Unit 391, Colorado

GoHunt reports elevation from approximately 5,300 feet in the eastern valley to 10,000 feet in the mountainous west; HuntScore reports the extreme western margin reaches over 14,000 feet near the Continental Divide (practical hunting range is 5,300–10,000 ft). The eastern portion is highly urbanized suburban foothills with rolling terrain; moving west the landscape transitions to steeper creek drainages (Bear Creek, Deer Creek Canyon, South Turkey Creek), broad mountain meadow benches, and rocky ridgelines. The extreme western edge includes high alpine tundra and rocky outcroppings. Overall terrain is rated relatively easy to moderate by mapping services (HuntScore ease-of-terrain: 94/100).

GMU 391 is predominantly private land — GoHunt reports public land at approximately 10.9% of the unit; HuntScore reports 17%. Hunters must secure private-land permission before purchasing a tag. The unit sits within the Pike-San Isabel National Forests (South Platte Ranger District), but National Forest parcels inside the unit boundaries are fragmented. Key highway corridors: US 285 (south), US 6 / I-70 (north), and CO 74 / Evergreen Parkway form perimeters. County Road 73 (Evergreen area), Deer Creek Canyon Road (CR 124), and South Turkey Creek Road (CR 122) provide primary secondary access. Notable public hunting opportunities: (1) Centennial Cone Park (Jefferson County Open Space) — reservation/draw program administered jointly by JCPOS and CPW; confirmed hunt codes are DE038L2R (deer either sex), DF038L2R (deer antlerless), and EF038L2R (elk antlerless/cow), all under GMU 038 — hunters must confirm applicable GMU with CPW before applying, as the park straddles or borders the 38/391 boundary; hunters require mandatory annual video orientation and mailed access permits issued in early November. (2) Green Ranch (Colorado State Parks property referenced by HuntScore as offering reservation hunting within the region — not independently verified from a primary source). OnX or similar mapping is essential given the checkerboard of private ranchland, Jefferson County Open Space, and suburban development.

Lower foothills (5,300–6,500 ft): sagebrush, grassland, and ponderosa pine parkland with Gambel oakbrush. Middle elevations (6,500–8,500 ft): mixed ponderosa pine, Gambel oak, and mountain mahogany with scattered riparian corridors along Bear Creek, Deer Creek Canyon, and South Turkey Creek drainages. Upper elevations: dense spruce-fir forest mixed with large aspen groves; open grass-and-wildflower meadows on ridgetops. The extreme western edge (above ~11,000 ft) includes high alpine tundra and rocky outcroppings per HuntScore terrain description.

The unit supports both residential and seasonally migratory herds of elk and mule deer. Elk populations in the Central Front Range GMUs are characterized as below average for the region; some herds are year-round residents on private ranch land while others migrate to higher adjacent units (39, 461) in summer and return to lower foothills in winter. Mule deer populations are described as healthy, with does and bucks using the oakbrush and ponderosa foothill slopes; deer show seasonal elevation shifts mirroring elk. Black bear are present and use the mixed-conifer and oakbrush zones, most active summer through early fall. Mountain lion are documented residents hunting deer throughout the unit year-round. Wild turkey are present and huntable. Elk rut activity typically begins the first week of September and runs approximately one month. Deer rut spans late October through late December.

1. Public land: GoHunt 10.9%, HuntScore 17% — public_land_pct set to 11 (GoHunt lower bound) as conservative figure; both are secondary aggregators. 2. Centennial Cone hunt codes (DE038L2R, DF038L2R, EF038L2R) confirmed from Jefferson County Open Space page — all are GMU 038 codes; hunters must confirm applicable GMU with CPW. 3. HuntScore explicitly mentions high alpine tundra at western edge — draft claim of 'no alpine tundra' corrected. 4. GoHunt elevation: 5,300–10,000 ft; HuntScore: 5,100–14,000+ ft. Draft's 5,100 ft lower bound not confirmed by GoHunt; both aggregators used, GoHunt figure treated as primary for practical range. 5. Overall success rate 27% (HuntScore, 2022, 173/485) used for mule deer — per-species unit harvest data not extractable from CPW PDFs in this session. 6. Nonresident archery elk draw-only west of I-25 confirmed from GoHunt 2025-2029 season structure article. 7. Green Ranch access point referenced by HuntScore but not independently verified from a primary source. 8. Season dates are statewide 2025-2026 structure per GoHunt; unit-level exceptions require brochure verification.