Colorado Unit 48 Mule Deer Hunting Guide

Colorado Unit 48 is a high-elevation backcountry unit spanning 191,931 acres, with terrain ranging from 8,803 feet at its lowest points to 14,422 feet at its highest peaks. For hunters chasing mule deer in the central Colorado high country, this unit offers a rare combination of extensive public land access and rugged alpine habitat that appeals to hunters willing to put in the physical work required to hunt it well. With 92% of the unit in public ownership and 32% designated wilderness, Unit 48 stands out as a unit where access is not the limiting factor — conditioning and preparation are.

This is not an easy-access, drive-and-glass unit. The elevation range alone tells the story: hunters here are dealing with alpine basins, steep timbered slopes, and terrain that pushes well above treeline. That kind of country rewards hunters who scout hard, hunt high, and are prepared to pack deer out over long distances. For hunters evaluating whether Unit 48 deserves a spot on their Colorado application list, the data below — pulled from HuntPilot's unit-level tracking — breaks down what to expect from harvest trends, terrain, and the draw process itself.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 48 Worth Applying For?

Unit 48 presents a mixed but interesting picture. On the positive side, public land access is about as good as it gets in Colorado — 92% of the unit's 191,931 acres is open to public hunting, meaning DIY hunters aren't fighting for scraps of accessible ground or negotiating with private landowners. The 32% wilderness designation also means a meaningful chunk of the unit sees reduced pressure simply because it requires foot or stock access, filtering out hunters unwilling to hike deep.

Harvest trends over the past five years, however, show real volatility. Success rates have swung from a low of 22% in 2021 up to 38% in 2025, with hunter numbers jumping dramatically as well — from 264 hunters in 2021 to 1,305 hunters in 2025. That's nearly a five-fold increase in hunting pressure in a five-year window. The years in between (2022 at 27%, 2023 at 33%, 2024 at 29%) show a unit with generally moderate, workable success rates in the high-20s to low-30s percent range, with 2025 as a notable outlier on both hunter volume and success.

That spike in 2025 hunter numbers is worth flagging for anyone using this data to plan a season — a jump of that magnitude typically reflects a change in tag allocation or hunt structure rather than a sudden improvement in deer numbers, and hunters should treat 2025 as an anomaly rather than the new baseline. The 2021–2024 stretch is the more reliable read on what a "normal" season in Unit 48 looks like.

The wildlife survey data adds a note of caution rather than confidence. The single available survey year (2024) reported a buck:doe ratio of just 23:100, based on one survey. A ratio this low is worth taking seriously as a sign of a buck-limited herd, but with only one year of data available, hunters shouldn't treat it as gospel — multi-year trend data would tell a fuller story, and that isn't available here. What can be said is that this single data point does not support an optimistic view of buck density in the unit, and hunters should weigh that against the harvest data before committing points.

Trophy history for the counties overlapping Unit 48 shows moderate trophy potential — there is some history of trophy-class bucks coming from this general area, but it isn't a unit with a heavy, sustained trophy pedigree. Hunters chasing a genuine trophy-caliber buck should treat Unit 48 as a possibility rather than a guarantee, and should recognize that record-book entries are logged at the county level, meaning any trophy history here is shared with neighboring units drawing from the same counties, not unique to Unit 48's boundaries.

Put together: Unit 48 is worth applying for if a hunter values public land access and rugged, physically demanding high-country hunting over a guaranteed shot at a giant buck. It's less compelling for hunters solely chasing top-end trophy potential, given the limited buck:doe data and moderate trophy history. For hunters willing to work hard in wilderness-grade terrain, 92% public access is a real asset that shouldn't be undervalued.

Access & Terrain

Unit 48's terrain is defined by extreme elevation change — from 8,803 feet up to 14,422 feet — meaning hunters can encounter everything from mid-elevation timber to true alpine tundra above treeline within the same unit. This is serious mountain country, and hunters need to be prepared for thin air, unpredictable weather, and long approaches on foot.

With 92% of the unit's acreage in public ownership, access itself generally isn't the challenge — the challenge is the terrain hunters have to move through once they're on that public ground. The 32% wilderness designation means a significant portion of the unit is closed to motorized and mechanized access, which pushes hunters toward pack-in trips, spike camps, or long day hikes to reach less pressured basins. Forum accounts from hunters in similar central Colorado high-country units describe steep, demanding country where hunting pressure at lower elevations can be heavy while higher basins and alpine terrain see far fewer hunters — a pattern consistent with what the elevation and wilderness figures suggest for Unit 48.

Hunters planning a DIY trip should budget extra time for acclimatization, given the altitude, and should plan on packing deer out significant distances if they connect in the wilderness portions of the unit. HuntPilot's mapping tools can help hunters overlay public land boundaries and wilderness zones ahead of a scouting trip, which is especially useful in a unit this size and this vertical.

Harvest Success Rates

Unit 48's harvest data over the last five years shows a unit with meaningful year-to-year variability:

• 2025: 1,305 hunters, 493 harvested, 38% success
• 2024: 374 hunters, 109 harvested, 29% success
• 2023: 409 hunters, 135 harvested, 33% success
• 2022: 469 hunters, 126 harvested, 27% success
• 2021: 264 hunters, 59 harvested, 22% success

Excluding the 2025 outlier, hunter numbers in Unit 48 have generally run in the 260–470 range, with success rates clustering between 22% and 33%. That's a respectable, workable success range for a high-elevation wilderness-heavy unit — not a slam dunk, but not a unit where tags go to waste either. The sharp jump in both hunter numbers and success rate in 2025 stands out enough that hunters should look for updated information on tag structure or hunt changes before assuming that trend continues.

Trophy Quality

Trophy records from the counties overlapping Unit 48 point to moderate trophy potential. There is some documented history of trophy-class mule deer coming from this general area over time, but it isn't among Colorado's heavyweight trophy units, and production hasn't been consistent enough to call it a strong trophy destination. Because record-book entries are attributed by county rather than by unit, any trophy history associated with Unit 48's overlapping counties is shared with adjacent units drawing from the same ground — the specific animals could have come from anywhere in that broader area.

Combined with the thin and unfavorable single-year buck:doe survey data, hunters should approach Unit 48 with realistic expectations: it's a unit capable of producing a good buck, particularly for hunters willing to get into the high alpine basins where pressure is lower, but it is not a unit where trophy-class bucks should be expected as the norm.

Herd Health & Population Trends

The available wildlife survey data for Unit 48 is limited to a single year — 2024 — which reported a buck:doe ratio of 23:100. This is a low ratio, and while it's tempting to draw conclusions from it, a single survey year doesn't provide the kind of trend data needed to properly assess herd health or direction. Without prior years' data to compare against, it's not possible to say whether this ratio represents a stable pattern, a declining trend, or a one-off anomaly.

Hunters relying on this data should treat it as a data point of concern rather than a definitive verdict on the herd, and should look for updated survey information as it becomes available through HuntPilot's unit tracking before making final decisions on where to spend points.

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, and is a required cost of entry for both residents and nonresidents. Colorado's draw system is a true preference-point structure, meaning the highest point holders are awarded tags first, so nonresidents building points over multiple years toward Unit 48 are working within a system where higher points meaningfully improve position over time.

For current draw odds specific to Unit 48 and point-level breakdowns, check HuntPilot's Colorado unit pages and the state application portal 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 48? Unit 48 is extreme high-country terrain, ranging from 8,803 feet up to 14,422 feet in elevation, with 32% of the unit designated wilderness. Hunters should expect steep slopes, alpine basins, and terrain above treeline in the unit's higher reaches, along with physically demanding access on foot in the wilderness portions. This is not a unit for hunters unprepared for altitude and vertical terrain.

What is harvest success like in Unit 48? Success rates over the past five years have ranged from 22% in 2021 to 38% in 2025, with most years landing between 27% and 33%. Hunter numbers have also varied significantly, from 264 hunters in 2021 to 1,305 in 2025, so hunters should look at the multi-year trend rather than any single year in isolation.

How big are the mule deer in Unit 48? Trophy records from the counties overlapping Unit 48 indicate moderate trophy potential — there is some history of quality bucks from the broader area, but it's not among Colorado's premier trophy units. Combined with limited buck:doe survey data, hunters should set realistic expectations rather than planning around a trophy-buck guarantee.

Is Unit 48 worth applying for? It depends on priorities. With 92% public land and substantial wilderness acreage, Unit 48 is a strong option for hunters who want real public-land access and don't mind physically demanding, high-elevation hunting. It's a less compelling pick for hunters focused purely on trophy potential, given the moderate trophy history and thin herd survey data currently available.

What should nonresident hunters know before applying to Unit 48? Colorado's preference-point system means points accumulated toward this unit improve draw position over time, but a successful draw will consume those points, so hunters should plan their broader Colorado strategy accordingly.