Unit 71, Colorado

GMU 71 spans approximately 520 square miles (332,837 acres) with elevations ranging from roughly 7,000 feet in the lower canyon bottoms and mesa margins to 14,246 feet at the summit of Mount Wilson. The unit transitions from large, relatively flat mesas — Taylor Mesa, Haycamp Mesa, and Stoner Mesa — to very rough, steep mountains and canyons in the higher elevations. The Lizard Head Wilderness contains the unit's most rugged terrain, including three 14,000-foot peaks: Mount Wilson (14,246 ft), El Diente Peak (14,159 ft), and Wilson Peak (14,017 ft). The iconic volcanic spire of Lizard Head (13,113 ft) marks the high country. Timberline falls at approximately 11,500 feet. The Dolores River runs through the lower portions of the unit, creating riparian canyon corridors. Timber is dense throughout mid-elevations with limited open meadows, making this challenging glassing terrain.

Public land totals approximately 85% of the unit (roughly 283,000 acres), composed primarily of San Juan National Forest administered by the Dolores Ranger District / Tres Rios BLM Field Office (29211 Highway 184, Dolores, CO 81323; 970-882-7296). The Lizard Head Wilderness (41,309 acres, jointly managed by the San Juan and Uncompahgre National Forests) occupies the higher southern portion of the unit and is accessible only by foot and horseback — no motorized vehicles. The northwestern corner of the unit and scattered checkerboard parcels near the mesas contain private land. The primary paved access corridor is Colorado State Highway 145, which runs along the southern boundary through Rico and connects Dolores to the southwest with Telluride to the northeast via Lizard Head Pass (10,222 ft). Forest Service Road 526 (Dolores-Norwood Road) forms the western boundary. FS Road 578 (Bolam Pass Road) provides high-clearance backcountry access; upper-elevation roads typically open June 1 or later depending on snowpack. FS Road 532 (Bald Hill/Cottonwood) operates seasonally May 2 through November 30. Key trailheads include the Lizard Head Trail #505 and the Galloping Goose Trail #499 (17.6 miles toward Telluride, open to hikers, bikers, and horses). Note: Flooding in late 2025 damaged roads, trails, and infrastructure across the San Juan NF — confirm current conditions with the Dolores Ranger District before travel.

Lower elevations (below ~8,500 ft) feature rolling hills in oakbrush (Gambel oak), ponderosa pine, and sparse cottonwood along creek drainages. Mid-elevations carry steep slopes dominated by aspen, white fir, and Engelmann spruce, with ridge tops hosting open grass and wildflower meadows. Higher subalpine zones are dense spruce-fir forest transitioning to alpine tundra and rock above timberline. The southern and western margins of the unit — particularly around the lower Dolores River canyon and its tributaries — include pinyon-juniper woodlands and sagebrush/desert shrub communities. The Groundhog Reservoir SWA (606 acres, elevation ~8,730 ft) sits in open high-mountain ranchland surrounded by aspen and spruce-fir mixed forest.

Elk and mule deer are the primary big game species. GMU 71 falls within the E-24 Disappointment Creek elk DAU; CPW has noted this herd has critically low calf-to-cow ratios (approximately 25-30 calves per 100 cows) and the population is being actively managed for recovery — unit-specific population totals are not publicly available in secondary sources. Elk summer in the high alpine and subalpine zones of the Lizard Head Wilderness and surrounding peaks, then migrate to lower mesas and canyon rims as snow drives them down in fall. Hunting pressure is heavy on easily road-accessible public lands; elk pushed by pressure tend to retreat into the Lizard Head Wilderness and steeper, more timbered drainages. Mule deer belong to the Groundhog herd (DAU D-24, encompassing GMUs 70, 71, and 711), with a 2024 post-hunt population estimate of approximately 22,570 deer and a buck-to-doe ratio of 33 bucks per 100 does (source: GoHunt, citing CPW data). The Dolores River corridor is a key congregation area. Deer follow typical high-to-low elevation seasonal movement — summer in higher aspen and spruce-fir, winter range in lower pinyon-juniper and oakbrush. Black bear inhabit forested mid-elevations throughout the unit. Mountain lion are present. Lynx occupy some higher-elevation habitat (federally threatened / state endangered — not hunted). No pronghorn, moose, or bighorn sheep populations of note are documented in GMU 71 proper.

1. Elk population total for E-24 Disappointment Creek DAU (covering GMU 71) was approximately 1,400 animals as of 2022 with critically low calf ratios — the 19,500 figure cited on some outfitter sites could not be verified against CPW DAU data and has been removed. 2. Specific tag quotas (hunt codes) for GMU 71 elk and deer are not available in scrapable form; consult the 2026 CPW Big Game Brochure and draw recap reports. 3. Hunter success percentages and reported harvest for recent seasons could not be extracted from CPW harvest report PDFs. 4. Mule deer figures (22,570 / 33:100) are from GoHunt citing CPW DAU D-24 2024 data — treat as approximate secondary-source estimates. 5. Starting 2026, nonresident archery elk west of I-25 (including GMU 71) is draw-only; resident bull archery remains OTC. 6. Late 2025 flood damage to San Juan NF roads and trails confirmed by USFS — verify access with Dolores Ranger District before 2026 season.