Unit 44, Colorado

Elevation ranges from approximately 6,100 feet along the lower Colorado and Eagle River bottoms to over 13,000 feet at the high ridgelines of the Sawatch Range. The Holy Cross Wilderness (shared with adjacent GMU 45) contains Mount of the Holy Cross at 14,005 feet. Most productive game country sits between 7,000 and 12,500 feet. The landscape is rugged and steep, with glacier-carved drainages, high alpine ridges, and deep canyons cutting down toward the Eagle River floor.

GMU 44 is administered by the White River National Forest, Eagle-Holy Cross Ranger District (office in Minturn, CO; 970-827-5715). The unit lies entirely within Eagle County. Primary vehicle access is from I-70, with southward roads dropping into the unit from the Eagle and Gypsum exits. The western boundary follows USFS Road 514 (Red Table Mountain Road) and Eagle County Road 10A (Cottonwood Pass Road), both seasonal (typically open late May through November). Cottonwood Creek drains the western side. The eastern boundary is East Lake Creek, accessible via roads branching off US Highway 24 near Minturn. Key interior forest roads include Tigiwon Road (FR 707) and Missouri Creek Road (FR 704), accessed from US 24. The northern corridor between Edwards and Eagle is dominated by private ranch land along the Eagle River valley floor, limiting hunting access in that strip. The Holy Cross Wilderness (123,409 acres, shared with adjacent units 45 and 444) covers a substantial portion of the upper unit; motorized travel, bicycles, and mechanized equipment are prohibited inside the wilderness boundary, and overnight campers must self-register. Land ownership is approximately 56% USFS, 23% BLM, 9% wilderness-designated federal land, and 1% state land, totaling about 79–82% public; the remaining 18–21% is private, concentrated in the northern river valley. A GPS map with ownership overlay is strongly recommended given the mixed-ownership terrain.

Lower elevations (6,000–7,500 ft) support sagebrush, pinyon-juniper, and oakbrush — classic mule deer winter and transition range. Middle elevations (7,500–10,000 ft) transition into Douglas fir, quaking aspen, open parks, and mountain meadows. Upper slopes and north-facing aspects carry dense spruce-fir forest. Above approximately 11,000 feet timber thins into open subalpine meadows and eventually treeless alpine tundra at the highest ridges. Riparian cottonwood and willow corridors line the lower Eagle River and its tributaries.

Elk occupy the full elevation range — summer range is in the high alpine basins and subalpine parks above 10,000 feet, and they descend to middle-elevation aspen, oakbrush, and sage corridors through the rifle seasons. The rut runs from roughly the first week of September through mid-October. Post-pressure migration pushes bulls into heavy timber cover from mid-October onward. Mule deer are the marquee species: trophy-class bucks concentrate in the middle-elevation aspen and sage parks in the late archery and early rifle seasons, then shift toward lower-elevation winter range in the Cottonwood Creek, Red Table, and lower Fryingpan drainages during the 3rd and 4th rifle seasons when cold and snow are the primary triggers. The northern unit near Edwards and Eagle supports significant winter deer range that is mostly private. Shiras moose are present in riparian willow and aspen habitats, particularly in the upper drainages. Black bears range widely through the aspen and berry-producing shrub zones in summer and fall. Mountain lions are resident predators following the deer herds. Pronghorn have been reported in lower portions of the unit. Wild turkey are present in limited numbers in the pinyon-juniper foothills.

1. Deer harvest figures (675 harvested, 33% success, 3,444 hunters) are from DAU D-44, which encompasses GMU 44 and potentially neighboring units — not strictly GMU 44-only. 2. Elk DAU E-43 encompasses multiple GMUs (43, 431, and adjacent units); elk population estimate of ~10,380 animals with 28:100 bull:cow ratio is DAU-level per GoHunt 2024 data — not GMU 44 in isolation. 3. The 800-tag archery elk quota (EE044O1A) filled at 0 preference points in 2025 (near-OTC); however for 2026, nonresident archery elk west of I-25 now require draw entry — confirm in 2026 brochure. 4. Antlerless elk cow licenses in GMUs 44/444/45/47 were moved from List A to List B for 2026 per CPW announcements (confirmed via onX Hunt 2026 application guide). 5. Moose tag quota not confirmed from primary sources; typical Colorado Shiras moose units issue single-digit quotas. 6. Mountain lion season dates and quota status should be verified against the current CPW big game brochure each year. 7. Season dates reflect 2026 Colorado statewide framework (archery Sep 2–30, ML Sep 12–20, rifles Oct 14–18 / Oct 24–Nov 1 / Nov 7–15 / Nov 18–22); Holy Cross early deer season (Sep 7–15) is unit-specific. 8. Bull elk and bull mule deer quotas for specific seasons cited from 2025 draw recap; confirm against 2026 brochure. 9. Mount of the Holy Cross (14,005 ft) is within the Holy Cross Wilderness boundary but located in adjacent GMU 45, not GMU 44 itself.