Colorado Unit 104 Mule Deer Hunting Guide

Colorado Unit 104 sits in the northern part of the state and draws attention from mule deer hunters who have spent time reviewing the counties overlapping this unit for their trophy record history. Spanning 930,768 acres with elevations ranging from 4,952 to 7,878 feet, Unit 104 offers a mix of terrain that appeals to hunters willing to put in the legwork — but it comes with a significant catch that every hunter, resident and nonresident alike, needs to understand before applying: only 13% of this unit is public land.

That low public land percentage is the defining characteristic of Unit 104 and it shapes everything about how a hunt here should be planned. This is not a unit where a hunter can show up with a topo map and expect to find wide-open public ground to explore. The majority of Unit 104 is private property, which means access planning — whether through landowner relationships, leased ground, or the limited public parcels available — has to happen well before opening day. Hunters researching this unit on HuntPilot will find the harvest and application data below useful for weighing whether this unit fits their strategy, particularly given the access constraints.

Harvest Success Rates

Unit 104 has produced solid, if variable, harvest numbers over the past three seasons. In 2024, 2,029 hunters pursued deer in the unit and 1,024 harvested animals, a 50% success rate — a strong number by any western mule deer standard. That said, 2025 saw both hunter numbers and success drop: 1,270 hunters harvested 563 deer for a 44% success rate, and 2023 posted 1,078 hunters with 446 harvested for a 41% success rate.

The swings between these three years are worth noting. A jump from 41% in 2023 to 50% in 2024 and back down to 44% in 2025 suggests success is influenced by variables like weather, migration timing, and possibly shifts in hunter distribution across the unit's limited public access points. Hunters should not anchor their expectations to the best year on record — the three-year average is closer to 45%, which is still a respectable success rate for mule deer hunting in Colorado, especially considering the private-land-dominated landscape hunters are working around.

Trophy Quality

The counties overlapping Unit 104 carry a strong history of trophy record production, giving this unit exceptional trophy potential relative to many Colorado units. This designation matters for hunters chasing a mature, heavy-horned buck rather than just filling a tag. It's important to understand the county-level nature of this data — trophy records are logged by county, not by exact unit boundary, so the entries attributed to this area are shared with neighboring units that overlap the same counties. Still, a documented pattern of trophy-class bucks coming from this geography is a meaningful signal that the habitat, genetics, and age structure in this part of Colorado can produce exceptional animals.

Given the private land majority in Unit 104, much of that trophy potential likely plays out on land with lower hunting pressure — a common pattern in units where limited public access concentrates hunters onto a small percentage of the ground while mature bucks find refuge on private parcels that see less foot traffic. This is a double-edged sword: it helps explain why trophy potential remains strong, but it also means DIY hunters without landowner access may struggle to reach the ground where the biggest bucks live.

Herd Health & Population Trends

Wildlife survey data for Unit 104 is limited to a single survey year (2024), which showed a buck-to-doe ratio of 43:100. This is a healthy, biologically normal ratio for a mule deer herd and suggests reasonable buck retention through hunting seasons — enough bucks are surviving to maintain a solid ratio relative to does. However, because this reflects only one survey year, hunters should treat it as a snapshot rather than a definitive trend. Without multiple years of comparative data, it's not possible to say whether the herd is improving, declining, or holding steady. A 43:100 ratio on its own is a reasonable indicator of herd health but shouldn't be over-interpreted absent additional years of survey data.

Access & Terrain

Access is the single biggest challenge hunters will face in Unit 104. With only 13% of the unit classified as public land, the overwhelming majority of the 930,768 acres is private property. This is well below the threshold where a unit can be considered DIY-friendly, and hunters need to plan accordingly. There is no wilderness designation in this unit, so there are no federal wilderness access restrictions to navigate, but that's a minor consideration next to the private land reality.

Elevation in Unit 104 ranges from 4,952 feet up to 7,878 feet, indicating a mix of lower sagebrush and foothill terrain transitioning into higher benches and ridgelines. This kind of elevation spread typically supports mule deer seasonal movement between lower winter range and higher summer/fall habitat, though specific migration corridors for this unit aren't detailed in available data.

For hunters without existing landowner relationships or leased access, success in Unit 104 will likely depend on identifying the specific public parcels within the unit and hunting them intensively, or pursuing access agreements with private landowners. Given the low percentage of public ground, hunters should not expect to wander onto unclaimed public land and find quality hunting — the competition for that 13% will be real, and much of the best habitat sits behind private boundaries.

HuntPilot Analysis — Is Unit 104 Worth Applying For?

Unit 104 presents a genuine trade-off. On one hand, the harvest data shows consistent success rates in the 41-50% range over the last three years, and the trophy record history for the surrounding counties points to exceptional trophy potential. Those are two real positives that make this unit worth serious consideration for hunters chasing a quality mule deer.

On the other hand, the 13% public land figure is a serious limiting factor. This is not a unit for a first-time DIY western hunter who plans to show up and hunt public ground exclusively — the numbers simply don't support that approach. Hunters without an access plan (landowner voucher, lease, or family/friend connection to private ground) will be competing hard for a small sliver of public acreage, and success rates for that specific subset of hunters could look very different from the unit-wide averages reported here.

The verdict: Unit 104 is worth applying for if a hunter has — or can secure — private land access, or is willing to do the legwork to identify and hunt the limited public parcels intensively. The trophy potential and solid success rates make it an attractive target for hunters with an access plan already in place. For hunters without that access sorted out, this unit should be approached cautiously, and it's worth using HuntPilot's public land mapping tools to scout exactly where that 13% sits before committing points or application fees to this unit.

How to Apply

Colorado operates a true preference point system for deer, meaning the highest point holders draw available tags first — a high enough point level can guarantee a tag on many hunts, unlike a weighted lottery. Hunters should check HuntPilot's Colorado unit pages and the state's published draw statistics for current point requirements specific to Unit 104, as these figures shift from year to year based on applicant demand and tag quotas.

Application dates and fees change every draw cycle. For the current deadlines, fees, and draw odds, see HuntPilot's Colorado page at /states/co.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the terrain like in Colorado Unit 104? Unit 104 spans elevations from 4,952 to 7,878 feet, suggesting a transition zone from lower sagebrush and foothill country into higher benches and ridgelines. There is no wilderness designation in this unit. Beyond the elevation range, specific terrain features like drainage systems or vegetation types are not detailed in available data — hunters should use HuntPilot's mapping tools to study the public parcels within the unit boundary before scouting in person.

What is harvest success like in Unit 104? Success rates have ranged from 41% to 50% over the last three recorded seasons. In 2024, 2,029 hunters harvested 1,024 deer (50% success). In 2025, 1,270 hunters harvested 563 deer (44% success), and in 2023, 1,078 hunters harvested 446 deer (41% success). These are unit-wide figures and don't break out success by public versus private land access.

How big are the mule deer in Unit 104? The counties overlapping Unit 104 have a strong history of trophy record production, indicating exceptional trophy potential for this area. Because trophy records are tracked at the county level and shared across neighboring units, this reflects broader regional quality rather than being unit-exact, but it's a strong signal that mature, quality bucks come from this part of Colorado.

Is Unit 104 worth applying for? It depends heavily on access. The unit's harvest success rates and trophy potential are both attractive, but with only 13% public land, hunters without a private land access plan will face real challenges competing for the limited public ground available. Hunters with landowner access or a willingness to scout public parcels intensively should find this unit worth pursuing; those without an access plan should approach it cautiously.

What is the buck-to-doe ratio in Unit 104? The most recent survey year (2024) showed a 43:100 buck-to-doe ratio, a biologically healthy figure. However, this comes from a single survey year, so it should be viewed as a snapshot rather than a confirmed multi-year trend.