Unit 371

Buffalo Mountain and Eagles Nest anchor the visible landscape and serve as primary glassing and navigation reference points. The Gore Range divide running west forms the unit's spine and contains several named passes including Eccles Pass and Uneva Pass useful for route finding. Major drainages including Guller Creek, Stafford Creek, and the various Willow Creek branches run north and south, offering natural corridors through the timber.

Ruby Lake, Slate Lake, and the cluster of high lakes provide reliable water reference points and camping anchors. These named features help hunters establish position in terrain that's otherwise easy to get turned around in.

The unit spans from roughly 8,000 feet in valley bottoms to over 13,500 feet on the highest ridges, with median elevation well above 10,000 feet. Lower elevations host timbered slopes thick with spruce-fir and aspen, transitioning to subalpine forest and increasingly open terrain as you climb. Most of the unit sits in this dense forest zone—heavily timbered country that requires aggressive hiking to glass effectively.

Higher ridges break into alpine meadows and rocky peaks offering longer vistas. The density of forest means hunting often means busting brush or working specific terrain features where wildlife congregates.

The unit benefits from 325 miles of road access creating a well-connected network, but road density metrics don't tell the full story here—most roads cluster in lower valleys and don't penetrate deep into the peaks. Initial access via maintained roads is straightforward from Silverthorne, but serious hunting requires 4-8 miles of foot travel into the alpine. This intermediate access creates a pressure sweet spot: close enough that the unit sees use, distant enough that committed glassing and hiking separates hunters from crowds.

Pressure typically concentrates near road-adjacent meadows; higher basins see considerably less use.

GMU 371 occupies the Gore Range core in Summit County, bounded by Cataract Creek to the north, the Green Mountain Reservoir and Blue River on the east, Interstate 70 to the south, and the Gore Range divide running west. The unit forms a moderate-sized block of high-elevation terrain anchored by iconic peaks like Buffalo Mountain and Eagles Nest. Silverthorne provides the closest staging area.

The terrain is deeply vertical, with significant elevation relief compressed into the unit's footprint, creating distinct habitat zones from lower valley bottoms to exposed alpine ridges.

Water exists across the unit but remains limited relative to terrain size. High country lakes including Ruby, Slate, Doig, and Lost lakes hold water year-round and anchor hunting camps. Black Creek Reservoir and Uneva Lake provide additional reliable sources.

Named creeks—Guller, Stafford, Middle Willow, North Willow, South Willow—flow through major drainages but seasonal flow varies. Early season hunting may mean packing water to higher camps, while fall season typically sees better stream conditions. Understanding which drainages hold water consistently matters for multi-day trips.

Afternoon thunderstorms common at elevation supplement spring and seep sources.

GMU 371 offers habitat for elk, mule deer, and moose in the high country, with black bear and mountain lion present throughout. The dense timber and high elevation mean elk hunting requires either finding openings—high basins and parks—or working timber edges and creek bottoms. Early season tactics involve glassing open high country at dawn and dusk; later season means pushing into the timber as animals drop elevation.

Mule deer utilize the transition zones between forest and alpine extensively. Moose inhabit willow-choked creek drainages. Success hinges on fitness for elevation and distance, willingness to glass thoroughly from high vantage points, and understanding that much of the best country sits 6-10 miles from trailheads.

Water sources dictate animal movement—hunt near the lakes and reliable creeks.