Colorado Unit 16 Pronghorn Antelope Hunting Guide

Colorado Unit 16 sits in the state's northeastern hunt landscape, offering pronghorn hunters a mix of open sagebrush and rolling prairie terrain across 204,858 acres. With 55% public land and elevations ranging from 7,970 to 11,938 feet, the unit provides real DIY opportunity for hunters willing to cover ground on foot — a theme echoed in hunter forums describing large public tracts with limited access points, which forces pressure to spread out once the walk-in work begins.

This unit has built a reputation among Colorado pronghorn hunters as a serious option, and the numbers back up the interest. Recent harvest data shows success rates that swing widely from year to year, which is worth understanding before committing points and planning a trip. Below, HuntPilot's data on harvest trends, herd surveys, and application logistics helps frame whether Unit 16 deserves a spot on a hunter's application list this cycle.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 16 Worth Applying For?

The case for Unit 16 starts with access. At 55% public land, more than half the unit is open to hunters without needing private land permission, and the 15% wilderness designation adds some rugged pockets for hunters looking to get away from road-bound competition — though pronghorn hunters typically work more open, huntable ground rather than wilderness terrain given the species' habitat preference for flat and rolling sagebrush country.

Harvest data tells a more complicated story. The 2025 season posted a strong 93% success rate across 72 hunters with 67 animals harvested — an excellent number on its face. But zooming out, the multi-year trend shows considerably more volatility: 48% in 2024, 53% in 2023, 54% in 2022, 73% in 2021, and 56% in 2020. The five-year average prior to 2025 sits solidly in the 50-60% range, meaning the 2025 spike should be read as an outlier season rather than the new baseline. Hunters budgeting expectations should plan around the historical average rather than the most recent standout year.

Herd health data adds a note of caution. The average buck:doe ratio across six survey years (2018-2024) comes in at 39:100. That ratio is below what would typically support exceptional buck age structure, suggesting the herd carries a healthy doe population but bucks are proportionally fewer — a factor that can affect both trophy potential and the pace at which mature bucks are cycled out of the population.

On trophy potential, the counties overlapping Unit 16 carry a strong history of trophy-class pronghorn production. That history is a meaningful positive signal for hunters chasing a wall-worthy buck, though it's worth remembering that record-book entries are logged at the county level and are shared across neighboring units — the trophy pedigree reflects the broader region overlapping Unit 16, not proof that every buck in the unit itself reaches that caliber.

Taken together, Unit 16 is a legitimate option for hunters who want solid public access, a real shot at a mature buck given the area's trophy history, and are comfortable with success rates that can vary meaningfully year to year. It's not a slam-dunk, guaranteed-tag unit, but the fundamentals — access, terrain variety, and regional trophy pedigree — make it worth serious consideration for both resident and nonresident pronghorn hunters.

Harvest Success Rates

Unit 16's harvest numbers over the past six seasons show real variability that hunters should factor into trip planning:

• 2025: 72 hunters, 67 harvested, 93% success
• 2024: 108 hunters, 52 harvested, 48% success
• 2023: 158 hunters, 84 harvested, 53% success
• 2022: 146 hunters, 79 harvested, 54% success
• 2021: 156 hunters, 114 harvested, 73% success
• 2020: 50 hunters, 28 harvested, 56% success

Two things stand out. First, hunter numbers have fluctuated significantly, from a low of 50 hunters in 2020 to a high of 158 in 2023, suggesting tag allocations and applicant interest have shifted over time. Second, while 2025's 93% success rate is the standout year in this dataset, it followed a run of seasons clustered in the high-40s to mid-50s percent range, with 2021 as a notable exception at 73%. Hunters should treat the long-run average — somewhere in the mid-50s to low-60s percent range when blending all six years — as the more realistic planning figure rather than anchoring on the most recent season alone.

Trophy Quality

Trophy data for the counties overlapping Unit 16 points to a strong history of trophy-class pronghorn production. This is a meaningful qualitative signal: areas with sustained trophy history tend to have the habitat and genetics capable of producing mature, heavy-horned bucks over time, and Unit 16's overlapping counties fit that profile.

That said, hunters should keep the county-level caveat in mind — trophy records are attributed to the county as a whole and are shared with neighboring units in the same county boundaries, not exclusive to Unit 16's borders. A trophy buck credited to the region could have come from Unit 16 or from an adjacent unit sharing the same county lines. Given the buck:doe ratio data showing 39:100, hunters chasing an exceptional, older-age-class buck may need to be selective and put in more scouting time to find one of the standout animals the area is capable of producing, rather than assuming every buck encountered will be trophy-class.

Herd Health & Population Trends

Survey data spanning six years (2018-2024) shows an average buck:doe ratio of 39:100 for Unit 16. This ratio sits below the higher benchmarks seen in some premier pronghorn units and suggests a doe-heavy population structure. For hunters, this generally means:

• Plenty of pronghorn on the landscape overall, supporting good encounter rates
• A lower proportion of bucks relative to does, which can mean more competition among hunters for the buck segment of the population and potentially younger average buck age class
• The need for more careful glassing and selectivity to target mature bucks rather than assuming abundance translates directly to trophy opportunity

This ratio, combined with the unit's strong regional trophy history, paints a picture of a unit that holds good pronghorn numbers but where finding an exceptional, mature buck requires effort and patience rather than being a given.

Access & Terrain

Unit 16 spans a wide elevation range from 7,970 feet up to 11,938 feet, which is unusually broad for a pronghorn unit and suggests the terrain transitions from lower sagebrush flats and grassland basins into higher, more rugged country at the unit's upper extremes. Most pronghorn hunting activity will concentrate in the lower and mid-elevation open country where the species prefers to live, while the higher terrain likely serves other purposes within the broader unit boundary.

Public land makes up 55% of the unit's 204,858 acres, giving DIY hunters a solid majority-public landscape to work with — though the remaining 45% in private ownership means hunters need to pay close attention to land status maps and access points before heading out. Forum discussion among hunters who've drawn tags in this region of Colorado has noted that big blocks of public land can come with very few access points, meaning hunters may need to be prepared to hike in on foot to get away from pressure near the limited entry points, especially during the opening days of any hunt period.

The 15% wilderness designation within the unit adds a rougher, less-trafficked element to the landscape, though pronghorn hunters will typically spend the bulk of their time in the more traditional open terrain rather than wilderness areas, given the species' habitat requirements.

How to Apply

Colorado's draw system for pronghorn requires advance planning, and the fee structure includes several components hunters need to budget for before submitting an application.

For the 2026 season, nonresident and resident pronghorn applications both carry an application deadline of April 7, 2026, with draw results published on May 26, 2026. Applications for both residency types open March 1, 2026.

Fee breakdown for 2026 nonresident applicants:

• Application fee: $11
• Tag fee: $507
• License fee: $117.62 (required to apply — this is a qualifying license hunters must hold before submitting their application)
• Point fee: $100

Fee breakdown for 2026 resident applicants:

• Application fee: $9
• Tag fee: $51
• License fee: $53.19 (required to apply)
• Point fee: $50

Nonresident hunters should note the significant cost gap between residency types, driven primarily by the tag fee difference ($507 versus $51) and the qualifying license fee. Both fees are due at the time of application, not after a successful draw, so hunters need to have funds available before the April 7 deadline.

For current draw odds specific to Unit 16 and point-level breakdowns, check HuntPilot's Colorado state page at /states/co, which tracks year-over-year application data for this and other Colorado pronghorn units.

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 16? Unit 16 features a wide elevation range from 7,970 to 11,938 feet, with the pronghorn habitat concentrated in lower-elevation sagebrush flats and open grassland basins typical of the species' preferred range. The unit is 55% public land, giving hunters a solid base of accessible ground, though forum accounts describe large public parcels with limited access points, meaning hunters should be prepared to walk in to escape pressure near entry points.

What is harvest success like in Unit 16? Harvest success has varied considerably over the past six seasons, ranging from a low of 48% in 2024 to a high of 93% in 2025. The multi-year pattern (48%-93%) suggests hunters should plan around a moderate expected success rate rather than assuming the most recent season's strong numbers will repeat, since prior years clustered more consistently in the 50-60% range.

How big are the pronghorn in Unit 16? The counties overlapping Unit 16 have a strong history of producing trophy-class pronghorn, which is a positive indicator for hunters seeking a mature buck. However, the unit's buck:doe ratio of 39:100 (averaged across six survey years) suggests a doe-heavy population, meaning trophy bucks are present but likely require more scouting and selectivity to locate rather than being abundant across the landscape.

Is Unit 16 worth applying for? Yes, with realistic expectations. The unit combines majority public land access (55%), a strong regional trophy history, and generally solid harvest numbers, making it a reasonable choice for hunters targeting a quality pronghorn hunt. Hunters should weigh the herd's lower buck:doe ratio and the year-to-year harvest volatility when setting expectations, and check HuntPilot's Colorado page for current draw odds before applying.

What should hunters know about applying for Unit 16 pronghorn tags? For 2026, both resident and nonresident applications share an April 7, 2026 deadline, with results released May 26, 2026. Nonresidents face substantially higher costs due to the $507 tag fee and $117.62 required license fee, compared to $51 and $53.19 for residents. All application and license fees must be paid at the time of application, before draw results are known.