Colorado Unit 111 Pronghorn Antelope Hunting Guide

Colorado Unit 111 is a limited-quota pronghorn unit tucked into the eastern plains country of the state, where every hunt on the calendar — including hunts for antlered bucks — goes through the draw. There is no general season here, which means hunters cannot simply buy an over-the-counter license and show up; access to Unit 111 pronghorn is entirely controlled through Colorado's draw system. With 440,261 total acres and a documented harvest history stretching back several seasons, this is a unit that consistently produces solid success rates for hunters who manage to draw a tag — but it comes with a major access catch that every applicant needs to understand before investing points.

This article breaks down what the data actually shows for Unit 111: harvest trends, herd composition, trophy potential, and the realities of hunting a unit where public land is scarce. As always, the numbers here come from HuntPilot's unit-level data, and they tell a fairly clear story about who this unit is — and isn't — a good fit for.

Unit Overview: Terrain and Access

Unit 111 sits at a relatively low elevation band for Colorado, ranging from 5,233 to 6,936 feet, which puts it squarely in classic eastern plains pronghorn habitat — rolling grassland and sagebrush-adjacent terrain rather than high mountain country. There is no wilderness designation within the unit (0%), so hunters won't be dealing with pack-in restrictions or wilderness-specific access rules.

The critical number for anyone considering this unit is public land: just 4% of Unit 111's 440,261 acres is publicly accessible. That is an extremely low figure, and it fundamentally shapes how this unit needs to be hunted. With 96% of the land in private hands, DIY hunters relying on public ground alone will find very limited options. This is not a unit where a hunter can show up, find a chunk of BLM or state land, and expect to have room to work with. Successful hunts here typically depend on securing private land access — whether through landowner permission, leased ground, or a guided arrangement — and hunters should factor that reality into their planning long before they ever draw a tag.

Harvest Success Rates

The harvest data for Unit 111 is genuinely strong, and it's one of the best arguments in favor of applying here despite the access challenges.

• 2025: 400 hunters, 241 harvested — 60% success
• 2024: 1,102 hunters, 642 harvested — 58% success
• 2023: 986 hunters, 554 harvested — 56% success
• 2022: 1,100 hunters, 703 harvested — 64% success
• 2021: 983 hunters, 554 harvested — 56% success
• 2020: 380 hunters, 265 harvested — 70% success

Success rates have held in a tight band of 56% to 70% across six consecutive years, which is a notably consistent performance for a pronghorn unit. Even in the unit's lower years, well over half of hunters who drew a tag came home with an animal. The 2020 and 2025 seasons, both with smaller hunter counts (380 and 400, respectively), produced the two highest success percentages, suggesting that reduced hunter density in the field correlates with better outcomes — a reasonable pattern for a species that pressures easily on open terrain. The 2022 season stands out as well, with 1,100 hunters still posting a 64% success rate, showing the unit can support higher hunter numbers without success collapsing.

For a species where terrain visibility and hunter pressure typically dictate outcomes, this level of consistency across a range of hunter volumes speaks to a healthy, huntable pronghorn population and effective tag management by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Herd Health & Population Trends

Wildlife survey data collected across six survey years from 2018 to 2024 shows an average buck:doe ratio of 49:100 for Unit 111. That figure sits in a normal, sustainable range for pronghorn herds — not exceptional, but healthy and indicative of a buck segment that isn't being over-harvested relative to the doe population. A ratio in the high-40s to low-50s range typically reflects a herd with reasonable age structure among bucks, giving some animals the chance to mature into better specimens rather than being pulled out of the population before reaching their potential.

This ratio, combined with six years of consistent survey data rather than a single anomalous reading, gives a reasonably reliable picture of herd stability. Hunters shouldn't expect a herd skewed heavily toward mature bucks, but the data doesn't suggest a stressed or declining buck population either.

Trophy Quality

Trophy history for the counties overlapping Unit 111 shows a moderate track record of producing trophy-class pronghorn. This isn't a unit with an extensive or standout trophy pedigree, but it also isn't a blank slate — the counties in this area have contributed a measured, ongoing history of trophy entries over time. Keep in mind that record-book entries are logged at the county level, not the unit level, so this trophy history is shared with neighboring units whose boundaries overlap the same counties; a buck attributed to this trophy record could have come from anywhere across that broader county footprint.

Given the moderate designation, hunters should treat Unit 111 as a unit capable of producing a solid, respectable pronghorn rather than a unit defined by consistent giant production. Most hunters drawing this tag should set realistic expectations: a good, mature buck is achievable, and the harvest data suggests hunters are finding and connecting with animals at a high rate, but this isn't a unit with a reputation for chronic exceptional-class production.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 111 Worth Applying For?

Unit 111 presents a genuine trade-off, and the honest answer depends heavily on what a hunter is optimizing for.

The case for applying: The harvest success numbers are excellent for a pronghorn unit — six straight years above 56%, with two years topping 60%. That's a meaningfully higher success rate than many western pronghorn units post, and it suggests that hunters who draw here and put in the work are very likely to fill their tag. The buck:doe ratio, sustained across six years of survey data, points to a stable, healthy herd rather than one riding a temporary spike. And the moderate trophy history means there's real upside for a quality buck, even if this isn't a unit defined by record-book headlines.

The case for caution: The 4% public land figure is the single biggest factor working against this unit. With the vast majority of Unit 111 in private ownership, hunters without an existing access arrangement — whether that's a landowner relationship, a leased parcel, or a guide/outfitter connection — will struggle to find huntable ground even with a tag in hand. This is not a walk-up-and-hunt-public-land situation. Nonresident hunters especially should think hard about how they'll secure access before applying, because drawing a coveted tag and then having nowhere to hunt is a real risk in a unit this heavily privatized.

The verdict: Unit 111 is worth applying for if a hunter has a plan for private land access already in place, or is willing to invest in securing that access before the season. The harvest and herd data both support the idea that this unit rewards hunters who get into the field with a workable spot. For hunters without an access plan, the strength of the harvest numbers won't matter much — this unit demands groundwork before it pays off.

How to Apply

Every pronghorn hunt in Unit 111 — bucks, does, and either-sex tags alike — is issued through Colorado's limited-quota draw system. There is no general season or over-the-counter option here, so a hunter's only path into this unit is through the annual draw application.

Colorado's draw operates on a preference point system for nonresidents and residents alike, and both pools apply separately. In practice, this means nonresident hunters are drawing from a distinct allocation than resident applicants, and building points over time improves standing in the preference pool. Colorado's system awards a meaningful share of tags to the highest point holders, so unlike a pure lottery, accumulated points carry real weight here — but a successful draw will consume those accumulated points, and hunters will need to rebuild from zero for future applications.

Hunters should also decide in advance whether they're applying for a bucks-only, either-sex, or antlerless hunt code, since these draw separately and carry different odds and different demand levels. Given the private-land-dominant nature of this unit, hunters should also begin working on access arrangements well before applying, since securing a tag without a place to hunt undermines the entire investment.

Application dates, fees, and current draw odds change every cycle. For up-to-date deadlines, costs, and draw statistics specific to Unit 111, see HuntPilot's Colorado state page at /states/CO, where current-year numbers are maintained.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the terrain like in Colorado Unit 111? Unit 111 sits at a lower elevation range for Colorado, from 5,233 to 6,936 feet, consistent with eastern plains grassland and sagebrush terrain typical of pronghorn country. There is no wilderness designation in the unit, so hunters won't encounter wilderness-specific travel restrictions, but the terrain's open character means pronghorn are visible at distance and hunter movement is harder to conceal without natural cover.

What is harvest success like in Unit 111? Harvest success has been consistently strong, ranging from 56% to 70% over the past six recorded seasons (2020–2025). The most recent 2025 season posted a 60% success rate across 400 hunters, while 2024 saw 642 animals harvested out of 1,102 hunters (58%). This level of consistency across varying hunter volumes suggests a dependable, huntable population.

How big are the pronghorn in Unit 111? Trophy history for the counties overlapping this unit reflects moderate trophy potential — a real but not standout track record of quality bucks. Hunters can reasonably expect the opportunity at a solid, mature buck, but this isn't a unit known for producing an outsized number of exceptional trophy-class animals. Buck:doe ratios averaging 49:100 across six years of survey data support a stable herd structure that allows some bucks to reach maturity.

Is Unit 111 worth applying for? It depends on access planning. The harvest and herd data both support the unit as a strong producer for hunters who connect with the ground — success rates near or above 60% are hard to find in many pronghorn units. However, with only 4% public land, the vast majority of this unit is private property, and hunters without a landowner relationship, lease, or guide arrangement will face serious access hurdles even with a tag in hand.

Is Unit 111 a good option for DIY nonresident hunters? Nonresident hunters should approach this unit cautiously. While there's no wilderness-related guide requirement here, the extremely low public land percentage (4%) means most of the unit is functionally off-limits without secured private access. DIY hunters relying solely on public ground will find very little room to hunt. Anyone without an existing access plan should strongly consider arranging landowner permission, a lease, or a guide service before applying for this unit.