Colorado Unit 25 Moose Hunting Guide

Colorado Unit 25 is a limited-quota moose unit set in high-elevation terrain ranging from 6,167 to 12,240 feet, with 148,515 total acres and 84% public land ownership. For hunters chasing one of the most coveted big game tags in the Lower 48, Unit 25 offers a legitimate shot at a moose hunt in country that combines strong public access with a meaningful wilderness component.

Moose hunting in Colorado is unlike most other Western big game pursuits — there is no over-the-counter option anywhere in the state, and Unit 25 is no exception. Every hunt here runs through the limited-quota draw system, covering antlered bulls as well as either-sex and antlerless opportunities. With 23% of the unit designated wilderness, hunters drawing a tag here should expect a mix of accessible drive-to terrain and deeper, pack-in country that rewards those willing to get off the road system.

This article breaks down what the available harvest data, terrain profile, and trophy history tell hunters considering an application in Unit 25, and how to think about whether this unit deserves a spot on an application strategy.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 25 Worth Applying For?

The honest answer depends heavily on what a hunter is looking for. Unit 25 is a low-volume unit — the harvest data shows only a handful of hunters afield in any given year, which is typical for Colorado moose units where tag numbers are intentionally kept small to protect herd health and hunt quality. In 2025, 9 hunters pursued moose in the unit with 6 harvested, a 67% success rate. That follows years of extremely limited hunter numbers: just 1 hunter in 2024, 2 hunters in 2023, and 1 hunter in 2022 (who tagged out at a 100% success rate).

These numbers point to a unit where tags are scarce but success, once drawn, is high. A 67% success rate on 9 hunters and a 100% rate on a single hunter the prior year both suggest that Unit 25 moose are huntable once a tag is in hand — this isn't a unit where drawn hunters struggle to connect. The larger challenge is simply getting a tag, which is standard for Colorado moose statewide.

Terrain-wise, Unit 25 checks the boxes hunters want in moose country: high public land access at 84%, big elevation spread from valley bottoms near 6,167 feet up to alpine terrain topping out at 12,240 feet, and a real wilderness component at 23% of the unit. That wilderness percentage means a portion of the unit demands more physical commitment — pack-in access, no motorized shortcuts, and a genuine backcountry hunt for those willing to push into it. Unlike Wyoming, Colorado places no guide requirement on nonresidents hunting wilderness areas, so DIY hunters can pursue these drainages without hiring an outfitter, though the terrain itself will still test fitness and logistics.

Trophy data for the counties overlapping Unit 25 shows a limited history of record-book entries. That doesn't mean big bulls don't exist here — Shiras' moose across Colorado can absolutely produce trophy-class animals — but hunters should not go into this unit expecting it to be a recognized trophy factory. The record-book history here is thin, which is common for moose units across the state given how few tags are issued annually and how few hunters end up with entries as a result. For hunters whose top priority is simply the experience of hunting moose in high-quality Rocky Mountain habitat with strong success odds once drawn, Unit 25 is worth serious consideration. For hunters chasing a wall-hanger specifically, the trophy record is too sparse to make promises either way.

Given the small sample sizes across multiple years of harvest data, hunters should treat these figures as directional rather than statistically bulletproof — a unit that only sees one or two hunters in a season can swing wildly in success rate from year to year based on individual outcomes rather than herd-wide trends.

Harvest Success Rates

The available harvest figures for Unit 25 span 2022 through 2025:

• 2025: 9 hunters, 6 harvested — 67% success
• 2024: 1 hunter (harvest count not broken out)
• 2023: 2 hunters (harvest count not broken out)
• 2022: 1 hunter, 1 harvested — 100% success

The pattern across these years is consistent with what hunters should expect from a small-quota Colorado moose unit: very few tags issued in any single season, but strong outcomes for those who draw. A 67% success rate on the most recent data point with 9 hunters afield is a solid number for moose hunting generally, and the 100% success rate from 2022, even on a single hunter, reinforces that the animals are there and huntable when conditions align.

Hunters should keep in mind that with hunter counts this low, a single missed opportunity or weather-shortened hunt can swing the yearly percentage significantly. The takeaway isn't a guaranteed harvest, but a track record that shows moose are present, huntable, and that drawn hunters in this unit have historically closed the deal at rates well above many other big game hunts.

Trophy Quality

Record-book data for the counties overlapping Unit 25 reflects a limited history of trophy entries. This puts Unit 25 in the category of units where trophy potential exists but isn't well documented — moose numbers are low enough statewide, and hunter numbers in this unit specifically are low enough, that the sample size for judging trophy quality is small.

Hunters should not read this as evidence that big bulls aren't present. Moose herds in Colorado's high country, particularly units with strong elevation range and wilderness habitat like Unit 25, can and do produce quality bulls. But without a substantial record-book history to draw on, this article won't speculate on scores or class sizes. Hunters serious about trophy potential specifically should treat this as an unknown rather than a strength or weakness, and weigh it against the unit's strong access and solid harvest success when deciding where this fits into an overall application strategy.

Access & Terrain

Unit 25 offers a favorable access picture for a limited-quota unit: 84% public land ownership means the large majority of the 148,515-acre unit is open to hunters without needing to negotiate private land access. That's a meaningful advantage over units where drawn hunters spend as much time seeking landowner permission as they do actually hunting.

Elevation in the unit runs from 6,167 feet at the low end to 12,240 feet at the highest points, a spread of over 6,000 vertical feet. That range means hunters can expect everything from lower valley riparian habitat and willow bottoms — prime moose feeding country — up through subalpine timber and into true alpine basins above treeline. Moose in Colorado are closely tied to willow-heavy drainages and wet meadow systems, and a unit with this much elevation variance likely holds multiple distinct habitat zones worth scouting depending on time of year and weather patterns.

The wilderness designation covering 23% of the unit is a significant factor for trip planning. That portion of Unit 25 will have no motorized access, meaning hunters targeting those drainages need to be prepared for foot or stock-based travel and multi-day camps rather than day-hunting from a vehicle. Because Colorado does not impose a guide requirement on nonresidents hunting wilderness (unlike Wyoming), DIY hunters remain free to pursue these areas on their own, but the physical demands are real given the elevation and terrain. Hunters less interested in backcountry camps still have the majority of the unit — the non-wilderness 77% — to work with, which likely includes more road-accessible terrain suited to shorter hunts.

Given the high percentage of public land, hunters planning a Unit 25 application should lean on mapping tools to identify specific drainages, water sources, and elevation bands worth glassing before the season. HuntPilot's mapping overlays, including public land boundaries and terrain layers, are a useful starting point for narrowing down where to focus scouting effort once a tag is secured.

How to Apply

Colorado moose hunting operates entirely through the state's limited-quota draw system — there is no over-the-counter option for moose anywhere in Colorado, and Unit 25 follows that same structure. Every hunt available in this unit, whether for antlered bulls or either-sex/antlerless animals, requires a successful draw application.

Colorado's draw system uses true preference points, meaning the highest point holders in the applicant pool draw first. This is not a weighted lottery — a sufficiently high point total has historically been enough to guarantee a tag on many hunts, which makes Colorado's system meaningfully different from bonus-point states like Montana or Nevada. Residents and nonresidents apply through separate pools, and nonresident tag numbers for moose are typically capped well below resident allocations, which is standard practice across Colorado's moose units.

Because moose is a point-intensive species in Colorado, most successful applicants — especially nonresidents — have accumulated multiple years of preference points before drawing. A successful draw consumes those accumulated points, meaning hunters restart near zero for that species after they draw a tag. Hunters should factor this into long-term planning, since moose points typically take years to build to a competitive level for coveted units.

For the exact point levels needed, current tag numbers, and any recent changes to the hunt-code structure in Unit 25, hunters should consult HuntPilot's Colorado state page for up-to-date application information and draw statistics, since these figures shift with each draw cycle. Application dates and fees also change annually — for current deadlines, fees, and draw data, see HuntPilot's Colorado page at /states/CO.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the terrain like in Colorado Unit 25? Unit 25 spans a dramatic elevation range from 6,167 feet up to 12,240 feet across 148,515 acres, offering everything from lower valley and riparian habitat to subalpine and true alpine terrain. With 84% public land, access is strong across most of the unit, and a 23% wilderness component means a portion of the unit requires foot or stock travel with no motorized access. Moose hunters should expect willow-lined drainages and wet meadow systems to be key habitat zones across the elevation gradient.

What is harvest success like in Unit 25 for moose? Recent data shows strong success for hunters who draw a tag. In 2025, 9 hunters harvested 6 moose for a 67% success rate, and in 2022 the single hunter afield harvested his moose for a 100% success rate. Hunter numbers are low across all recorded years (1 to 9 hunters annually), which is typical for a limited-quota moose unit, but the success rates suggest that drawn hunters have a strong track record of connecting.

How big are the moose in Unit 25? Trophy record data for the counties overlapping Unit 25 shows a limited history of entries, meaning there isn't a robust trophy record to draw conclusions from. This doesn't rule out quality bulls being present, but hunters shouldn't expect this unit to have an established reputation as a trophy destination based on the available data.

Is Unit 25 worth applying for? For hunters prioritizing the moose hunting experience itself — solid public access at 84%, a wide elevation range, real backcountry wilderness terrain, and a strong recent track record of harvest success for those who draw — Unit 25 is a reasonable unit to include in a Colorado moose application strategy. Hunters specifically chasing documented trophy potential should weigh the limited record-book history as an open question rather than a selling point.

Do nonresidents need a guide to hunt the wilderness portion of Unit 25? No. Colorado does not require nonresidents to hire a guide or outfitter to hunt wilderness areas, unlike Wyoming's state law. Nonresident hunters can pursue the 23% wilderness portion of Unit 25 on a DIY basis, though the terrain and lack of motorized access mean it demands solid physical preparation and backcountry logistics.