Colorado GMU 53 deer hunting: 2024 harvest and hunter numbers
Unit 53 covers about 396 square miles in Delta and Gunnison counties.
In 2024, an estimated 387 deer hunters hunted Game Management Unit 53 across all seasons and took 280 deer, a success rate of 72%. The statewide rate that year was 43%.
That is 13 more hunters than 2023, when success was 73%.
2nd rifle was the busiest rifle season, with 167 hunters, about 42 for every 100 square miles of the unit.
3rd rifle had the highest rifle success at 90%.
Among the 138 units with at least 100 rifle deer hunters, unit 53 ranked 3 for rifle success and 87 for fewest rifle hunters per square mile.
2024 deer harvest in unit 53, by season
| Season | Hunters | Harvest | Bucks / Does / Fawns | Success 2024 | Success 2023 | Hunters per 100 sq mi | Days per hunter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd rifle | 167 | 126 | 126 / 0 / 0 | 75% | 79% | 42 | 4.7 |
| 3rd rifle | 107 | 96 | 96 / 0 / 0 | 90% | 89% | 27 | 3.5 |
| 4th rifle | 9 | 7 | 7 / 0 / 0 | 78% | 40% | 2 | 2.4 |
| All rifle seasons | 327 | 263 | 229 / 31 / 3 | 80% | 79% | 83 | 4.5 |
| Archery | 47 | 13 | 13 / 0 / 0 | 28% | 33% | 12 | 8.1 |
| Muzzleloader | 13 | 4 | 4 / 0 / 0 | 31% | 53% | 3 | 4.9 |
| All seasons and methods | 387 | 280 | 246 / 31 / 3 | 72% | 73% | 98 | 5.0 |
Hunters per 100 square miles uses the whole unit, private land included, so real crowding on public ground is higher. Season rows include limited and over-the-counter licenses together.
2026 rifle season dates
- 2nd rifle: Oct 24-Nov 1
- 3rd rifle: Nov 7-15
- 4th rifle: Nov 18-22
Dates are from the 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure. Whether a license for unit 53 is over-the-counter or limited depends on the hunt code: check the brochure before you buy.
Hunting unit 53 this fall?
Numbers tell you how busy a unit is. They do not tell you where to park, camp and sit. FilledTag builds one exact plan for your tag, with every pin checked against public land and road rules. It is free for 25 testers this season.
Get a free plan for unit 53Nearby units
Unit 521 Unit 54 Unit 63 Unit 64 Unit 52 Unit 43 Unit 53 elk All deer units
Where these numbers come from
Colorado Parks and Wildlife surveys license holders after each season and publishes estimates of hunters, harvest and days hunted for every unit. This page uses the 2024 Colorado Deer Harvest Estimates and the 2023 report in the same series. They are estimates from a survey, not counts, and they cover the whole unit.