Colorado Unit 40 Mule Deer Hunting Guide

Colorado Unit 40 sits in the northwest part of the state and has built a reputation among mule deer hunters as a unit that rewards patience, local knowledge, and a willingness to work hard for a shot at a mature buck. Spanning 475,151 acres with elevations ranging from 4,332 to 9,691 feet, Unit 40 offers a mix of terrain that transitions from lower sagebrush country up into higher timbered benches — the kind of vertical relief that pushes deer around seasonally and makes scouting worthwhile.

With 68% of the unit classified as public land, Unit 40 gives hunters a real shot at finding huntable ground without needing a private lease, though the land ownership pattern here is a genuine mixed bag. This is a unit where knowing exactly where public boundaries fall matters as much as knowing where the deer are.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 40 Worth Applying For?

Unit 40 checks several boxes that matter to serious mule deer hunters. Harvest success has been consistently strong across recent years — 71% in 2025, 74% in 2024, 74% in 2023, 68% in 2022, and 72% in 2021. That's a five-year run where success rates never dropped below the high-60s, which is a notable level of consistency for a mule deer unit. Hunters drawing a tag here are, historically, harvesting deer at a rate well above what many Western units produce.

The trophy picture adds to the appeal. The counties overlapping Unit 40 carry a strong history of trophy-class mule deer entries in the record books, which points to a unit that has produced mature, well-antlered bucks over time — not just volume of tags filled. Combined with the harvest success data, this suggests Unit 40 isn't purely a numbers unit; it has the pedigree to produce genuinely good bucks for hunters willing to put in the scouting time.

The caveat, and it's an important one, comes from the land ownership pattern. Multiple hunters familiar with the unit describe it as heavily influenced by private land, with a lot of the best deer sign concentrated on ground that isn't accessible without permission or a costly trespass arrangement. At 68% public land, there is real public access here, but hunters should not expect wide-open public country with unlimited depth — access in Unit 40 tends to be constrained near boundaries, and the general sense from experienced hunters is that public tags can see crowding in the areas that do produce.

The buck:doe ratio from the 2024 survey year shows 33:100, based on a single survey year. That's a modest ratio on its own, and with only one year of data available, it's not enough to draw firm conclusions about herd trend — hunters should treat this as a single data point rather than a definitive read on herd health, and watch for updated survey data in future years.

Taken together: Unit 40 is worth serious consideration for hunters who have the points to draw it and are prepared to scout hard, respect private boundaries, and hunt smart on the public ground that is available. It is not a unit where a hunter can show up cold and expect the same results as those putting in real legwork.

Harvest Success Rates

Unit 40's harvest numbers stand out relative to many Colorado mule deer units. Over the last five recorded seasons:

• 2025: 348 hunters, 247 harvested — 71% success
• 2024: 726 hunters, 537 harvested — 74% success
• 2023: 745 hunters, 551 harvested — 74% success
• 2022: 800 hunters, 543 harvested — 68% success
• 2021: 396 hunters, 287 harvested — 72% success

Success rates in the low-to-mid 70s, sustained across multiple years, indicate that hunters who draw Unit 40 tags are converting those tags into harvested deer at a high clip. The dip to 68% in 2022 and the smaller hunter count in 2025 (348 hunters compared to over 700 in 2023 and 2024) suggest some year-to-year variability in tag allocation and hunting pressure, but the overall trend across five years is a unit that consistently produces results for tag holders.

Trophy Quality

Trophy data pulled from HuntPilot's records shows that the counties overlapping Unit 40 have a strong history of producing trophy-class mule deer. This points to exceptional trophy potential in the broader area, with a track record of mature bucks coming out of this region over multiple seasons. Because record-book entries are logged by county rather than by unit boundary, this trophy history is shared with neighboring units in the same counties — it reflects the region's overall capability to produce quality deer rather than a guarantee specific to Unit 40's exact boundary lines.

Forum accounts from hunters familiar with the area back this up anecdotally, with references to good bucks being seen in the unit, though frequently on private ground. The takeaway for hunters is that Unit 40 has the genetics and habitat to produce a genuinely good buck — the challenge lies in accessing the right ground within the unit's public-private patchwork to find one.

Herd Health & Population Trends

The only wildlife survey data available for Unit 40 covers a single survey year (2024), showing a buck:doe ratio of 33:100. This is a modest ratio, and because it's drawn from just one survey year, it should not be treated as a definitive or long-term indicator of herd composition. Hunters should view this as a snapshot rather than a trend, and keep an eye on future survey data from Colorado Parks and Wildlife as it becomes available to better understand whether this ratio is representative or an outlier.

Access & Terrain

Unit 40 covers 475,151 acres with an elevation range of 4,332 to 9,691 feet — a spread of more than 5,000 vertical feet that creates meaningfully different terrain types within the same unit. Lower elevations run into sagebrush flats and rolling foothill country, while the upper end of that range climbs into timbered high country. The unit carries 0% wilderness designation, meaning there are no wilderness-area travel restrictions to plan around here.

Public land makes up 68% of Unit 40, which is a solid majority and gives DIY hunters a genuine foothold. That said, hunters familiar with the unit consistently describe the land ownership pattern as a patchwork where a significant amount of the historically productive deer ground sits on private property. Public parcels can see more hunting pressure as a result, particularly during periods when deer are concentrated in accessible pockets. Hunters serious about finding solitude and mature bucks should expect to do real homework identifying exactly where public boundaries lie relative to terrain features that hold deer, rather than assuming broad access across the unit.

Given the elevation range, seasonal movement is a real factor — deer sighted at lower elevations early in the year may push higher as conditions change, and hunters should be prepared to adjust their game plan and glass a range of elevation bands rather than fixating on one spot. Quality optics — both binoculars for extended glassing and a spotting scope for confirming buck quality at distance — are worth having given the open, mixed terrain typical of this unit. Mapping tools that clearly delineate public and private boundaries are essential in a unit like this; HuntPilot's public land overlays can help hunters identify exactly where legal access exists before they ever set foot in the field.

How to Apply

Note that Colorado requires hunters to hold a qualifying license before they're eligible to apply for the draw — this license fee is separate from and in addition to the application fee itself, so budget for both when planning your application. Colorado operates a true preference system, meaning the highest point holders draw first for a given hunt code; a sufficient point level can guarantee a tag on some hunts, though hunters should check current point-level data on HuntPilot's Colorado unit pages to see what point level has historically been competitive for Unit 40 specifically, since draw odds and cutoffs shift from year to year.

For current draw odds, point cutoffs by hunt code, and up-to-date application details, visit HuntPilot's Colorado state page at /states/co.

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 40? Unit 40 spans a wide elevation range from 4,332 to 9,691 feet across 475,151 acres, creating a mix of lower sagebrush and foothill terrain along with higher timbered country. There is no designated wilderness in the unit, so there are no wilderness-specific access restrictions to navigate. The terrain's vertical relief means deer can shift elevation zones seasonally, so hunters should be prepared to glass multiple elevation bands rather than a single area.

What is harvest success like in Unit 40? Harvest success has been strong and consistent, ranging from 68% to 74% across the 2021–2025 seasons. In 2024, 537 of 726 hunters harvested a deer (74%), and in 2023, 551 of 745 hunters were successful (also 74%). This level of consistency suggests hunters who draw tags here have a good statistical chance of tagging out if they put in solid effort.

How big are the mule deer in Unit 40? The counties overlapping Unit 40 carry a strong trophy history, indicating the region has consistently produced trophy-class mule deer over time. Because record-book entries are attributed at the county level rather than exact unit boundaries, this trophy potential reflects the broader area shared with neighboring units, but it does confirm the region has the habitat and genetics to grow mature, quality bucks.

Is Unit 40 worth applying for? Based on available data, yes — for hunters willing to do their homework. Strong harvest success rates, a solid trophy history in the surrounding counties, and 68% public land ownership all support Unit 40 as a legitimate option. The primary challenge is land access: much of the unit's best deer ground is described as private, and public parcels can see more pressure. Hunters who scout carefully and use good mapping tools to identify true public access will get the most out of this unit.

What should hunters know about accessing public land in Unit 40? While 68% of the unit is public, experienced hunters note that a significant amount of prime deer habitat sits on private ground, and public land access can be more limited in the areas deer favor. Using detailed land ownership mapping — available through HuntPilot's public land overlays — before the season is strongly recommended to identify legal access points and avoid unintentional trespass in this unit's mixed ownership pattern.