GMU 53: public land and hunting map
GMU 53 is one of Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s 186 Game Management Units (GMUs) in Colorado. It covers about 396 square miles (253,381 acres), and roughly 77% of it is public land: Forest Service 68%, BLM 8.7%.
- 77%public land
- 396square miles
- 194,597public acres
- 4neighbouring units
Measured Oct 12, 2026 from agency boundaries and USGS PAD-US 4.1 · sources and method
Who manages the land
- Bureau of Land Management8.7%
- U.S. Forest Service68%
Share of the unit’s area. Federal agencies plus state wildlife, trust and natural-resource land, as the WikiHunt map classifies it. The rest is private, tribal, local or other land.
Rut: Published deer rut timing for Colorado: Mid-Nov – mid-Dec. Rut dates and sources for Colorado.
Units next to GMU 53
Colorado season dates, 2026
Statewide general seasons. Many units have their own dates, quotas or draw-only hunts, so check the unit in the regulations before you go.
| Species | Season | 2026 dates |
|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery Deer | Sep 2 – Sep 30 |
| Deer | Muzzleloader Deer | Sep 12 – Sep 20 |
| Deer | Combined Rifle Deer | Oct 14 – Nov 22 |
| Elk | Archery Elk | Sep 2 – Sep 30 |
| Elk | Muzzleloader Elk | Sep 12 – Sep 20 |
| Elk | Combined Rifle Elk | Oct 14 – Nov 22 |
| Pronghorn | Rifle Antelope | Oct 3 – Oct 11 |
| Black bear | Fall Bear | Sep 2 – Nov 30 |
Full notes on the Colorado page · Colorado regulations.
Questions
How much of GMU 53 is public land?
About 77% of GMU 53 (194,597 of 253,381 acres) is federal or state public land in USGS PAD-US 4.1, mostly U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. Public land is not always open land: check access and closures before you go.
Who manages the land in GMU 53?
U.S. Forest Service: 68%; Bureau of Land Management: 8.7%. The rest is private, tribal, local government or other land.
Which units border GMU 53?
GMU 52, GMU 521, GMU 54 and GMU 63.
Where are the season dates and rules for GMU 53?
Colorado Parks and Wildlife sets them. Start at the Colorado hunting regulations. WikiHunt shows the statewide general seasons on the Colorado page and in the app.
Sources and method
- Boundary: Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the same layer the WikiHunt map draws.
- Public land: USGS Protected Areas Database (PAD-US) 4.1, Fee Managers layer (public domain).
- Method: the unit and PAD-US polygons are simplified to about 100 m and measured on a grid of about 250 cells across the unit, so overlapping records are counted once. Expect about ±1 percentage point.
- Season dates: WikiHunt’s season table, updated Sep 2, 2026, checked against each state’s published regulations. Dates change; the regulations win.
- Last updated: Oct 12, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.