SU SLEEPER UNITS Colorado Colorado Unit 471 Hunt Planner Draw Odds
| |
All Units |

Unit 471

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.

Edit
Unit 471 is a Grand County subunit covering the Williams Fork drainage and the country between Hot Sulphur Springs and Kremmling—Middle Park country with the Williams Fork Mountains rising to the south. Elevations run from about 7,800 feet on the Colorado River corridor near Parshall and Hot Sulphur Springs to 12,000 feet on the Williams Fork ridges. The terrain is classic Middle Park high-country: sagebrush parks and willow-bottom riparian along the Colorado River and the Williams Fork itself, climbing through aspen and lodgepole pine on the mid-slopes (significant beetle-kill complications—standing dead lodgepole is a real factor in stalking and pack-outs), into dense subalpine spruce-fir and alpine meadow systems above 11,000 feet, and bedrock-and-tundra ridges on the highest reaches. The Williams Fork Reservoir sits in the unit and is a notable water and recreation feature. Mule deer and elk both produce well; black bear is good in the aspen-and-oakbrush transition; moose have been increasing in the willow bottoms. Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest covers the higher country with the Vasquez Peak Wilderness on the southern boundary edge. Significant private deeded ranchland covers the valley floor along the Colorado River and lower Williams Fork. US-40 cuts east-west through Hot Sulphur Springs and Parshall; the Williams Fork Road climbs south into the timber. Hot Sulphur Springs has gas, lodging, and the historic hot springs; Kremmling at the CO-9 / US-40 junction is the bigger working town for fuel, food, and processors; Granby east is full service. Cell service is fair on US-40 and gone in the timber. Pressure is moderate—the unit is overshadowed by the more famous Routt and Eagles Nest country.

Unit Stats

Mule Deer Harvest
64.0%
2025 season
Mule Deer Trophy
183
Some big animals · 4 records

Recent Trophy Scores · 2020–2025

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.

CountySpeciesMethodCountAvg ScoreTop Score
GunnisonElkArchery5286309
GunnisonMule DeerArchery3163177
GunnisonMule DeerRifle1183183

Colorado Unit 471 draw odds — every hunt, by species

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.

Colorado Unit 471 harvest success by year

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.

Species202320242025
Mule Deer0%0%64%

Mule Deer — 1 hunt all Colorado Mule Deer hunts

HuntWeaponBagSeasonWhoRESNRHarvest
D-M-471-E1-RRIFLEAny Buck Deer2026-09-12 to 2026-09-2051.1%
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.

Hunt Calendar — 2026

September
Sep 12 – Sep 209d
D-M-471-E1-R — Mule Deer / Any Buck Deer / RIFLE Stats ↗
Edit

Nearest Towns

LeadvilleHighest incorporated city in the US at 10,152 ft. Gas, groceries, lodging, medical clinic (St. Vincent Health).
Buena VistaFull services: gas, grocery (City Market), lodging, medical clinic. Hub for units 48, 49, 481.
SalidaFull services: gas, grocery, lodging, hospital (Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center).
FairplaySmall town; gas, basic supplies. Access to units from South Park.
GraniteTiny community on US-24; no services but access to Lake Creek drainage.
Edit

Campgrounds

Halfmoon CampgroundUSFS (San Isabel NF)Near Leadville; 7 sites; 9,900 ft; trailhead to Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive.
Twin Lakes CampgroundUSFS (San Isabel NF)Twin Lakes; 37 sites; 9,200 ft; base for units 48, 49.
Collegiate Peaks CampgroundUSFS (San Isabel NF)Near Buena Vista; 56 sites; 9,800 ft; central base camp.
Railroad Bridge CampgroundUSFS (San Isabel NF)Near Buena Vista; 14 sites; 7,900 ft; Arkansas River.
Iron City CampgroundUSFS (San Isabel NF)Chalk Creek; 17 sites; 9,900 ft; remote; good elk country.
O'Haver Lake CampgroundUSFS (San Isabel NF)Marshall Pass area; 29 sites; 9,200 ft; access to units 49, 56.
Edit

Statewide Outfitters & Directories

These outfitters operate statewide or in multiple regions. Check each one's website to confirm they cover Unit 471.

Bearcat Outfitters
Unit 12, White River NF. Family operation since 1953. Drop camps and fully guided. 70+ years in the Flat Tops. $2,700-$4,950. Site rebuilding — search "Bearcat Outfitters Colorado" to find them.
Unit 12, Flat Tops. Jeanne Horne, Outfitter of the Year 2011. Horse/mule pack-in, non-motorized. Since 1998. Books years in advance.
Units 11, 33, 42, 52, 421. Jeff & Shey Musgrave. Meeker/Mesa area. License #2984. Elk, deer, pronghorn, bear, lion, turkey.
Units 54, 55, 551, 67. Taylor Park / Gunnison. License #1206. Since 1984. USFS/BLM/NPS permits on 500,000+ acres.
Units 6, 16, 17, 171. Rand, CO (North Park). License #3015. 65,000 acres private ranch. Elk, deer, moose, antelope.
Western CO near Rifle. Salida office. 24,000 private acres + BLM permits. Since 1993. Elk, deer, lion, bear, turkey. 100% fair chase.
Hotchkiss, CO. Black Canyon area. Trophy elk, 2,500-acre ranch + free-range private land. 100% success 2024-2025. Avg bulls 350+ SCI.
Westcliffe, CO. Sangre de Cristo Range. Elk and mule deer. Since 1984. Licensed and bonded.

Are you a guide or outfitter in this unit? Add your listing

Edit

Outdoor & Gun Stores

The TrailheadBuena Vista, COOutdoor gear, fishing, some hunting supplies. Local info.
Salida Mountain SportsSalida, COOutdoor retailer; limited hunting-specific gear.
WalmartSalida, CO (nearest)Ammo, basic hunting supplies.
Edit

Game Processors

Arkansas Valley MeatsBuena Vista, COWild game processing; sausage, jerky; (719) 395-6499
Mountain MeatsSalida, COCustom game processing; elk specialist.
Edit

Gas Stations

Loaf 'N Jug / ConocoLeadville, CO — US-24; last fuel before heading into backcountry.
VariousBuena Vista, CO — US-24; multiple stations.
VariousSalida, CO — US-50; multiple stations.
SinclairFairplay, CO — US-285; last fuel before heading west.
Edit
Search all Colorado hunts →

Data from sleeperunits.com. Always verify with the official Colorado Game & Fish proclamation.

Suggest an edit