Colorado Unit 47 Moose Hunting Guide

Colorado Unit 47 sits in high-country terrain west of Leadville and north of Aspen, spanning elevations from 6,590 feet up to 14,161 feet across 187,997 acres. For hunters researching moose opportunity in this part of the state, Unit 47 presents a classic limited-quota, high-elevation hunt with outstanding public access and a growing — but still relatively young — reputation among applicants. This article breaks down what the data actually shows about Unit 47 moose hunting, so hunters can decide whether to spend points chasing a tag here.

Unit 47 is almost entirely public ground, with 94% public land ownership, and 44% of the unit falls within designated wilderness. That combination of elevation range, public access, and wilderness character makes this a serious backcountry proposition for anyone who draws a tag. Colorado does not have a general season for moose anywhere in the state — every moose hunt, including Unit 47, runs exclusively through the limited-quota draw system, with tags available for antlered bulls as well as antlerless (cow) animals depending on the specific hunt code issued.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 47 Worth Applying For?

The honest answer is that Unit 47 is a legitimate but data-thin unit. Harvest numbers compiled on HuntPilot show extremely small hunter numbers year over year — this is a unit where only a handful of tags circulate annually, not a high-volume hunting area. In 2025, six hunters pursued moose in Unit 47 with five harvested, an 83% success rate. In each of the four years prior — 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021 — the entire unit saw just a single hunter afield, and that hunter tagged out every single time, a perfect 100% success rate across all four seasons.

That pattern tells hunters two important things. First, success rates in Unit 47 are outstanding — moose hunters who draw a tag here are harvesting at rates most big game hunters never see, regardless of species. Second, and just as important, the sample size is tiny. A unit running one or two tags a year means these success numbers reflect a handful of individual outcomes, not a statistically robust trend. Still, five consecutive years of success at or above 83% is a meaningful signal: hunters who invest the points and draw a tag in Unit 47 have historically gone home with an animal.

Public land access backs this up. At 94% public ownership, DIY hunters do not need to worry about locking up private ground to hunt effectively — nearly the entire unit is open to them. The 44% wilderness designation adds a layer of planning complexity (pack-in access, no motorized or mechanized travel within those boundaries), but Colorado does not impose Wyoming-style outfitter requirements on wilderness hunting, so nonresidents are free to hunt Unit 47's wilderness country unguided if they're prepared for the physical demands of that terrain.

Given the near-perfect historical success rate and excellent public access, Unit 47 is worth serious consideration for any hunter — resident or nonresident — willing to commit points to a Colorado moose application. The caveats are real: tag numbers are extremely limited, competition for those tags is heavy among point holders, and the terrain itself (up to 14,161 feet in elevation, with wilderness travel restrictions) demands a physically capable, well-prepared hunter.

Access & Terrain

Unit 47's elevation band — 6,590 to 14,161 feet — covers everything from valley-bottom drainages to alpine peaks, meaning moose habitat in this unit can range from willow-choked creek bottoms and beaver-pond complexes at lower elevations to high alpine basins near treeline. Moose in Colorado's high country are typically found in riparian zones with heavy willow growth, and the elevation range here supports that habitat type across a wide swath of the unit.

With 94% public land, hunters have the freedom to roam and scout extensively without needing special landowner permission for the vast majority of the unit. That said, the 44% wilderness component means a large chunk of that public ground requires foot or stock access only — no vehicles, no mechanized equipment. Hunters drawing a tag here should plan for backcountry camping and multi-day pack-in logistics if they intend to hunt the wilderness portions, while the non-wilderness public acreage offers more conventional access for those who prefer to stay closer to roads.

Given the dramatic elevation range in this unit, scouting should account for seasonal movement — moose at lower elevations tend to concentrate near water and willow stands, while animals higher up may be found in subalpine meadows and timber edges before weather pushes them down. Hunters can use HuntPilot's public land and terrain overlays to identify drainages, water sources, and elevation bands worth glassing before committing to a specific area of the unit.

Harvest Success Rates

The harvest data for Unit 47 is a strong selling point for hunters evaluating this unit. Over the five most recent years on record:

• 2025: 6 hunters, 5 harvested — 83% success
• 2024: 1 hunter, 1 harvested — 100% success
• 2023: 1 hunter, 1 harvested — 100% success
• 2022: 1 hunter, 1 harvested — 100% success
• 2021: 1 hunter, 1 harvested — 100% success

Across five seasons, only one hunter in that entire span failed to harvest an animal. That is an exceptional track record by any big game standard, and it holds even as hunter numbers grew from a single tag in each of the four earlier years to six hunters in 2025. The uptick in 2025 hunter numbers suggests the unit may be seeing modestly higher tag allocations recently, which is worth watching — but even with more hunters afield, success remained high at 83%.

Hunters should still treat these numbers with appropriate caution. A unit averaging one to six hunters per year is not generating a large enough sample to guarantee future success at the same rate, but the consistency across five separate seasons — all at 83% or better — is a meaningful pattern rather than a one-off fluke.

Trophy Quality

Trophy data is not available for this unit. Hunters interested in antler quality or trophy potential in Unit 47 should not rely on assumptions — without record-book entry data specific to this area, no qualitative trophy assessment can be made. Hunters pursuing a wall-hanger bull in this unit should approach it as an opportunity hunt first, informed by the harvest success data above, rather than a known trophy destination.

How to Apply

Colorado does not offer a general season for moose anywhere in the state — Unit 47, like every other moose unit in Colorado, is 100% limited-quota draw. There is no over-the-counter option and no general license route for moose in this unit. Every hunter, resident or nonresident, must apply through Colorado Parks and Wildlife's draw system and be selected before hunting moose here.

Colorado uses a hybrid draw structure for big game, including moose, where a portion of tags go to the highest point holders and the remainder are allocated through a weighted random draw. Residents and nonresidents apply through separate pools, and because moose tags are issued in very small numbers across the state, demand for every moose unit — including Unit 47 — is heavily contested regardless of residency. Point accumulation matters significantly for moose in Colorado: hunters build preference by applying in years they aren't selected, and higher point totals improve standing in the weighted draw, though a guaranteed draw threshold is not fixed and varies hunt to hunt.

Because Unit 47 is a newer or lower-profile unit among Colorado's moose offerings, it can draw interest from point holders looking for better odds than more established moose units, but hunters should not assume this translates to an easy draw — demand across all Colorado moose units is high given the very limited number of total tags statewide.

Application dates and fees change every cycle. For the current deadlines, fees, and draw odds, see HuntPilot's Colorado page at /states/CO, and check the HuntPilot Unit 47 page directly for the most current application details and allocation figures.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the terrain like in Colorado Unit 47? Unit 47 spans a dramatic elevation range from 6,590 feet to 14,161 feet, offering everything from lower-elevation riparian drainages favored by moose to high alpine terrain near treeline. With 94% public land and 44% wilderness designation, the unit offers extensive public access, though much of that ground requires foot or horseback travel due to wilderness restrictions on motorized and mechanized access.

What is harvest success like for moose hunters in Unit 47? Harvest success in Unit 47 has been exceptional in recent seasons. From 2021 through 2024, every hunter who held a tag in the unit harvested an animal, a 100% success rate across four consecutive years, albeit with only one hunter per year. In 2025, six hunters hunted the unit with five tagging out, an 83% success rate. This is a strong, consistent pattern, though the small number of hunters involved each year means the sample size remains limited.

How big are the moose in Unit 47? Trophy data is not available for this unit. Hunters should not assume a particular antler class or trophy potential without unit-specific record data, and should treat Unit 47 primarily as a high-success opportunity hunt based on the harvest statistics available.

Is Colorado Unit 47 worth applying for? Based on the available data, yes — with realistic expectations. The unit has produced a near-perfect harvest success rate over five consecutive years, and its 94% public land ownership means hunters have excellent access without needing private land permission. The tradeoffs are a physically demanding elevation range, significant wilderness acreage requiring backcountry travel, and limited tag numbers that make the draw itself highly competitive. Hunters should check current draw odds on HuntPilot's Unit 47 page before committing points to this hunt.

Is a guide required to hunt moose in Colorado Unit 47? No. Colorado does not impose a wilderness guide requirement on nonresident hunters the way some other western states do. Even though 44% of Unit 47 falls within designated wilderness, nonresidents are legally permitted to hunt that wilderness ground unguided, provided they are prepared for the backcountry access and physical demands that high-elevation wilderness terrain requires.