Colorado Unit 4 Mule Deer Hunting Guide

Colorado Unit 4 sits in the northwest part of the state and has built a reputation among mule deer hunters as one of the units worth burning points on. With elevations ranging from 6,189 to 10,853 feet across nearly 300,000 acres, this unit offers the kind of vertical relief and habitat diversity that produces mature bucks year after year. Whether hunters are looking at their first western mule deer hunt or cashing in a stack of accumulated points, Unit 4 deserves a hard look.

This is a unit where recent harvest numbers back up the reputation. Success rates have run as high as 66% in 2025, and the counties overlapping this unit carry a strong trophy record history. That combination — solid opportunity and legitimate trophy potential — is rare enough in Colorado's mule deer units that it's worth digging into the details before deciding whether to spend points here.

HuntPilot Analysis

Is Unit 4 worth applying for? Based on the data available, the answer leans yes, with some caveats.

Harvest success has been trending strongly upward and holding at a high level. In 2022, hunters saw 64% success (1,093 harvested out of 1,703 hunters). That dipped to 47% in 2023 before rebounding to 57% in 2024 and 66% in 2025 — the best of the four-year stretch. That kind of volatility is worth noting; a unit swinging between 47% and 66% success year-over-year suggests conditions (weather, migration timing, hunter distribution) matter a lot from season to season, but the underlying trend is positive and this is clearly not a unit where tags go to waste.

Trophy potential is the other half of the equation, and this is where Unit 4 stands out. The counties overlapping this unit carry a strong history of trophy-class mule deer production, which is a meaningful signal for hunters weighing whether to spend points here versus another unit. That said, hunters should remember record-book entries are logged at the county level, not the unit level — the same trophy history is shared with neighboring units, and a mature buck taken anywhere in those counties could have walked out of Unit 4 or out of the unit next door. Still, a documented trophy pedigree in the surrounding counties is a positive indicator that habitat and genetics in this part of northwest Colorado are capable of growing big deer.

One thing to flag honestly: the wildlife survey data available for this unit is thin, covering only a single survey year (2024) with a buck:doe ratio of 22:100. That's a low ratio compared to what's typically seen in well-managed mule deer units, and with just one year of data, it's difficult to draw a confident conclusion about herd structure or buck age class from survey numbers alone. Hunters should weigh the harvest and trophy history more heavily than this single-year survey snapshot.

Public land access is workable but not overwhelming — at 48% public land, just under half the unit is open to public hunting, meaning the majority of ground is split close to evenly between public and private. DIY hunters can find huntable public land here, but they'll need to scout carefully and won't have the wall-to-wall public access some other western units offer. There is no designated wilderness in this unit (0%), so access logistics are more about property boundaries than backcountry pack-in terrain.

Given the strong and improving harvest success, credible regional trophy history, and moderate public land base, Unit 4 is a legitimate target for hunters willing to invest points or take their chances as a resident applicant. It's not a slam-dunk giveaway unit, but the data supports it as a serious contender in the northwest Colorado mule deer lineup.

Harvest Success Rates

Unit 4's harvest numbers over the past four years show a unit that consistently rewards hunters who draw a tag, even accounting for one softer year:

• 2025: 1,518 hunters, 995 harvested — 66% success
• 2024: 1,356 hunters, 768 harvested — 57% success
• 2023: 1,319 hunters, 624 harvested — 47% success
• 2022: 1,703 hunters, 1,093 harvested — 64% success

Three of the last four years have posted success rates at or above 57%, with two years topping 64%. That's a strong track record for a mule deer unit of this size and public land composition. The dip to 47% in 2023 is worth noting as a reminder that conditions vary — weather patterns, deer distribution, and hunting pressure can all swing results from one season to the next — but hunters drawing a tag here have had a better-than-coin-flip chance of filling it in three of the last four years, and a strong two-out-of-three chance in 2024 and 2025 specifically.

Trophy Quality

Trophy data for the counties overlapping Unit 4 points to a strong history of trophy-class mule deer production. This is one of the stronger qualitative signals available for this unit, and it aligns with what hunters have discussed anecdotally in western hunting forums — reports of hunters tagging out on solid bucks on opening morning, and repeat applicants specifically targeting rutting-period hunts here because they believe the unit holds mature deer.

Hunters should keep the county-level caveat in mind: trophy records are attributed to the county, not the specific unit boundary, and that trophy history is shared with neighboring units that fall in the same counties. A hunter shouldn't assume every acre of Unit 4 is producing record-class bucks, but the broader region has a demonstrated capacity to grow mature deer, which is meaningfully more encouraging than units with no trophy history at all.

Given the strong regional trophy pedigree, hunters targeting a mature buck should prioritize scouting effort and patience over simply filling a tag on the first legal deer encountered — especially during rut-period hunts when older bucks become more visible and vulnerable to well-positioned hunters.

Herd Health & Population Trends

Available survey data for Unit 4 is limited to a single year — 2024 — showing a buck:doe ratio of 22:100. With only one survey year in the dataset, this number should be treated cautiously. A single-year snapshot doesn't establish a trend, and a 22:100 ratio, while on the lower end, doesn't necessarily reflect multi-year herd health without additional years of data to compare against.

Hunters relying on herd composition data to gauge buck age structure in Unit 4 should treat this figure as a starting point rather than a definitive picture, and should weigh it alongside the unit's harvest success trends and trophy history discussed above, which offer a more complete (if still imperfect) view of what the unit is producing.

Access & Terrain

Unit 4 spans a wide elevation gradient — from 6,189 feet up to 10,853 feet — across 299,151 total acres. That range gives hunters options to hunt lower sagebrush and foothill terrain early in the season and push into higher timbered and alpine country as conditions and deer movement dictate. This kind of vertical diversity is a major asset for mule deer, since bucks often shift elevation seasonally in response to weather and hunting pressure.

Public land in the unit sits at 48%, meaning just under half of the acreage is open to public access, with the balance in private ownership. This is workable for DIY hunters but requires real scouting and attention to land boundaries — it's not a unit where hunters can wander freely across the entire landscape. Checking public/private boundaries carefully before the season, using HuntPilot's mapping tools to identify accessible public parcels, and locating access points into public blocks adjacent to private ground are all worthwhile steps for hunters planning a self-guided hunt here.

There is no designated wilderness in Unit 4 (0%), so hunters won't face wilderness-specific access restrictions or need to plan around non-motorized entry zones. Access is more a function of navigating the public-private checkerboard than dealing with rugged backcountry wilderness travel, though the unit's elevation range still means real physical terrain challenges at the higher end of the spectrum.

How to Apply

Colorado's deer draw operates on a true preference system: the highest point holders draw first, and a high enough point level can guarantee a tag on many hunts. This is not a weighted lottery — points function as a genuine queue. Hunters should check HuntPilot's Colorado state page (/states/co) or the specific Unit 4 page for current draw odds and point requirements before applying, since those figures shift year to year based on quota and applicant pool changes.

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 4? Unit 4 covers a broad elevation range from 6,189 to 10,853 feet across roughly 299,000 acres, giving hunters a mix of lower sagebrush and foothill country along with higher timbered and alpine terrain. There is no designated wilderness in the unit, so access is more about navigating the public-private land checkerboard than dealing with deep backcountry travel.

What is harvest success like in Unit 4? Harvest success has been strong and trending upward in recent years, hitting 66% in 2025 and 64% in 2022, with a softer 47% in 2023 and 57% in 2024. Hunters who draw a tag here have generally had good odds of filling it, though year-to-year variability is real.

How big are the mule deer in Unit 4? The counties overlapping Unit 4 carry a strong history of trophy-class mule deer records, suggesting the region has the genetics and habitat to produce mature bucks. Because trophy records are attributed at the county level rather than the exact unit boundary, that trophy history is shared with neighboring units in the same counties, but it's still a meaningful positive signal for hunters targeting a quality buck.

Is Unit 4 worth applying for? Based on available data, yes — Unit 4 combines consistently strong harvest success (57-66% in three of the last four years), credible regional trophy history, and a workable public land base at 48%. It's not a unit with unlimited public access, so DIY hunters need to scout land boundaries carefully, but the overall data supports it as a solid target for point holders and residents alike.

What percentage of Unit 4 is public land? Unit 4 is 48% public land, meaning just under half the unit's acreage is open to public hunting access, with the remainder in private ownership. Hunters should plan their scouting around identifying accessible public parcels rather than assuming open access across the whole unit.