Colorado Unit 105 Mule Deer Hunting Guide

Colorado Unit 105 is a limited-quota mule deer unit spanning 730,999 acres, with every hunt in the unit allocated through the draw rather than over the counter. For hunters researching this unit, that's the first and most important fact: there is no general season here for mule deer, and every hunter afield — regardless of residency — has gone through Colorado's draw system to be there. With a low percentage of public land and a multi-year track record of harvest data, Unit 105 rewards hunters who do their homework before applying.

This is a unit where private land dominates the landscape, public access is scarce, and success depends heavily on either owning or securing access to private ground, or being strategic about which pockets of public land hold deer during the hunts. It's not a unit to draw blind and figure out later — hunters need a plan for access before they ever put in.

Unit Overview: Terrain and Access

Unit 105 sits at a relatively low elevation band for a Colorado mule deer unit, ranging from 5,124 to 7,278 feet. That elevation profile suggests foothill and lower-mountain terrain rather than high alpine country, likely mixing sagebrush flats, agricultural ground, and broken foothill terrain typical of Colorado's lower-elevation deer units. There is no wilderness acreage in this unit, meaning hunters won't be dealing with pack-in-only wilderness access restrictions — but that's a small consolation given the land ownership picture.

Public land accounts for just 13% of the unit's 730,999 acres. That means the overwhelming majority of Unit 105 — 87% — is private property. This is a critical planning point: DIY hunters relying solely on public ground will be working a small fraction of the unit's total footprint, and that public land is likely to see concentrated pressure from other hunters in the same position. Hunters without access arrangements to private land should expect a harder hunt, tighter opportunities, and more competition for the public pockets that do exist. This unit is not a place where a hunter can show up, park at a trailhead, and expect wide-open access to good deer country.

Herd Health & Population Trends

The most recent survey data available for Unit 105 comes from 2024, showing a buck:doe ratio of 43:100 across a single survey year. A ratio in the low-to-mid 40s is a reasonable, believable number for a hunted mule deer population — it doesn't scream trophy-class buck density, but it also doesn't suggest a herd in freefall. With only one year of survey data provided, it's hard to establish a trend line here. Hunters should treat this ratio as a single data point rather than a definitive read on herd trajectory, and watch for updated survey numbers in future years to see whether that ratio holds, climbs, or declines.

Harvest Success Rates

Unit 105 has posted consistent, well-documented harvest data over the past four years, and the trend is notably stable:

• 2025: 758 hunters, 396 harvested — 52% success
• 2024: 1,704 hunters, 831 harvested — 49% success
• 2023: 1,684 hunters, 812 harvested — 48% success
• 2022: 1,666 hunters, 830 harvested — 50% success

Success rates have hovered in the high-40s to low-50s percent range for four consecutive years, which is a strong showing for a limited-quota mule deer unit. What's particularly interesting is the sharp drop in hunter numbers in 2025 — from over 1,700 hunters in each of the prior three years down to 758 — while the success rate actually ticked up to 52%. That could reflect a reduction in total tags issued for that year, a shift in hunt structure, or simply fewer applicants pulling tags; the data doesn't specify a cause, but the effect is a smaller, slightly more successful hunter pool.

For context, a success rate consistently near 50% is well above what many general over-the-counter mule deer hunts produce elsewhere in the West, and it reflects the benefit of a controlled, limited-quota structure combined with likely quality private-land access for a portion of the hunters in this pool. Hunters relying purely on the 13% public land slice should temper expectations relative to the blended unit-wide numbers, since private-land hunters likely pull those success rates upward.

Trophy Quality

Trophy history for the counties overlapping Unit 105 shows a moderate track record of trophy-class production. This isn't a unit with a deep, storied history of exceptional entries, but it isn't devoid of quality deer either — moderate trophy potential means hunters have a realistic shot at a mature, respectable buck, without the unit being mentioned in the same breath as Colorado's elite trophy country. Given that record-book entries are logged by county rather than by hunt unit, this trophy history is shared with other units overlapping the same counties, so it should be read as a regional indicator rather than a Unit 105-exclusive statistic.

Given the low public land percentage and the private-land-dominated landscape, the bucks that do reach maturity in this unit likely benefit from reduced hunting pressure on large blocks of private ground where access is restricted. That's often how moderate-trophy-potential units with heavy private ownership produce their better bucks — age structure builds on ground most hunters can't reach.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 105 Worth Applying For?

Based on the data available through HuntPilot, Unit 105 presents a mixed but interesting case. The harvest numbers are genuinely strong — a four-year run of success rates between 48% and 52% is hard to argue with, and it signals that hunters who draw a tag here and put in the work have a real chance of filling their tag. That's a meaningful data point for anyone evaluating whether this unit deserves a point investment.

The catch is access. With just 13% public land across nearly 731,000 acres, this unit demands a plan. Hunters without an existing connection to private ground in Unit 105 — whether through family land, a landowner relationship, or a paid access arrangement — will be competing for a small sliver of public acreage, and that public ground will absorb disproportionate pressure relative to its size. The strong unit-wide success rates should not be read as "any hunter can expect to fill a tag easily here"; they likely reflect a blend of well-positioned private-land hunters and public-land hunters working harder for their opportunities.

The moderate trophy potential and single-year buck:doe ratio data don't scream "target this unit for a monster buck," but they don't rule it out either. This looks like a solid, dependable unit for hunters who have secured access and want a good chance at a mature buck, rather than a unit to chase purely on trophy reputation. Hunters evaluating Unit 105 should weigh the strong harvest data heavily, but treat access as the deciding factor — this is a unit where the tag is only half the battle.

How to Apply

Unit 105 mule deer is hunted exclusively through Colorado's limited-quota draw system — there is no over-the-counter or general season option for this unit. Every hunter afield, resident or nonresident, has secured their opportunity through the state's draw process.

Colorado's deer draw uses a preference point system, where hunters accumulate points in years they apply but don't draw, and those points weight future draw applications. Colorado's system splits tags between the highest point holders and a weighted random draw pool, and it maintains separate resident and nonresident applicant pools, so nonresident hunters are drawing against other nonresidents rather than competing directly against in-state applicants. A high enough point total can put a hunter in a strong position for many hunts, but hunters should check current, hunt-specific data before assuming a given point level guarantees anything.

Because Unit 105 is fully limited-quota, both resident and nonresident hunters need to apply and be drawn before they can hunt here — there's no fallback option to buy a leftover or general tag if the draw doesn't work out. Application structure, point requirements, and any leftover tag opportunities change from year to year, so hunters should check HuntPilot's Colorado state page at /states/CO for current deadlines, fees, and draw data before applying.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the terrain like in Colorado Unit 105? Unit 105 ranges from 5,124 to 7,278 feet in elevation, putting it in lower-elevation foothill and transitional terrain rather than high alpine country. There is no wilderness acreage in the unit. The unit's land base is dominated by private property, with only 13% classified as public land, so hunters should expect a landscape where access — not just terrain difficulty — is the primary challenge.

What is harvest success like in Unit 105? Harvest success has been remarkably consistent, ranging from 48% to 52% over the past four years (2022–2025). The 2025 season saw a notable drop in hunter numbers (758, down from over 1,600 in prior years) while success held at 52%. These are unit-wide figures blending private and public land hunters, so individual results will vary based on access.

How big are the mule deer in Unit 105? Trophy history for the counties overlapping this unit reflects moderate trophy potential — there's a real history of quality bucks coming from this region, but it isn't among Colorado's top-tier trophy destinations. Mature bucks are more likely to be found on private ground with lower hunting pressure, given the unit's limited public access.

Is Colorado Unit 105 worth applying for? For hunters with secured access to private land in the unit, yes — the harvest data supports a strong likelihood of success, and trophy potential is moderate but real. For hunters planning a pure DIY public-land hunt, the calculus is tougher: only 13% of the unit is public, and that ground will see concentrated pressure. This unit is best suited to hunters who can line up access before applying, rather than those hoping to figure it out after drawing a tag.

Is Unit 105 a good option for nonresident hunters with no preference points? Because every hunt in Unit 105 goes through Colorado's draw and the state maintains separate resident and nonresident pools, nonresidents with few or no points can still apply, but competitiveness depends on demand for this specific unit in a given year. Hunters should check HuntPilot's Colorado unit page for current draw data before deciding whether to spend an application here or build points toward a different unit.