Colorado Unit 135 Mule Deer Hunting Guide

Colorado Unit 135 is a limited-quota mule deer unit covering 475,623 acres in the state's lower-elevation terrain, with elevations ranging from 4,057 to 5,686 feet. For hunters researching Unit 135 mule deer hunting, the most important structural fact is this: there is no general season here. Every mule deer hunt in this unit — including hunts for antlered bucks — is allocated through Colorado's limited-quota draw system. That changes the entire calculus of how to plan a hunt here compared to over-the-counter units.

With 47% public land, just under half of the unit is open to public access, meaning the majority of hunting pressure and opportunity will concentrate on that public ground while a significant portion of the unit remains in private ownership. There is no designated wilderness within Unit 135, so hunters won't encounter the access restrictions or stock-use regulations that come with wilderness boundaries — but they also won't find the backcountry seclusion that wilderness areas sometimes provide. This is a unit defined more by its draw-only structure and shifting harvest trends than by rugged, hard-to-reach terrain.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 135 Worth Applying For?

The honest answer is that Unit 135 is a mixed bag, and the data shows real volatility worth understanding before committing points or an application to it.

Look at the five-year harvest trend. In 2025, 862 hunters pursued deer in Unit 135 and harvested 374 animals for a 43% success rate — a dramatic jump in both hunter numbers and total harvest compared to prior years. Back up to 2024, and the picture looks very different: only 215 hunters afield, 100 harvested, for a 47% success rate. In 2023, success dropped to 29% with 206 hunters and just 60 harvested. 2022 saw 228 hunters take 106 deer (46% success), and 2021 posted 185 hunters, 78 harvested, 42% success.

That's a unit where hunter numbers nearly quadrupled in a single year (2024 to 2025) while success rate held in a similar range to the historical average — suggesting a meaningful change in tag allocation rather than a herd or habitat shift. Success rates excluding the anomalous 2023 dip have generally hovered in the low-to-mid 40% range, which is a solid, dependable number for a limited-quota mule deer hunt. The 2023 season's 29% success rate stands out as the outlier and is worth factoring into expectations — conditions, weather, or deer distribution clearly affected hunter success that year more than in any other season in this dataset.

On trophy quality, the counties overlapping Unit 135 carry a moderate history of trophy-class mule deer records. This isn't a unit with an exceptional or strong trophy pedigree based on the available data, but it isn't blank either — there's a documented history of trophy-class bucks coming from the broader county area, which, as with all record-book data, is shared across neighboring units rather than being unit-exclusive. Hunters chasing a genuine trophy-caliber buck should treat Unit 135 as a unit with some upside but not a unit defined by consistent giant production.

The wildlife survey data adds a caution flag rather than encouragement. The one available survey year, 2024, shows a buck:doe ratio of 31:100 across a single survey. A ratio in that range is on the lower end for mule deer herds and, with only one year of data to draw from, hunters should not read too much into it as a long-term trend — it's a single snapshot, not a multi-year pattern. What it does suggest is that buck density relative to total herd size may be modest, which aligns with a unit that produces decent harvest numbers through volume of hunters and moderate trophy history rather than through an unusually buck-heavy population.

Put together: Unit 135 is worth applying for if the goal is a limited-quota mule deer hunt with reasonably dependable success rates and a realistic shot at a representative buck, not necessarily a unit to burn a large point stockpile on in pursuit of an exceptional trophy. Hunters should weigh the inconsistency in the harvest data — particularly the swing in hunter numbers from 2024 to 2025 — against their own goals before investing points here.

Access & Terrain

Unit 135 sits at a notably low elevation band for Colorado mule deer country, running from 4,057 to 5,686 feet. That's lower than many of the state's alpine or subalpine deer units, which typically points to drier, lower-relief terrain rather than high-country basins and timbered ridgelines. Hunters should expect terrain more characteristic of lower-elevation rangeland than steep mountain country, though specific vegetation and terrain features beyond elevation were not detailed in the available data.

Public land covers 47% of the unit's 475,623 acres. That's just under half, meaning private land makes up the majority of the ground here. Hunters planning a DIY approach need to recognize that access will be more constrained than in units with majority public ownership — scouting and hunting will likely concentrate on the public parcels that do exist, and those areas may see proportionally higher hunter density as a result. Hunters without access arrangements to private ground should plan carefully around the public 47%, using mapping tools to identify exactly where those boundaries fall before the season.

There is no wilderness designation in Unit 135 (0%), so none of Colorado's wilderness-specific access rules or stock regulations apply here. This also means the unit lacks the remote, foot-and-horseback-only character that wilderness units offer — public access here is likely more road-influenced than backcountry-isolated, though hunters should verify specific access points and road conditions directly rather than relying on generalized assumptions.

For hunters doing pre-season scouting, HuntPilot's mapping tools — including public land overlays — are useful for identifying exactly where that 47% public ground sits relative to private boundaries, letting hunters build a scouting plan around legal access before they ever set foot in the unit.

Harvest Success Rates

The five-year harvest record for Unit 135 shows meaningful year-to-year variation:

• 2025: 862 hunters, 374 harvested, 43% success
• 2024: 215 hunters, 100 harvested, 47% success
• 2023: 206 hunters, 60 harvested, 29% success
• 2022: 228 hunters, 106 harvested, 46% success
• 2021: 185 hunters, 78 harvested, 42% success

Excluding 2023's outlier dip, success rates have generally run in the low-to-mid 40% range — a respectable number for a limited-quota mule deer unit. The sharp increase in total hunters in 2025 (862, compared to roughly 185-228 in the four prior years) is the standout data point and likely reflects a change in the number of tags allocated for that season rather than a sudden influx of unregulated pressure. Hunters applying for Unit 135 should expect success odds broadly in the 40%+ range in most years, with the understanding that any given season can swing lower, as 2023 demonstrated.

Trophy Quality

Trophy records tied to the counties overlapping Unit 135 point to a moderate trophy history — not an exceptional or strong pedigree, but a documented presence of trophy-class bucks over time. Because record-book entries are logged by county rather than by hunt unit, these records are shared with neighboring units that fall within the same counties, so Unit 135 doesn't claim them exclusively.

For hunters whose primary goal is a wall-hanger buck at the upper end of the scoring scale, Unit 135's moderate trophy history suggests tempering expectations — this isn't one of the units with a deep, decades-long record of consistently producing giant bucks. That said, moderate trophy potential combined with respectable harvest success rates makes this a realistic unit for hunters who want a solid, mature buck and are willing to put in the scouting work, rather than hunters chasing a once-in-a-lifetime score at any cost.

Herd Health & Population Trends

The only wildlife survey data available for Unit 135 comes from a single survey year, 2024, showing a buck:doe ratio of 31:100. This is on the lower side for mule deer buck:doe ratios and, because it represents just one survey year, it should be treated as a limited data point rather than a definitive statement on herd composition or health. A single-year snapshot can be influenced by survey timing, sample area, and weather conditions during the count, so hunters shouldn't overweight this number in isolation.

What this ratio does suggest, combined with the harvest data, is a unit where buck density relative to the overall herd is moderate rather than exceptional. Hunters relying on herd health data to judge Unit 135 should recognize the thin dataset here — a single survey year doesn't establish a multi-year trend, and additional years of data would be needed to say definitively whether buck numbers are stable, increasing, or declining in this unit.

How to Apply

Because Unit 135 has no general season, every mule deer hunt here — including hunts for antlered bucks — requires a successful draw application. There is no over-the-counter fallback option in this unit; hunters must apply and be selected to hunt here at all.

Colorado's deer draw operates on a hybrid system: roughly half of available tags go to the highest point holders, with the remaining tags allocated through a weighted random draw where each applicant's number of entries equals their accumulated points plus one. Resident and nonresident applicants draw from separate pools, which is an important distinction for out-of-state hunters gauging their chances against in-state applicants.

Colorado deer preference points accumulate for hunters who apply but aren't selected, improving their position in future draws. A high enough point total has, on certain hunts in Colorado's system, historically guaranteed a tag — but hunters should check actual draw data for Unit 135 specifically rather than assuming a particular point level secures a tag, since this varies by hunt and year.

Residents and nonresidents should expect different competitive dynamics in the draw given the separate pools, and nonresidents in particular should budget for a potential multi-year point-building strategy if Unit 135 draws tightly at their experience level. Application dates, fees, and current draw odds change every cycle — for the latest deadlines, costs, and odds specific to Unit 135, check HuntPilot's Colorado state page at /states/co and the Unit 135 page directly for up-to-date figures.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Unit 135 a draw-only unit, or can hunters buy an over-the-counter tag? Unit 135 is entirely draw-only. There is no general season for mule deer in this unit — every hunt, including hunts targeting antlered bucks, requires a successful limited-quota draw application. Hunters cannot walk into a license vendor and buy a tag for this unit over the counter.

What is harvest success like in Unit 135? Success rates have varied meaningfully year to year. Recent seasons show 43% success in 2025, 47% in 2024, 29% in 2023, 46% in 2022, and 42% in 2021. Most years land in the low-to-mid 40% range, with 2023 standing out as a notably weaker season. Hunters should plan around a general expectation in that 40%+ range while understanding individual seasons can vary.

How big are the mule deer in Unit 135? Trophy records tied to the counties overlapping Unit 135 point to a moderate trophy history — documented but not exceptional. This is not a unit with a deep track record of producing elite-class bucks, but trophy-class deer have come from the broader area historically. Hunters prioritizing a realistic, mature buck over a guaranteed trophy-class score will find this a reasonable target; those chasing an exceptional buck should weigh this moderate history against other units with stronger trophy pedigrees.

What is the terrain like in Unit 135? The unit sits at a relatively low elevation range for Colorado, from 4,057 to 5,686 feet, suggesting drier, lower-relief country compared to Colorado's higher alpine deer units. Specific vegetation and terrain features beyond elevation were not detailed in the available data, so hunters should use mapping tools to study the terrain directly before the season.

Is Unit 135 worth applying for? It depends on the hunter's goals. For hunters wanting a limited-quota mule deer hunt with generally dependable success rates (mostly in the 40%+ range) and a realistic shot at a mature buck, Unit 135 is a reasonable option. For hunters specifically chasing an exceptional, record-class buck, the moderate trophy history here suggests other units with stronger trophy pedigrees may be a better use of accumulated points. The sharp jump in hunter numbers in 2025 is also worth watching in future seasons to see if it represents a lasting change in tag allocation.