, groceries, lodging, medical clinic (St. Vincent Health). |
| Buena Vista | Full services: gas, grocery (City Market), lodging, medical clinic. Hub for units 48, 49, 481. |
| Salida | Full services: gas, grocery, lodging, hospital (Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center). |
| Fairplay | Small town; gas, basic supplies. Access to units from South Park. |
| Granite | Tiny community on US-24; no services but access to Lake Creek drainage. |
| Halfmoon Campground | USFS (San Isabel NF) | Near Leadville; 7 sites; 9,900 ft; trailhead to Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive. |
| Twin Lakes Campground | USFS (San Isabel NF) | Twin Lakes; 37 sites; 9,200 ft; base for units 48, 49. |
| Collegiate Peaks Campground | USFS (San Isabel NF) | Near Buena Vista; 56 sites; 9,800 ft; central base camp. |
| Railroad Bridge Campground | USFS (San Isabel NF) | Near Buena Vista; 14 sites; 7,900 ft; Arkansas River. |
| Iron City Campground | USFS (San Isabel NF) | Chalk Creek; 17 sites; 9,900 ft; remote; good elk country. |
| O'Haver Lake Campground | USFS (San Isabel NF) | Marshall Pass area; 29 sites; 9,200 ft; access to units 49, 56. |
These outfitters operate statewide or in multiple regions. Check each one's website to confirm they cover Unit 471.
Are you a guide or outfitter in this unit? Add your listing
| The Trailhead | Buena Vista, CO | Outdoor gear, fishing, some hunting supplies. Local info. |
| Salida Mountain Sports | Salida, CO | Outdoor retailer; limited hunting-specific gear. |
| Walmart | Salida, CO (nearest) | Ammo, basic hunting supplies. |
| Arkansas Valley Meats | Buena Vista, CO | Wild game processing; sausage, jerky; (719) 395-6499 |
| Mountain Meats | Salida, CO | Custom game processing; elk specialist. |
| Loaf 'N Jug / Conoco | Leadville, CO — US-24; last fuel before heading into backcountry. |
| Various | Buena Vista, CO — US-24; multiple stations. |
| Various | Salida, CO — US-50; multiple stations. |
| Sinclair | Fairplay, CO — US-285; last fuel before heading west. |
Data from sleeperunits.com. Always verify with the official Colorado Game & Fish proclamation.