Colorado Unit 40 Elk Hunting Guide

Colorado Unit 40 has built a reputation among elk hunters as one of the more talked-about limited-entry units in the northwest part of the state — a place where nonresident hunters willingly burn deep point stockpiles for a shot at a tag. This unit spans 475,151 acres ranging from 4,332 to 9,691 feet in elevation, with 68% of that ground in public ownership. For hunters researching Unit 40 elk hunting, the numbers tell a story of solid harvest success balanced against real access challenges on the public portion of the unit.

Recent harvest data backs up the unit's strong reputation: in 2023, 1,014 hunters harvested 610 elk for a 60% success rate. That success carried into 2024 with 1,036 hunters and 616 harvested elk (59% success), before tapering to 545 hunters and 302 harvested elk (55% success) in 2025. These are unit-wide totals across all hunt types, but a success rate holding in the mid-to-high 50s across three consecutive years is well above what most limited-entry elk hunters experience nationwide, and it's a big part of why this unit draws such heavy point investment from nonresidents.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 40 Worth Applying For?

The short answer is yes, with caveats that every applicant needs to understand before committing points to this unit. The harvest numbers are genuinely strong — three straight years above 55% success is not typical for a mountain elk unit, and it explains why hunters on forums describe burning stacks of nonresident points to draw here. But success rate alone doesn't tell the whole access story.

The land ownership pattern in Unit 40 is the single biggest factor hunters need to plan around. While 68% of the unit is public, hunters and outfitters familiar with the area consistently describe it as a unit where elk concentrate on private ground, particularly as pressure builds. Public land exists and elk are killed on it, but multiple hunters describe having to work hard to locate elk on public parcels while much of the best habitat sits behind private boundaries with few reasonably priced trespass arrangements. This isn't a unit where a hunter can show up, walk into public timber, and expect to stumble into elk without scouting. Successful public-land hunters here tend to be the ones who've done their homework — mapping public/private boundaries carefully and identifying the pockets where elk push onto accessible ground, especially at higher elevations.

The wildlife survey data adds another layer worth understanding. Across six survey years from 2018 to 2024, the average bull-to-cow ratio sits at 28:100. That's a modest ratio compared to units managed more conservatively for bull escapement, and it suggests a herd structure shaped by consistent hunting pressure rather than a trophy-management approach. Hunters going into Unit 40 should calibrate expectations accordingly — this is a unit that produces a lot of elk in the bag, not necessarily a unit stacked with mature bulls surviving multiple seasons.

Trophy history for the counties overlapping Unit 40 shows moderate potential — there's a documented history of trophy-class bulls coming from this area, but production isn't at the exceptional or elite tier seen in the state's very best trophy units. Hunters chasing a genuine record-class bull should treat Unit 40 as a possibility rather than a certainty, and should weigh that against the point cost required to draw certain hunts here.

Given all of this, Unit 40 makes the most sense for hunters who prioritize a strong chance of tagging an elk and are willing to either invest in private land access or put in serious scouting effort on the public 68%. It's a less clear choice for hunters whose primary goal is a mature, high-scoring bull and who aren't willing to hunt private ground or pay for access.

Herd Health & Population Trends

The six-year survey window from 2018 to 2024 shows an average bull:cow ratio of 28:100 for Unit 40. This is a lower ratio than many limited-entry units in Colorado, and it reflects the reality of a unit that sees meaningful hunting pressure and correspondingly high harvest rates. A ratio in this range typically means bulls face significant pressure each year and fewer survive to older age classes, which aligns with the qualitative moderate trophy assessment for the surrounding counties. Hunters should view this as a working elk population that produces consistent opportunity rather than one being managed to stockpile mature bulls.

Harvest Success Rates

Unit 40's harvest numbers are the strongest selling point in the data. Over the three most recent years:

• 2023: 1,014 hunters, 610 harvested, 60% success
• 2024: 1,036 hunters, 616 harvested, 59% success
• 2025: 545 hunters, 302 harvested, 55% success

These are unit-wide totals covering all hunt types in Unit 40, and the consistency is notable — three years in a row above 55% success is a strong indicator that elk are present and huntable in real numbers, whether on private ground with outfitted access or on public land for hunters willing to grind. The drop in both hunter numbers and total harvest in 2025 is worth watching in future years, but the success rate itself held up reasonably well even with fewer hunters afield.

Trophy Quality

Trophy records from the counties overlapping Unit 40 point to moderate trophy potential. There's documented history of quality bulls coming from this area, and forum accounts — including secondhand reports of solid bulls taken with outfitter assistance — reinforce that big bulls are present and killable. However, this is a shared county-level trophy picture, meaning the same records apply to neighboring units in the region, not exclusively to Unit 40. Combined with the modest 28:100 bull:cow ratio from recent surveys, hunters should expect a real chance at a mature bull but not treat this as a unit defined by exceptional or elite trophy production. The better trophy bulls reported from this area appear to come disproportionately from hunters with private land access, where bulls face less pressure and grow older.

Access & Terrain

Unit 40 covers a big elevation swing, from 4,332 feet up to 9,691 feet, and elk behavior tracks that terrain closely. Hunters familiar with the unit report elk pushing up to the 8,000-foot range during hunting season, meaning hunters targeting public land should be prepared for a physical, high-elevation hunt rather than an easy roadside outing.

With 68% of the unit's 475,151 acres in public ownership, there's a meaningful public land base to work with — but hunters consistently describe the practical reality as more complicated than the raw percentage suggests. Much of the private land holds elk that have learned where they're safe, and trespass access is generally described as expensive rather than a bargain option. There is no wilderness designation in Unit 40, so nonresident hunters aren't subject to Wyoming-style outfitter mandates — this isn't a Wyoming unit, and Colorado places no legal requirement on nonresidents to hire a guide here. That said, given the private-land concentration of elk, many nonresidents choose to hire an outfitter anyway simply to gain access to productive private ground, a strategy repeatedly mentioned by hunters discussing this unit.

For hunters planning a DIY public-land hunt, careful pre-season map work is essential — identifying exactly where public parcels sit relative to private boundaries, and scouting the higher-elevation public pockets where elk are more likely to hold when pressured off private ground. Hunters can use HuntPilot's mapping tools to overlay public land boundaries and plan routes into the accessible high country before committing to a hunt here.

How to Apply

Colorado's elk application system requires advance planning, and hunters need to account for both application fees and a separate qualifying license fee.

Colorado's system is true preference-based for elk: the highest point holders draw first, which is why forum discussions around Unit 40 frequently reference hunters with double-digit point totals — in some cases 19 or more nonresident points — targeting specific hunts here. Because a successful draw consumes accumulated points, nonresidents committing double-digit point totals to Unit 40 should understand they'll be rebuilding from zero afterward. For hunters weighing whether their current point total is competitive for a specific hunt in Unit 40, check current draw odds and point requirements on HuntPilot's Colorado unit pages or at /states/co, since draw difficulty shifts from year to year as quotas and applicant pools change.

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 Unit 40? Unit 40 spans a wide elevation range from 4,332 feet up to 9,691 feet across 475,151 total acres. Hunters report elk holding at higher elevations, often around 8,000 feet, during hunting season, making this a physically demanding hunt for those pursuing elk on public ground in the higher country. There is no wilderness designation in the unit.

What is harvest success like in Unit 40? Harvest success has been strong and consistent in recent years: 60% in 2023 (610 of 1,014 hunters), 59% in 2024 (616 of 1,036 hunters), and 55% in 2025 (302 of 545 hunters). These are unit-wide figures across all hunt types, and a sustained success rate in the mid-to-high 50s is well above average for a limited-entry elk unit.

How big are the elk in Unit 40? Trophy records from the counties overlapping Unit 40 indicate moderate trophy potential — quality bulls have come from this area historically, but it isn't among the state's elite trophy-producing regions. Recent survey data showing a 28:100 bull:cow ratio suggests a herd shaped by consistent hunting pressure, with fewer bulls surviving to older, larger-antlered age classes compared to more conservatively managed units.

Is Unit 40 worth applying for? For hunters prioritizing a strong chance at tagging an elk, yes — the three-year harvest success trend supports that. For hunters chasing a top-tier trophy bull without private land access, it's a more measured recommendation given the moderate trophy history and modest bull:cow ratio. The unit rewards hunters willing to either secure private access or put serious scouting effort into the 68% public land base.

Do I need an outfitter to hunt Unit 40? Colorado does not legally require nonresidents to hire an outfitter in Unit 40, since the unit has no wilderness designation. However, because a large share of the elk population uses private land and trespass access is generally described as costly, many nonresident hunters choose to hire an outfitter or secure private access to improve their odds, particularly for higher-demand hunts within the unit.