Colorado Unit 50 Elk Hunting Guide
Colorado Unit 50 sits in the north-central part of the state and is one of the more heavily discussed units on hunting forums, thanks in part to its accessible terrain around the Tarryall drainage and its long-running reputation as a workable option for elk hunters willing to log miles. With elevations ranging from 7,906 to 11,513 feet across 320,140 total acres, Unit 50 offers a mix of timbered mid-elevation country and higher alpine basins that push into classic elk habitat as the season progresses.
Public land in Unit 50 sits at 46%, meaning hunters have a meaningful but not overwhelming footprint of accessible ground to work with. There's no designated wilderness in this unit, which keeps access relatively straightforward compared to units where wilderness boundaries restrict motorized or mechanized access. For hunters weighing whether to spend an application or a point on Unit 50, the data tells a fairly clear story — one of moderate opportunity balanced against real limitations in trophy potential and shrinking success rates in the most recent season.
Harvest Success Rates
Unit 50's harvest numbers show a unit that swings meaningfully from year to year. In 2023, 1,310 hunters took to the field and harvested 386 elk, a 29% success rate. That improved in 2024, when 1,700 hunters recorded 547 harvests for a 32% success rate — a solid year by any measure and a sign that conditions or hunter effort lined up well that season.
2025 told a different story. Hunter numbers dropped sharply to 824, and harvest fell to 187 animals, pushing the success rate down to 23%. That's a notable decline both in participation and in success, and it's worth watching as a trend rather than dismissing as a one-off. Whether the drop reflects fewer hunters pulling tags, tougher weather, or a genuine dip in elk availability isn't something the harvest numbers alone can answer, but the swing from 32% to 23% in a single year is significant enough that hunters should not assume 2024's numbers are the new baseline.
Taken together, the three-year average puts Unit 50 in solidly middle-of-the-road territory for Colorado elk units — not a unit where tags are hard to fill, but also not one where success is a given. Hunters should plan for a realistic chance in the high-20s to low-30s percentage range in a typical year, with 2025 serving as a reminder that any given season can undershoot that.
Trophy Quality
Trophy data for the counties overlapping Unit 50 shows a limited history of record-book entries. This doesn't mean big bulls don't come out of this country — forum reports mention mature 6x6 bulls taken in the unit — but the structured record data doesn't support characterizing Unit 50 as a unit with strong or exceptional trophy production. Hunters chasing a genuine record-class bull should treat Unit 50 as an opportunity unit rather than a trophy destination, and should look elsewhere if a big, mature bull is the primary goal of the hunt.
Herd Health & Population Trends
Wildlife survey data collected across six survey years from 2018 to 2024 shows an average bull-to-cow ratio of 36:100 for Unit 50. That's a modest ratio by elk management standards, reflecting a bull segment that's present but not heavily weighted toward mature age classes relative to the cow population. A 36:100 ratio is consistent with a unit that sees solid hunting pressure and where bulls don't reach older age classes in large numbers before being harvested.
This ratio, averaged over six years of survey data, is a more reliable indicator than any single-year snapshot would be, and it lines up with the trophy record picture — a unit that produces elk in numbers but doesn't consistently grow bulls into the older, heavier-antlered category that shows up in record books.
Access & Terrain
At 46% public land, Unit 50 sits right at the edge of being a workable DIY unit. Just under half the unit is public, meaning hunters need to do real homework identifying which drainages, ridgelines, and basins are accessible versus tied up in private ownership. The elevation range — from 7,906 feet up to 11,513 feet — gives hunters a substantial vertical gradient to work with, from lower timbered foothill country up into high alpine terrain near timberline.
With no wilderness acreage in the unit, there are no wilderness-specific access restrictions to navigate, and nonresident hunters are not subject to any guide requirement here (Colorado does not carry Wyoming's wilderness guide mandate regardless). Forum chatter around the Tarryall area references forest roads used to access hunting country, and general accounts describe hunters working timbered slopes near a reservoir and moving between drainages that cross into a neighboring unit. Hunters should treat this as a general theme — road-accessible country that rewards legwork — rather than relying on any specific route, since forum posts age quickly and road conditions and closures change. HuntPilot's map tools, including public land overlays, can help hunters pinpoint exactly which blocks of that 46% public land are worth scouting before the season.
HuntPilot Analysis
Is Unit 50 worth applying for? The honest answer, based on the data HuntPilot has compiled, is that it depends heavily on what a hunter is after. If the goal is simply to hunt elk in country with a reasonable chance of filling a tag, Unit 50 has delivered success rates in the high-20s to low-30s percentage range across 2023 and 2024, which is respectable. The 2025 dip to 23% is a caution flag, but even that number reflects a unit where a real minority of hunters do connect.
If the goal is a mature, record-class bull, the data doesn't support Unit 50 as a strong candidate. The bull:cow ratio of 36:100 and the limited trophy record history both point toward a unit built more around opportunity and volume than toward growing exceptional bulls. Hunters chasing that kind of trophy should look at units with stronger trophy pedigrees and better bull:cow ratios.
For hunters who value accessible public land, a lack of wilderness restrictions, and a straightforward application process, Unit 50 is a reasonable unit to have in the rotation — particularly for residents who can apply relatively cheaply. Nonresidents should weigh the substantially higher tag fee against the moderate success rates and limited trophy upside before committing points or funds here.
How to Apply
Colorado's draw system for Unit 50 elk tags runs through the state's centralized application process, with dates and fees varying slightly by category.
For the 2026 season, the fee structure breaks down by residency:
For current, unit-specific draw odds and any changes to fees or dates beyond what's listed here, check HuntPilot's Colorado state page at /states/co or the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website directly.
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 50? Unit 50 spans a wide elevation range, from 7,906 feet up to 11,513 feet, giving hunters everything from lower timbered foothill country to high alpine basins near timberline. General accounts describe timbered slopes and drainage systems in the Tarryall area as typical of the terrain hunters will encounter. With 46% of the unit in public ownership, hunters need to plan routes carefully to stay on accessible ground, and there's no wilderness acreage in the unit, so access isn't complicated by wilderness-specific restrictions.
What is harvest success like in Unit 50? Success rates have varied notably in recent years. In 2023, hunters saw a 29% success rate (386 harvested out of 1,310 hunters). That climbed to 32% in 2024 (547 of 1,700). In 2025, both hunter numbers and success dropped, with only 187 of 824 hunters harvesting an elk, a 23% success rate. Hunters should plan around a realistic expectation in the high-20s to low-30s percentage range, understanding that any given year can fall short of that.
How big are the elk in Unit 50? Trophy record data for the counties overlapping Unit 50 shows a limited history of record-book entries, and survey data puts the average bull:cow ratio at 36:100 across six years of surveys (2018-2024). This points to a unit that produces elk in decent numbers but isn't known for consistently growing bulls into mature, trophy-class age structures. Hunters have taken solid bulls here, including mature 6-point animals reported by hunters in the field, but Unit 50 shouldn't be treated as a dedicated trophy destination.
Is Unit 50 worth applying for? For hunters prioritizing opportunity and accessible public land over trophy potential, yes — the unit has delivered respectable harvest success in recent years and carries no wilderness-related access restrictions. For hunters specifically chasing a record-class bull, the limited trophy history and modest bull:cow ratio suggest better options exist elsewhere. Nonresidents should weigh the significantly higher tag and license fees against these realistic expectations before applying.
What should hunters know about public land access in Unit 50? With 46% public land, just under half of Unit 50 is publicly accessible, meaning the majority is not tied up in a single ownership type but still requires careful pre-season mapping to avoid unintentionally crossing onto private ground. Hunters should use HuntPilot's public land overlay tools to identify exactly which blocks of public ground are huntable before investing time scouting or building a season plan around this unit.