Colorado Unit 4 Pronghorn Antelope Hunting Guide

Colorado Unit 4 sits in the northwestern part of the state, offering pronghorn hunters a mix of open sagebrush flats and rolling terrain across nearly 300,000 acres. With elevations ranging from 6,189 to 10,853 feet, this unit offers more topographic relief than the classic flat-plains pronghorn country many hunters expect, which shapes both how animals distribute across the landscape and how hunters approach stalking them.

At 299,151 total acres with 48% public land, Unit 4 gives DIY hunters a workable base of accessible ground, though hunters should understand that just under half the unit is private. That means careful pre-season scouting using mapping tools to identify legal access points and public land boundaries is essential before showing up opening morning. HuntPilot's unit data shows this is a unit where success has historically run high, and the trophy potential in the surrounding counties adds to the appeal for hunters willing to do their homework.

Pronghorn hunting in Unit 4 draws interest from both first-time Colorado pronghorn hunters and experienced western hunters looking for a unit that combines solid success rates with a real chance at a mature buck. Below is a breakdown of what the data says about harvest trends, trophy potential, terrain, and how to apply.

Harvest Success Rates

Recent harvest data for Unit 4 shows consistently strong success rates, though the numbers reveal some notable swings in hunter participation year to year. In 2022, 696 hunters pursued pronghorn in this unit and 609 tagged out, a 88% success rate — one of the strongest years in the recent dataset. That was followed by 2021, when 641 hunters harvested 495 animals for a 77% success rate.

The 2023 and 2024 seasons saw a sharp drop in hunter numbers — 132 hunters in 2023 (86% success) and 110 hunters in 2024 (85% success) — suggesting a significant reduction in tag allocations during those years compared to 2021 and 2022. The 2025 season continued that lower-volume trend, with 64 hunters and 49 harvested for a 77% success rate.

What stands out across all five years is that success rates never dipped below 77%, regardless of how many tags were issued. That consistency is a strong signal for hunters: Unit 4 pronghorn are huntable, visible, and reasonably approachable across a wide range of hunter pressure levels. Whether the unit is running high hunter volume (2021-2022) or has been scaled back to a smaller number of tags (2023-2025), the success rate has stayed in a tight, high band.

Trophy Quality

The counties overlapping Unit 4 carry a strong history of producing trophy-class pronghorn, based on record-book entries tied to this region. It's worth noting that record-book entries are logged at the county level rather than by specific hunt unit, so animals credited to these counties may have been taken anywhere within unit boundaries or in neighboring units sharing the same county lines.

That caveat aside, the qualitative picture for Unit 4 is encouraging. This is an area with genuine trophy pedigree, not just a high-volume meat-hunting unit. Hunters who put in the scouting time and are selective about which bucks they pursue have a real shot at a mature, well-developed animal. Given the terrain variation in this unit — from lower sagebrush flats up toward higher rolling country near 10,000 feet — bucks that survive multiple seasons often push into less-pressured pockets, which can work in a patient hunter's favor.

Hunters chasing a genuine trophy pronghorn should treat Unit 4 as a legitimate contender within the region, while keeping in mind that trophy-class bucks are still the exception rather than the rule in any pronghorn unit.

Herd Health & Population Trends

Wildlife survey data collected across six survey years from 2018 to 2024 shows an average buck-to-doe ratio of 40:100 for Unit 4. That ratio falls within a normal, healthy range for a pronghorn herd and suggests the population has maintained a reasonable buck segment over the multi-year survey period rather than being skewed by a single anomalous year. A 40:100 ratio indicates decent buck representation in the herd, supporting both the strong harvest success rates seen in recent seasons and the trophy potential noted in county-level records. Hunters can view this as a reasonably stable, healthy herd structure rather than one showing signs of overharvest or herd stress.

Access & Terrain

Unit 4 spans a wide elevation band — 6,189 to 10,853 feet — which is unusually broad for a pronghorn unit and points to a mix of habitat types within the boundary. Lower elevations likely hold the classic open sagebrush and grassland flats pronghorn are known for, while the upper end of that range suggests foothill and higher rolling terrain mixed in. This variation gives hunters more options for glassing and stalking strategies than a purely flat unit would.

Public land accounts for 48% of the unit's 299,151 acres. That's just under half, meaning private land dominates roughly the other half of the unit. DIY hunters can absolutely find huntable public ground here, but success depends heavily on identifying legal access points ahead of time — hunters should not assume they can walk from one public parcel to another without crossing private land. Checkerboarded public-private boundaries are common in this part of Colorado, and forum accounts from hunters in this unit describe large blocks of public land with limited access points, meaning hunters may end up covering ground on foot rather than relying on vehicle access throughout the hunt.

The unit carries 0% designated wilderness, so there are no wilderness-specific access restrictions to plan around — this is straightforward public/private access planning, not backcountry wilderness logistics.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 4 Worth Applying For?

Based on the data, Unit 4 earns a solid recommendation for pronghorn hunters, particularly those willing to do some legwork on access planning. The harvest numbers tell a clear story: success rates have stayed at 77% or higher across every year from 2021 through 2025, regardless of whether the unit saw 641 hunters (2021) or just 64 (2025). That's a meaningful signal — this isn't a unit where success is a fluke of high hunter density pushing animals around. Pronghorn are consistently available and huntable here.

The trophy angle adds real weight to the case. Counties overlapping this unit carry a strong trophy history, giving hunters a genuine shot at a quality buck rather than settling for whatever walks in front of them. Combined with a healthy 40:100 buck-to-doe ratio across six years of survey data, the herd appears to be in good shape both numerically and in terms of buck representation.

The one caveat is access. With 48% public land, hunters need to do real scouting — using mapping tools to nail down exactly where public boundaries lie and how to legally reach them — before assuming they'll have easy run of the unit. This isn't a unit where hunters can show up blind and expect wide-open public access in every direction. For hunters willing to put in that prep work, though, Unit 4 offers a strong combination of high success rates, decent herd health, and legitimate trophy potential that's hard to find all in one place.

How to Apply

Colorado's draw application system for Unit 4 pronghorn runs through the state's standard application calendar. For 2026, both resident and nonresident applicants face the same application deadline: April 7, 2026, with results released May 26, 2026.

2026 Pronghorn Antelope application costs:

Resident:

• Application fee: $9
• Tag fee: $51
• License fee (required to apply): $53.19
• Point fee: $50
• Application window opens: March 1, 2026
• Deadline: April 7, 2026

Nonresident:

• Application fee: $11
• Tag fee: $507
• License fee (required to apply): $117.62
• Point fee: $100
• Application window opens: March 1, 2026
• Deadline: April 7, 2026

Note that Colorado requires applicants to hold a qualifying license before they can apply for the draw — this license fee is a separate, mandatory cost on top of the application fee and tag fee, and it applies to both residents and nonresidents. Nonresidents should budget for a significantly higher total cost given the $507 tag fee and $117.62 license fee compared to resident pricing.

Colorado's draw system also has separate application fees at $11.49 for nonresidents and $8.93 for residents listed under the general draw calendar, both with the same April 7, 2026 deadline and May 26, 2026 results date.

For current draw odds specific to Unit 4, hunters should check HuntPilot's Colorado state page at /states/co for up-to-date figures, since draw statistics shift from year to year based on tag quotas and applicant volume.

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 4? Unit 4 features a wide elevation range from 6,189 to 10,853 feet, combining lower sagebrush and grassland flats typical of pronghorn country with higher rolling terrain at the unit's upper elevations. This variety gives hunters different terrain options for glassing and stalking compared to a purely flat pronghorn unit.

What is harvest success like in Colorado Unit 4? Success rates have been strong and consistent in recent years, ranging from 77% to 88% between 2021 and 2025. Even as hunter numbers dropped significantly from 641 in 2021 to 64 in 2025, success rates remained high throughout, indicating a huntable, visible pronghorn population regardless of hunter volume.

How big are the pronghorn in Colorado Unit 4? The counties overlapping Unit 4 have a strong history of producing trophy-class pronghorn, based on available record-book data. Because these records are logged by county rather than by unit, some of that trophy history may reflect animals taken in neighboring units sharing the same counties. Still, the qualitative signal points to real trophy potential for hunters willing to be selective.

Is Colorado Unit 4 worth applying for? Based on consistently high success rates (77%+ every year from 2021-2025), a healthy buck-to-doe ratio of 40:100 across six survey years, and strong regional trophy history, Unit 4 is a solid option for pronghorn hunters. The main consideration is access — with 48% public land, hunters need to scout access points carefully rather than assuming open access across the entire unit.

What should hunters know about public land access in Unit 4? With 48% public land out of 299,151 total acres, just under half the unit is private. Hunters should identify specific public parcels and legal access routes before the season, as public and private lands are often intermixed. There is no designated wilderness in this unit, so access planning centers on public-private boundaries rather than wilderness-specific logistics.