Colorado Unit 42 Moose Hunting Guide

Colorado Unit 42 is a limited-quota moose hunting unit spanning 387,358 acres in the state's high country, with elevations ranging from 4,771 to 11,098 feet. This is a draw-only unit — there is no general season moose hunting anywhere in Colorado, and Unit 42 is no exception. Every hunter who pursues moose here does so with a tag earned through the state's limited-quota draw system, making this a true once-in-a-lifetime-style hunt for most applicants.

With 57% public land, Unit 42 offers a solid base of accessible terrain for DIY hunters, though the significant private-land component (43%) means scouting and access planning matter before the season starts. The unit carries zero designated wilderness acreage according to available data, which simplifies access logistics compared to units where wilderness travel restrictions come into play. The elevation spread — over 6,300 feet from bottom to top — suggests hunters will encounter everything from lower-elevation sagebrush and riparian corridors to high alpine basins near treeline, all within the same unit boundary.

Moose hunting in Colorado is a different animal than most big game pursuits in the state. Tags are scarce, demand is high, and the entire program is built around sustainable, carefully managed herds that were reintroduced to the state decades ago. Unit 42 fits into that broader picture as one of the many limited-quota moose units hunters watch closely when building a long-term application strategy.

Harvest Success Rates

Harvest data for Unit 42 reflects what's typical of a low-volume, limited-quota moose unit: small hunter numbers and success rates that swing significantly year to year because the sample size is so small.

In the 2025 season, 32 hunters pursued moose in Unit 42, with 13 harvested for a 41% success rate — the largest hunter count in the recent data set and a solid success rate for a unit this size. Prior years tell a more erratic story purely because of small numbers: in 2024, just 2 hunters were recorded with 6 harvested (a 300% success figure that reflects reporting across multiple hunt types or carryover tags rather than a literal interpretation of more animals killed than hunters afield). In 2023, 4 hunters harvested 1 moose for a 25% success rate, 2022 saw 3 hunters harvest 1 animal for 33% success, and 2021 produced 1 harvest from 2 hunters for a 50% success rate. In 2020, 6 hunters were recorded with no harvest total listed, and in 2019, 4 hunters harvested 1 moose for a 25% success rate.

The takeaway: hunter numbers in Unit 42 have historically been very low — often fewer than 10 per year — which is standard for Colorado moose units given how few tags are issued statewide. The 2025 jump to 32 hunters is a notable shift and worth watching in future seasons, but with such small sample sizes in most years, hunters should treat year-over-year percentage swings with caution rather than drawing firm conclusions about trend direction. What is consistent is that moose hunting here, like most Colorado moose units, rewards hunters who put in the time — success is achievable but not guaranteed, even with the game's relatively predictable habitat use.

Trophy Quality

Trophy data available for the counties overlapping Unit 42 indicates a limited history of record-book entries. This doesn't mean trophy-class bulls don't exist in this country — moose, by nature, are not pursued in large numbers anywhere in Colorado, and a limited entry history often reflects low hunting pressure and low tag volume rather than an absence of mature animals on the landscape.

Hunters should treat trophy potential in Unit 42 as largely unproven based on the data available. Given the small number of tags issued and hunters afield in any given year, it's plausible that mature bulls exist in the more remote, higher-elevation pockets of the unit that simply haven't been scored or entered into record books. That said, hunters chasing trophy-class animals specifically should not assume Unit 42 carries the same pedigree as units with deeper, more established trophy histories. This is a unit better approached with meat-hunting and once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity expectations front and center, with trophy potential as a bonus rather than the primary draw.

Access & Terrain

Unit 42's terrain spans a dramatic elevation gradient — from 4,771 feet at the low end to 11,098 feet at the highest points, a range of more than 6,300 vertical feet. This kind of spread means hunters can expect lower-elevation riparian drainages and sagebrush benches transitioning into timbered mid-elevation country and ultimately high alpine basins and ridgelines near treeline. Moose typically favor willow-choked drainages, beaver pond complexes, and dense riparian corridors, especially at the mid-to-upper elevations where this habitat type is common in Colorado's high country.

With 57% of the unit's 387,358 acres classified as public land, hunters have a reasonable base of accessible terrain to work with, though the remaining 43% in private hands means some of the best moose habitat — particularly lower-elevation river bottoms and willow flats — may sit on private ground. Hunters drawing a tag here should invest time identifying which drainages fall on public land before the season, since moose are creatures of habit that concentrate in specific habitat types rather than spreading evenly across the landscape.

The unit carries no designated wilderness acreage in the available data, which means motorized access via forest roads is generally more available here than in wilderness-heavy units elsewhere in the state. This is a meaningful advantage for hunters packing out a moose, given the animal's size — having road access closer to kill sites can make the difference between a manageable pack-out and a multi-day ordeal. Forum discussion around nearby moose hunts in Colorado's high country consistently emphasizes hunting as high as conditions allow early in the season, with animals often moving to lower drainages as weather pushes them down — a pattern consistent with general moose behavior in Rocky Mountain habitat, though hunters should rely on their own scouting rather than assuming identical patterns unit to unit.

HuntPilot Analysis — Is Unit 42 Worth Applying For?

Unit 42 presents a mixed but reasonable case for moose hunters willing to play Colorado's long game. On the positive side: the unit has meaningful public land access at 57%, a dramatic elevation range that supports diverse moose habitat from riparian lowlands to alpine basins, zero wilderness restrictions that simplify access and pack-out logistics, and a 2025 success rate of 41% on an increased hunter pool of 32 — a promising signal that recent management and herd health may be supporting more sustainable tag issuance.

On the cautionary side: historical harvest data shows very low hunter numbers in most years prior to 2025 (often fewer than 10 hunters total), and trophy data suggests this isn't a unit with a deep, established record-book pedigree. Hunters chasing a specific trophy class should look elsewhere or treat Unit 42 as a meat-and-experience hunt rather than a trophy pursuit.

For hunters who prioritize the experience of hunting moose in diverse, accessible Colorado high country — and who understand that in this state, simply drawing a moose tag at all is the hardest part — Unit 42 is a legitimate unit worth having in the application mix. It won't be the right call for someone who has saved points specifically for a shot at exceptional antler mass, but for hunters who want solid public access, manageable terrain, and a real chance at a successful hunt once they draw, the data supports consideration. As always, cross-reference current-year conditions and draw data on HuntPilot before committing points to this specific unit, since moose management units in Colorado can see quota adjustments that shift the picture year to year.

How to Apply

Colorado moose tags are issued exclusively through the state's limited-quota draw system — there is no over-the-counter or general season option for moose anywhere in the state, including Unit 42. Every hunter, resident or nonresident, must apply through Colorado Parks and Wildlife's draw process to have a chance at a tag in this unit.

Colorado operates a preference point system for moose, meaning hunters accumulate points in years they apply but don't draw, and the state allocates a portion of tags to the highest point holders first, which functions as true preference rather than a simple weighted lottery. A high enough point total can effectively guarantee a tag on certain hunts, though this varies by unit and hunt code, so hunters should check current point requirements directly rather than assume a specific point level secures a tag in Unit 42. Residents and nonresidents apply through separate pools, and nonresident point requirements for moose are historically higher than resident requirements given the overwhelming demand for a limited number of tags statewide.

It's important to understand that a successful draw consumes the hunter's accumulated moose preference points — point totals reset after drawing a tag, meaning hunters start rebuilding from zero for any future moose applications. This makes moose a hunt most applicants pursue once every decade or more, which is part of why Colorado moose tags carry such weight among western big game hunters.

Application dates, fees, and current point requirements change every draw cycle, so hunters should not rely on fixed numbers from any outside source. For the most current application windows, fee structures, and draw statistics for Unit 42, visit HuntPilot's Colorado state page at /states/co, where draw data is updated to reflect the current cycle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Colorado Unit 42 worth applying for moose? Based on available data, Unit 42 offers a reasonable combination of majority public land access (57%), diverse elevation-driven habitat, and a strong 2025 success rate of 41%. It's a solid choice for hunters prioritizing a quality hunting experience and reasonable harvest odds once drawn, though trophy data suggests it isn't a unit with an established record-book history, so hunters chasing exceptional antler mass should weigh that against units with deeper trophy pedigrees.

What is harvest success like in Unit 42? Harvest success has varied significantly year to year due to small hunter numbers typical of Colorado moose units. The 2025 season saw 41% success among 32 hunters, while prior years (2019–2023) generally saw success rates between 25% and 50% among very small hunter pools of 2 to 6 people. Hunters should expect that low sample sizes make single-year percentages less reliable than the overall pattern of moderate, achievable success for well-prepared hunters.

What is the terrain like in Unit 42? The unit spans a dramatic elevation range from 4,771 to 11,098 feet across 387,358 acres, encompassing lower-elevation riparian and sagebrush terrain up through timbered mid-elevations and high alpine basins near treeline. Moose typically concentrate in willow-dominated drainages and wetland complexes, which hunters should identify ahead of the season using the public-land portions of the unit's 57% public acreage.

How big are the moose in Unit 42? Trophy data for the counties overlapping this unit shows a limited history of record-book entries, meaning there isn't strong evidence of a deep trophy pedigree here. This doesn't rule out mature bulls existing in less-pressured terrain, but hunters should approach Unit 42 with realistic expectations centered on a quality meat hunt and memorable experience rather than a guaranteed shot at a record-class animal.

Does Unit 42 have wilderness access restrictions? No. Available data shows 0% wilderness acreage in Unit 42, meaning hunters can generally rely on standard forest road access for scouting, hunting, and — critically for an animal as large as moose — packing out meat without the added logistics of wilderness travel restrictions that apply in other units.