Colorado Unit 39 Elk Hunting Guide

Colorado Unit 39 is a solid mid-tier elk unit worth a serious look for hunters trying to build a first Colorado application strategy or simply find a unit that produces consistent opportunity without requiring a decade of points. Spanning 236,179 acres with elevations ranging from 7,049 to 14,236 feet, Unit 39 offers the kind of vertical relief and terrain diversity that Colorado elk hunters expect — timbered mid-elevation benches giving way to alpine basins above treeline. With 72% public land and 16% wilderness, the unit gives DIY hunters a legitimate base of accessible ground to work with, though the wilderness component means some of the best country requires a genuine backcountry commitment.

This article breaks down what the data actually shows for Unit 39 — harvest trends, herd composition, application logistics, and a straight assessment of whether it deserves a spot on a hunter's list.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 39 Worth Applying For?

Based on data compiled by HuntPilot, Unit 39 is a reasonable option for hunters who prioritize a realistic chance at harvest over chasing a wall-hanger. The three-year harvest trend shows 31% success in 2025 (521 hunters, 163 harvested), 31% success in 2024 (918 hunters, 287 harvested), and 26% success in 2023 (776 hunters, 203 harvested). That's a meaningfully strong and stable success rate for a Colorado elk unit — many limited and OTC-style units in the state run well below 20%, so a unit holding in the high-20s to low-30s across three consecutive years signals a healthy, huntable elk population and reasonably effective hunter access.

The bull:cow ratio, averaged across six survey years from 2018 to 2024, sits at 34:100. That's a modest ratio by Colorado standards and suggests bull numbers relative to cows are on the lower end, which typically correlates with moderate bull age structure rather than a unit stacked with mature, older-class bulls. This lines up with the trophy picture: the counties overlapping Unit 39 show a limited history of trophy-class record entries, meaning hunters should treat this as a unit with real opportunity but not a unit defined by trophy pedigree. Hunters chasing an old, heavy-antlered bull should keep expectations tempered; hunters who want a good chance of connecting on a mature bull in rugged, huntable country will find the numbers here encouraging.

The forum chatter attached to this unit — including hunters comparing 39 against neighboring 40 and 41, and DIY hunters noting they can only get three to four miles from a road before crossing into another road corridor — reinforces that this is a unit with a workable road network but also genuine backcountry pockets once you push into the wilderness acreage or the higher-elevation basins. It's not a unit where hunters need to plan a multi-day pack-in to find elk, but it rewards hunters willing to get away from the easiest access points.

Bottom line: Unit 39 is worth applying for if the goal is a good year-in, year-out success rate on public land, with a fair number of tags issued relative to the surrounding landscape. It is not the unit to chase if trophy antler mass is the primary objective.

Herd Health & Population Trends

The six-year survey window (2018–2024) puts the average bull:cow ratio at 34:100. This is on the lower side of what's typical for Colorado elk herds, and it's a useful data point for setting expectations — a lower ratio generally means fewer bulls per cow in the population, which can translate to more pressure on the bulls that are present, but it does not necessarily predict poor success. In fact, the harvest numbers above show a unit that's still delivering solid success rates for hunters despite the modest ratio.

There's no single-year anomaly flagged in this dataset — the 34:100 average reflects the full multi-year trend rather than one outlier survey, so it can be treated as a reasonably reliable baseline for what hunters should expect from the herd's bull component. Hunters should read this as: plenty of elk, but a herd structure that skews toward cows and younger bulls rather than a heavily bull-dominant population.

Harvest Success Rates

Unit 39's harvest data over the past three years shows a unit that rewards hunter effort more consistently than many Colorado units:

• 2025: 521 hunters, 163 harvested — 31% success
• 2024: 918 hunters, 287 harvested — 31% success
• 2023: 776 hunters, 203 harvested — 26% success

The jump in hunter numbers from 2023 (776) to 2024 (918) didn't come with a drop in success rate — in fact success held at 31% in 2024 after climbing from 26% the year before. That's a good sign: more hunters in the field didn't dilute the harvest rate, which suggests the elk population and huntable habitat can absorb increased pressure without a proportional decline in results. The pullback to 521 hunters in 2025 while holding the same 31% success rate further supports a stable, productive unit rather than one riding a one-year fluke.

For context, a 26-31% range across three straight years is a strong, consistent band for Colorado elk hunting generally, and it's the kind of data that should give confidence to hunters weighing Unit 39 against other options on their application list.

Trophy Quality

Trophy record data for the counties overlapping Unit 39 shows a limited history of trophy-class entries. This doesn't mean mature bulls aren't taken here — the harvest numbers confirm real success every year — but it does mean hunters shouldn't expect this unit to be a magnet for record-book-caliber bulls. Combined with the modest 34:100 bull:cow ratio from the survey data, the picture that emerges is a unit built around consistent opportunity and a fair number of tags rather than trophy pedigree.

Hunters whose primary goal is filling a tag with a representative, mature bull in good elk country will find Unit 39 a reasonable target. Hunters specifically hunting for a trophy-class bull to enter into record books should look at units with a documented history of stronger and more frequent trophy production.

Access & Terrain

Unit 39 covers a wide elevation band, from 7,049 feet up to 14,236 feet, which means hunters can find everything from lower-elevation timber and sage transition zones to high alpine terrain above treeline within the same unit boundary. With 236,179 total acres and 72% of that in public ownership, the majority of the unit is open to hunters without needing to negotiate private land access — a meaningfully high public-land percentage that supports genuine DIY hunting.

The 16% wilderness designation is worth noting for trip planning. Colorado does not impose Wyoming-style guide requirements on nonresidents hunting wilderness areas, so nonresident DIY hunters can hunt the wilderness portion of Unit 39 without hiring an outfitter. That said, wilderness travel means no motorized or mechanized access (no e-bikes, no game carts with wheels in some cases, no vehicle support), so hunters heading into that 16% should plan for foot or stock-based access and the physical demands that come with it.

Forum discussion around Unit 39 (and the adjacent 46) describes a road network that's fairly well distributed — hunters note that it's difficult to get more than three to four miles from some road before intersecting another, which suggests a unit with good baseline access for day-hunting and moderate backcountry pushes. That same discussion notes the terrain "doesn't look like a lot of private land interference," which is consistent with the unit's strong 72% public land figure. Hunters looking to escape pressure should focus scouting efforts on the areas requiring a longer walk-in beyond that initial three-to-four-mile road buffer, and use the elevation range to identify higher-elevation basins that see less day-hunter traffic. HuntPilot's map tools, including public land overlays and terrain layers, are useful for identifying those less-trafficked pockets before ever setting a boot on the ground.

How to Apply

Colorado's draw system is a true preference-point structure, meaning the highest point holders draw first for a portion of tags, so nonresidents building a long-term strategy around Unit 39 should check current draw odds and point requirements directly on HuntPilot's Colorado unit pages before committing.

Application dates and fees change every draw cycle. For the current deadlines, fees, and draw odds, see HuntPilot's Colorado page at /states/co.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the terrain like in Colorado Unit 39? Unit 39 spans a dramatic elevation range from 7,049 to 14,236 feet, offering everything from mid-elevation timber and transitional habitat to high alpine basins above treeline. With 72% public land and 16% wilderness, hunters have substantial room to roam, though the wilderness portion requires foot or stock access since no motorized or mechanized travel is allowed there. Forum accounts describe a fairly dense road network in the accessible portions of the unit, meaning hunters seeking solitude should plan to move beyond the first few miles of road corridor.

What is harvest success like in Unit 39? Recent data shows harvest success holding steady at 31% in both 2025 (163 of 521 hunters) and 2024 (287 of 918 hunters), with 2023 slightly lower at 26% (203 of 776 hunters). This is a consistently strong success rate for a Colorado elk unit and suggests a healthy, huntable population that holds up even as hunter numbers fluctuate year to year.

How big are the elk in Unit 39? Trophy record data for the counties overlapping Unit 39 shows a limited history of trophy-class entries, and the six-year average bull:cow ratio of 34:100 points toward a herd with a moderate bull age structure rather than one known for producing exceptionally large, mature bulls. Hunters should approach Unit 39 expecting solid opportunity and representative bulls rather than trophy-caliber antler mass.

Is Unit 39 worth applying for? Yes, for hunters prioritizing consistent harvest opportunity on a unit with strong public land access. The three-year harvest trend (26-31% success) is above average for Colorado elk hunting, and 72% public land ownership supports genuine DIY access. It's a less compelling choice for hunters specifically targeting trophy-class bulls, given the limited trophy record history and modest bull:cow ratio.

What should hunters know before applying for Unit 39 elk? Check current draw odds on HuntPilot's Colorado unit page before applying, since Colorado runs a true preference-point system where the highest point holders draw first for a portion of available tags. Budget for the full cost stack — application fee, required qualifying license fee, and tag fee if drawn — and remember that Colorado does not require nonresidents to hire a guide for wilderness hunting, unlike some neighboring states, making the unit's 16% wilderness acreage accessible for DIY trips.