Colorado Unit 135 Pronghorn Antelope Hunting Guide

Colorado Unit 135 sits in the eastern plains country that pronghorn hunters have quietly targeted for years, drawn by a mix of public land access and open sagebrush and grassland terrain typical of the region's antelope range. For hunters comparing eastern Colorado units on the state's hunting atlas, Unit 135 shows up frequently in discussions precisely because it offers a meaningful chunk of public ground in a state where public pronghorn access is far less abundant than in neighboring Wyoming. This article breaks down what the data actually shows about harvest trends, herd composition, and the application process so hunters can decide whether Unit 135 deserves a spot on their application list.

At 475,623 total acres with 47% public land, Unit 135 gives hunters a real, if not overwhelming, base of huntable public ground. That figure is worth sitting with — just under half the unit is public, meaning private land still dominates more than half of the landscape. Elevation across the unit runs from 4,057 to 5,686 feet, consistent with rolling plains and low-relief terrain rather than mountainous country, and there is no wilderness acreage in Unit 135, so access considerations are straightforward compared to units with wilderness-designation restrictions.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 135 Worth Applying For?

The honest answer is: it depends on what a hunter is after. Unit 135 is not a secret anymore — multiple hunters on public forums describe it as "overhunted" with declining quality, and the harvest numbers back up a unit that sees real pressure. In 2022, 689 hunters pursued pronghorn in Unit 135, and that number has generally trended downward since, with 175 hunters recorded in 2025. That drop in hunter numbers is worth noting alongside the harvest success trend, which has been inconsistent — swinging from 33% in 2022 and 2021 down to 27% in 2024, then jumping to 46% in 2025 on a much smaller sample of hunters. That volatility, especially the smaller 2025 hunter pool, suggests the 46% figure should be read cautiously rather than treated as a new baseline.

The buck:doe ratio data adds another layer. Across six survey years from 2018 to 2024, Unit 135 has averaged a 38:100 buck-to-doe ratio, which is a reasonable, believable ratio for pronghorn herds and does not show any red flags of a small-sample anomaly. That average suggests a herd that has maintained a workable buck component over time, even if forum chatter points to individual hunters feeling like buck quality and crowding have both gotten tougher in recent years.

Public land percentage is a real factor here. At 47% public land, Unit 135 sits right at the edge — hunters should not assume they'll have expansive public options everywhere they look. Forum accounts specifically mention public parcels with limited access points, meaning hunters may end up walking in rather than driving to a spot, and water sources on private ground can concentrate animals away from huntable public corners. Given that more than half the unit is technically private, hunters need to do real homework on exactly where the public boundaries lie and how they're accessed before assuming they can hunt anywhere within the unit's borders.

Trophy data is not available for this unit in the structured data provided, so no qualitative trophy assessment can be made. Hunters focused primarily on chasing bigger bucks should not rely on assumptions — the available information here speaks to opportunity and access, not trophy potential.

Given all this, Unit 135 is best framed as a solid opportunity unit for hunters who want a real shot at a pronghorn tag with a meaningful (though not majority) public land base, rather than a unit to chase for trophy potential. It's a unit that rewards scouting and legwork on the public parcels rather than one where success is guaranteed by just showing up.

Harvest Success Rates

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

• 2021: 463 hunters, 155 harvested, 33% success
• 2022: 689 hunters, 227 harvested, 33% success
• 2023: 581 hunters, 184 harvested, 32% success
• 2024: 553 hunters, 152 harvested, 27% success
• 2025: 175 hunters, 80 harvested, 46% success

The three-year run from 2021 through 2023 was remarkably consistent, holding in the low-to-mid 30% range regardless of hunter numbers fluctuating between roughly 460 and 690 participants. The dip to 27% in 2024, despite a similar hunter count to 2023, suggests either tougher conditions, more competition for available bucks, or both. The 2025 jump to 46% success came alongside a sharp drop in total hunters — from 553 in 2024 down to just 175 — which naturally makes success rates more volatile and less directly comparable to prior years. Hunters should treat the multi-year average, sitting in the low-to-mid 30% range, as the more reliable expectation rather than banking on the most recent year's improved rate.

Herd Health & Population Trends

The wildlife survey data available for Unit 135 covers six survey years between 2018 and 2024, showing an average buck:doe ratio of 38:100. This is a stable, biologically reasonable ratio for pronghorn and does not carry any of the red flags associated with small survey samples that sometimes produce misleadingly high ratios. A 38:100 average suggests the herd has maintained a consistent buck component relative to does over the survey period, which is a positive indicator for hunters concerned about long-term herd sustainability in a unit that clearly sees consistent hunting pressure.

That said, the survey data provided doesn't break down ratios year-by-year, so hunters can't see whether the trend has been climbing, declining, or holding flat within that six-year window. The average alone tells a reasonably encouraging story, but hunters wanting more granular herd trend detail should check HuntPilot's Colorado unit pages for the latest survey breakdowns as they become available.

Access & Terrain

Unit 135 spans elevations from 4,057 to 5,686 feet, placing it firmly in the low-elevation plains and rolling grassland category rather than mountain terrain. This is classic eastern Colorado pronghorn country — open, with long sightlines and minimal vertical relief, which shapes both how animals are patterned and how hunters need to approach stalking them.

With 47% of the unit's 475,623 acres in public ownership, hunters have a workable but not dominant public land base to hunt. The remaining 53% is private, and forum accounts specifically note that private landowners often control the best water sources — a critical factor in dry plains country where pronghorn concentrate around available water, especially as summer moves toward the hunting season. Hunters relying purely on public land should expect that the best water-adjacent spots may sit on private ground, pushing public land hunting pressure toward whatever water access does exist on public parcels.

There is no wilderness acreage in Unit 135 (0%), so there are no wilderness-specific access restrictions or guide requirements to navigate — a meaningful simplification for hunters used to dealing with wilderness logistics in other Western units. Access here is more a matter of identifying which public parcels have road or walk-in access and cross-referencing that against likely water and feed sources, a task well suited to using mapping tools that overlay public and private boundaries alongside terrain features. Hunters can use HuntPilot's public land mapping tools to identify exactly where those public/private lines fall within Unit 135 before heading out to scout.

How to Apply

For 2026, Colorado's pronghorn application window opens March 1, 2026, with a deadline of April 7, 2026, and results are expected by May 26, 2026, for both resident and nonresident applicants.

Nonresident applicants for 2026 face an application fee of $11, a tag fee of $507, a required license fee of $117.62 (necessary to apply, in addition to the application fee), and a point fee of $100.

Resident applicants for 2026 face an application fee of $9, a tag fee of $51, a required license fee of $53.19 (necessary to apply), and a point fee of $50.

Colorado's draw system is a true preference-point system — the highest point holders draw first, and a sufficiently high point level can guarantee a tag on many hunts. This is different from a weighted lottery; points here function as a real queue. Colorado residents and nonresidents apply in separate pools, and any successful draw will consume the accumulated points for that species going forward, meaning hunters who draw a tag will start rebuilding their point total from zero on their next application.

Given forum commentary describing Unit 135 as historically requiring several years of accumulated points to draw, hunters serious about this unit should plan on a multi-year point-building strategy rather than expecting a first-time draw. For exact, current-year draw odds by point level, hunters should check HuntPilot's Colorado state page at /states/co rather than relying on outdated forum estimates.

Dates and fees are subject to change. Always verify current application details at the state wildlife agency website before applying.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the terrain like in Colorado Unit 135? Unit 135 is low-elevation plains and rolling grassland country, with elevations ranging from 4,057 to 5,686 feet across the unit. It's classic eastern Colorado pronghorn habitat — open sagebrush and grassland with minimal vertical relief, long sightlines, and no wilderness acreage to complicate access. Forum accounts describe some public parcels as having limited access points and more topographic variation than typical prairie units, which can help hunters get away from pressure if they're willing to walk in.

What is harvest success like in Unit 135? Success rates have ranged from 27% to 46% over the past five recorded years (2021–2025), with the multi-year average sitting in the low-to-mid 30% range. The 2024 season saw 27% success across 553 hunters, while 2025 saw a higher 46% success rate but on a much smaller pool of 175 hunters, making that figure less directly comparable to prior years' broader hunter samples.

How big are the pronghorn in Unit 135? Trophy data is not available for this unit in the structured data reviewed, so no specific trophy assessment can be made. Hunters focused on antler quality should treat Unit 135 primarily as an opportunity and access unit based on the available data rather than a documented trophy destination.

Is Colorado Unit 135 worth applying for? For hunters prioritizing a real chance at a pronghorn tag with a workable — though not majority — public land base (47% of 475,623 acres), Unit 135 is a reasonable target, particularly for residents willing to invest points over multiple years as forum reports suggest is typical for this unit. The stable buck:doe ratio (38:100 average across six survey years) indicates a herd in reasonable balance. Hunters chasing trophy quality specifically should look elsewhere or verify current trophy data, since none is documented here.

How many points does it take to draw Unit 135 in Colorado? Draw odds and point requirements change year to year and are not part of the data covered in this article. Colorado uses a true preference-point system where top point holders draw first, and forum users have historically described Unit 135 as requiring several years of points. For current, year-specific draw odds by point level, check HuntPilot's Colorado unit and state pages at /states/co.