Colorado Unit 39 Elk Hunting Guide

Colorado Unit 39 sits in rugged, high-elevation country ranging from 7,049 feet up to 14,236 feet, spanning 236,179 acres of mixed public and private ground. For elk hunters weighing where to spend an application in Colorado's crowded unit list, Unit 39 offers a genuine backcountry option with 72% public land and 16% designated wilderness — numbers that put real, huntable terrain within reach of hunters willing to work for it.

This is not an over-the-counter afterthought unit. Unit 39 draws attention from both resident and nonresident hunters looking for a legitimate elk hunt without needing a decade of preference points in the bank. Recent harvest data shows consistent hunter interest and moderate success, while wildlife survey data offers a window into herd structure that every applicant should understand before committing an application.

Below, we break down what the numbers actually say about Unit 39 — harvest trends, herd composition, terrain and access, trophy potential, and the exact application details hunters need for the current draw cycle.

Harvest Success Rates

Unit 39's harvest data over the past three seasons shows a unit that produces respectable, if not spectacular, success rates for elk hunters.

• 2025: 521 hunters, 163 elk harvested, 31% success (unit total)
• 2024: 918 hunters, 287 elk harvested, 31% success (unit total)
• 2023: 776 hunters, 203 elk harvested, 26% success (unit total)

Success rates have held in the mid-to-high 20s to low 30s percent range across all three years, with 2024 and 2025 both landing at 31%. That's a solid number for a unit of this size and terrain difficulty — elk hunting in steep, high-elevation country like this typically rewards hunters who scout hard and are willing to get away from roads.

Worth noting: hunter numbers dropped significantly from 918 in 2024 to 521 in 2025, while the success percentage held steady. That suggests the unit isn't simply getting harder to hunt as pressure changes — success rate has stayed fairly consistent regardless of hunter volume, which is a reasonably encouraging sign for herd availability and huntability across different pressure levels.

Herd Health & Population Trends

Wildlife survey data collected over six years (2018–2024) shows an average bull-to-cow ratio of 34:100 for Unit 39. This is a below-average ratio compared to many well-managed Colorado elk units, and it's a figure hunters should take seriously when setting trophy expectations.

A 34:100 ratio indicates a herd with a relatively modest number of mature bulls per 100 cows — this typically points to solid hunting pressure on the bull segment of the population and a herd structure skewed more toward younger age classes. This isn't unusual for a unit that sees consistent hunter numbers across multiple hunts each year, but it does mean hunters shouldn't walk in expecting to see bulls behind every cow group. Encountering elk is one thing; encountering mature bulls is a different proposition in a unit with this kind of ratio.

Given this is a six-year average, it reflects a real, multi-year trend rather than a single anomalous survey — hunters should treat 34:100 as the reliable baseline for what this unit's bull population looks like heading into any given season.

Trophy Quality

Trophy record data for the counties overlapping Unit 39 shows a limited history of record-book entries. This doesn't mean big bulls don't exist here — it means the documented trophy pedigree for this area is thin compared to Colorado's marquee trophy units.

Hunters should also remember that record-book entries are logged by county, not by hunt unit, so any trophy history that does exist for the surrounding counties is shared with neighboring units rather than being exclusive to Unit 39. With a limited trophy record history and a bull:cow ratio in the mid-30s, Unit 39 reads as a unit built more around opportunity and terrain than around trophy potential. Hunters chasing a genuine record-class bull should treat this as a secondary consideration here, not the primary draw.

Access & Terrain

Unit 39 spans an enormous elevation range — from 7,049 feet at the low end to 14,236 feet at its highest points — which means hunters can expect everything from lower-elevation timber and sagebrush transition zones to true alpine basins above treeline. That's a massive vertical relief to work with, and it rewards hunters who are willing to climb well above the more heavily pressured lower elevations.

With 72% public land, the majority of Unit 39 is open to public access, giving DIY hunters a real foothold without needing to lease or negotiate private ground access for most of the unit. The 16% wilderness designation adds another layer worth planning around: wilderness areas here mean no mechanized access (no e-bikes, no vehicles) once inside the boundary, so hunters targeting those zones need to be prepared for genuine pack-in, foot-and-horseback country.

Forum chatter among hunters researching Unit 39 consistently describes it as rugged, high-country terrain without heavy private land interference for the areas hunters typically target — consistent with the strong public land percentage in the data. That said, Colorado does not require nonresidents to hire an outfitter for wilderness access (unlike Wyoming's wilderness rule), so DIY nonresident hunters can plan a self-guided wilderness hunt here if they're physically prepared for the elevation and terrain demands.

Hunters should plan for serious physical conditioning given the elevation range — hunts pushing toward 14,000 feet are a different animal than lower-elevation elk country, with thinner air, longer approaches, and less forgiving weather windows.

HuntPilot Analysis

Is Unit 39 worth an application? The honest answer, based on HuntPilot's data, is that it depends heavily on what a hunter is looking for.

For hunters prioritizing opportunity and a legitimate DIY public-land hunt, Unit 39 checks real boxes: 72% public land, a large wilderness component for hunters wanting true backcountry solitude, and harvest success rates that have held steady in the high-20s to low-30s percent range across the last three seasons. A hunter putting in the scouting time and physical effort has a reasonable shot at tagging an elk here.

For hunters prioritizing trophy quality above all else, the data suggests tempered expectations. A six-year average bull:cow ratio of 34:100 points to a herd structure without an abundance of mature bulls, and the limited trophy record history for the surrounding counties reinforces that this isn't a unit with a strong documented pedigree for producing record-class animals. That doesn't rule out a mature bull turning up — it just means the odds and the historical record don't favor it the way they do in Colorado's top-tier trophy units.

The forum discussion around Unit 39 (often mentioned alongside neighboring units like 46 and 66) reflects a pattern of hunters treating it as an accessible option for building experience or drawing with fewer points, rather than a bucket-list trophy destination. That aligns with what the harvest and survey data show.

Bottom line: Unit 39 is worth applying for if the goal is a rugged, public-land elk hunt with realistic success odds and dramatic high-elevation terrain. It's a lower priority if the sole objective is a wall-hanger bull, given the modest bull:cow ratio and thin trophy record history.

How to Apply

Colorado's elk application system requires careful attention to dates and fees, and both residents and nonresidents need to hold a qualifying license before applying.

For 2028 applications (all hunters): applications open March 1, 2028, with a deadline of April 1, 2028.

For 2026 nonresident elk applicants: the application fee is $11, the tag fee is $845, and a qualifying license fee of $117.62 is required to apply (this is in addition to the application and tag fees). A point fee of $100 also applies. Applications open March 1, 2026, with a deadline of April 7, 2026.

For 2026 resident elk applicants: the application fee is $9, the tag fee is $70, and a qualifying license fee of $53.19 is required to apply. A point fee of $50 also applies. Applications open March 1, 2026, with a deadline of April 7, 2026.

Note the discrepancy between the 2028 deadline (April 1) and the 2026 deadline (April 7) — Colorado's exact deadline date can shift slightly year to year, so hunters should always confirm the current year's exact date rather than assuming it repeats.

For current draw odds specific to Unit 39's hunt codes, hunters should check HuntPilot's Colorado state page at /states/co, which tracks year-specific draw statistics as they're published.

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 Unit 39? Unit 39 covers a dramatic elevation range from 7,049 feet to 14,236 feet, meaning hunters encounter everything from lower-elevation transition terrain to true alpine basins above treeline. With 16% of the unit designated wilderness, a meaningful portion of the huntable ground requires foot or horseback access with no mechanized travel. The unit is widely described by hunters researching it as rugged, high-country terrain without heavy private land conflicts in the areas typically hunted.

What is harvest success in Unit 39? Recent unit-wide harvest data shows success rates of 31% in 2025 (521 hunters, 163 harvested), 31% in 2024 (918 hunters, 287 harvested), and 26% in 2023 (776 hunters, 203 harvested). Success has remained fairly consistent in the high-20s to low-30s percent range across all three years, even as total hunter numbers fluctuated significantly.

How big are the elk in Unit 39? Trophy record data for the counties overlapping Unit 39 shows a limited history of documented record-book entries, and six years of wildlife survey data (2018–2024) show an average bull:cow ratio of 34:100 — a below-average ratio that suggests a herd without a large population of mature bulls relative to cows. Mature bulls are present, but the data doesn't support strong trophy expectations compared to Colorado's premier trophy units.

Is Unit 39 worth applying for? For hunters wanting a legitimate public-land, backcountry elk hunt with reasonable success odds, yes — 72% public land, 16% wilderness, and a three-year success rate averaging around 30% make this a workable DIY option. For hunters focused primarily on trophy quality, the modest bull:cow ratio and thin trophy record history suggest looking elsewhere or treating a mature bull here as a bonus rather than the expectation.

Does Unit 39 require a guide for nonresidents? No. Colorado does not impose a wilderness guide requirement on nonresidents the way Wyoming does. Nonresident hunters can pursue a self-guided DIY hunt in Unit 39's wilderness areas, though the terrain and elevation demand serious physical preparation regardless of guide status.