Colorado Unit 112 Pronghorn Antelope Hunting Guide

Colorado Unit 112 is a limited-quota pronghorn unit tucked into the eastern plains landscape, where every hunt code in the unit runs through the draw — there is no general season here. That structure alone tells hunters something important: this is not a unit hunters can just show up and hunt with an over-the-counter license. Every hunter afield in Unit 112 has drawn a specific tag for a specific hunt, and understanding how that draw works is the first step in deciding whether to apply.

At 189,285 total acres with elevation running a relatively flat 4,859 to 5,571 feet, Unit 112 sits in classic pronghorn country — open, low-relief terrain typical of Colorado's eastern plains pronghorn range. The catch for hunters is access: only 13% of the unit is public land, meaning the vast majority of ground is privately held. That single number should shape almost every planning decision a hunter makes about this unit, from tag strategy to whether a DIY approach is realistic at all.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 112 Worth Applying For?

The honest answer is that Unit 112 rewards hunters who go in with a specific strategy, not hunters looking for a walk-up public-land experience. With only 13% public land, the majority of this unit is private, and hunters without landowner access or a lease arrangement will be competing for a small footprint of public ground scattered across nearly 190,000 acres. That's a serious access constraint, and it's the single biggest factor to weigh before applying.

That said, the harvest numbers show this unit produces results for those who do draw and hunt it. Success rates over the past five years have ranged from 37% to 51%, which is solid for pronghorn hunting anywhere in the West. In 2021, hunters posted a 51% success rate, and 2022 wasn't far behind at 49%. Even the softer year — 2025, with 2,338 hunters and a 37% success rate — still put over 860 animals on the ground. The 2024 season saw 964 hunters harvest 437 animals for a 45% success rate, and 2023 came in at 39% across 1,100 hunters. These are consistent, respectable numbers that suggest hunters who draw a tag here and do their homework on access are finding animals.

Trophy potential in the surrounding counties is moderate. This isn't a unit with a heavy trophy pedigree, but it's also not devoid of quality animals — hunters should treat this as a solid opportunity unit rather than a unit to chase a wall-hanger buck. For hunters prioritizing meat and a good hunt over score, Unit 112 fits the bill. For hunters chasing a specific trophy-class buck, there are likely better-documented units to target first.

The buck:doe ratio data adds a layer of caution. The average across six survey years (2018-2024) sits at 26:100, which is on the lower end for a healthy pronghorn herd. This ratio suggests hunters should temper trophy expectations and focus on the unit's strength — its consistent harvest success — rather than assuming a high buck density. A lower buck:doe ratio typically means fewer mature bucks relative to does, which lines up with the moderate (not exceptional) trophy assessment for the surrounding area.

Bottom line: Unit 112 is worth applying for if a hunter's priority is a good chance at filling a tag and they've done the legwork on private land access — whether through a lease, landowner relationship, or careful pre-season scouting of the limited public parcels. It's a tougher sell for a purely public-land DIY hunter given the 13% public land figure, and it's not the unit to prioritize if trophy size is the primary goal.

Harvest Success Rates

Unit 112's harvest data over the last five years shows a unit that consistently produces for hunters who draw a tag:

• 2025: 2,338 hunters, 864 harvested — 37% success
• 2024: 964 hunters, 437 harvested — 45% success
• 2023: 1,100 hunters, 427 harvested — 39% success
• 2022: 1,120 hunters, 548 harvested — 49% success
• 2021: 998 hunters, 511 harvested — 51% success

The five-year trend shows success rates fluctuating between 37% and 51%, with no clear downward trajectory — 2025's larger hunter pool (2,338, more than double most other years) came with a lower success percentage, which is a common pattern when more tags are issued into the same finite habitat and access footprint. Hunters drawing tags for smaller-quota years (2021, 2022) saw notably higher success rates, suggesting that hunt-specific tag numbers matter as much as overall unit quality when it comes to an individual hunter's odds of connecting.

Trophy Quality

Trophy records from the counties overlapping Unit 112 point to a moderate trophy history — this is not a unit with a standout reputation for producing exceptional book-class bucks, but it has produced some quality animals over time. Given the modest buck:doe ratio discussed below, hunters should set realistic expectations: Unit 112 is better suited to hunters after a solid, representative pronghorn buck and a good hunt than to those specifically chasing a top-end trophy. Hunters serious about trophy potential should weigh this moderate rating against other Colorado pronghorn units with more robust trophy documentation before committing points here.

Herd Health & Population Trends

The wildlife survey data for Unit 112 spans six survey years from 2018 to 2024, with an average buck:doe ratio of 26:100. This is a relatively low ratio for pronghorn and suggests a doe-heavy herd structure, which typically correlates with lower odds of encountering mature, heavy-horned bucks relative to units with stronger buck:doe ratios. Hunters should not read this as a red flag on overall herd health — the harvest data shows a stable, productive herd capable of supporting consistent hunter success — but it does reinforce that this is an opportunity-oriented unit rather than a unit known for a deep pool of mature bucks. Hunters focused on herd demographics should weigh this ratio alongside the moderate trophy history when setting expectations for buck quality.

Access & Terrain

Access is the defining challenge in Unit 112. With just 13% public land across 189,285 acres, the overwhelming majority of this unit is private property. That means DIY hunters relying solely on public ground will be working with a small, likely fragmented footprint relative to the unit's overall size. This is not a unit where hunters should assume "plenty of public access" — the math doesn't support that characterization. Hunters without a private land arrangement, lease, or landowner relationship need to identify the specific public parcels available well before the season and understand that competition for those parcels will be real given the volume of tags issued in some years (2,338 hunters in 2025 alone).

Elevation in the unit is modest and consistent, ranging from 4,859 to 5,571 feet, which is typical of open plains pronghorn habitat — expect rolling to flat terrain with sagebrush and grassland cover rather than significant topographic relief. There is no wilderness acreage in this unit, so hunters won't encounter wilderness-specific access restrictions, but the private-land dominance is a far more practical constraint than terrain difficulty. Hunters serious about hunting Unit 112 should prioritize locking down access — through a landowner voucher program, lease, or confirmed public parcel — before investing points or applying for a tag here.

How to Apply

Colorado pronghorn hunting operates entirely through the state's limited-quota draw system in Unit 112 — there is no general season option here, so every hunter needs a drawn tag before stepping into the field. Colorado's draw uses a preference point system: points accumulate for hunters who apply but don't draw, and the highest point holders draw first for a portion of available tags, while the department fills the remainder through a separate process. Colorado is a true preference-based draw, not a weighted lottery, which means point accumulation has a real, trackable effect on draw success over time.

Residents and nonresidents apply through the same statewide system but are considered separately, with nonresident tag numbers typically more limited than resident allocations. Hunters should also be aware that in Colorado, a successful draw consumes the points a hunter has built for that species — after drawing, point totals reset, and hunters rebuild from that point forward for future applications.

Given the point-based structure and the access challenges outlined above, hunters interested in Unit 112 should check current point requirements and tag numbers before applying, since these figures shift year to year based on quota changes and applicant demand. Application dates and fees also change every cycle. For the current deadlines, fees, and draw odds, see HuntPilot's Colorado page for full, up-to-date application details.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the terrain like in Colorado Unit 112? Unit 112 sits at a relatively low, consistent elevation range of 4,859 to 5,571 feet, characteristic of open eastern-plains pronghorn habitat with rolling grassland and sagebrush terrain rather than significant mountainous relief. There is no wilderness acreage in the unit, so hunters won't face wilderness-specific access rules, but the terrain itself is generally open and visible — well-suited to pronghorn's preference for wide sightlines.

What is harvest success like in Unit 112? Success rates have ranged from 37% to 51% over the past five hunting seasons (2021-2025), according to HuntPilot's harvest data. The highest success rates came in lower-hunter years like 2021 (51% across 998 hunters) and 2022 (49% across 1,120 hunters), while the largest hunter turnout year, 2025, produced a 37% success rate across 2,338 hunters. Overall, this points to a unit that reliably produces for hunters who draw a tag.

How big are the pronghorn in Unit 112? Trophy records from the counties overlapping this unit point to a moderate trophy history — some quality bucks have come from the area, but it isn't known as a heavy producer of top-end record-book animals. Combined with a below-average buck:doe ratio (26:100 average across six survey years), hunters should expect a solid, representative pronghorn hunt rather than a unit specifically known for exceptional horn size.

Is Unit 112 worth applying for? For hunters focused on a good chance at filling a tag, yes — the harvest data supports that conclusion, with success rates consistently in the high-30s to low-50s percentage range over the last five years. For hunters without secured private land access, the 13% public land figure is a serious limiting factor that needs to be addressed before applying, since the majority of the unit's acreage is inaccessible without landowner permission or a lease. Hunters chasing maximum trophy potential may want to compare this unit against others with stronger documented trophy histories.

Can nonresidents hunt Unit 112 pronghorn without a guide? Yes — Colorado does not have Wyoming's wilderness guide requirement, and Unit 112 has 0% wilderness acreage regardless. Nonresidents can hunt this unit DIY, but given that 13% of the unit is public land, nonresidents should plan carefully around access, whether through public parcel identification, a landowner arrangement, or a leased hunting opportunity, well before the season begins.