Colorado Unit 50 Mule Deer Hunting Guide

Colorado Unit 50 sits in the Tarryall drainage country of the state's central mountains, offering mule deer hunters a mix of timbered mid-elevation slopes and open sage-and-grass parks between roughly 7,906 and 11,513 feet. Spanning 320,140 acres with 46% public land, Unit 50 is a unit that regularly comes up in nonresident research threads and forum conversations from hunters looking for an accessible Colorado mule deer hunt without the drive-time or draw pressure of the state's marquee western-slope units. This article breaks down what the data actually says about Unit 50 so hunters can decide whether it belongs on their application list.

Unit 50 has built a reputation among Front Range-adjacent hunters largely because of its proximity and mixed terrain — big timber pockets, reservoir bottoms, and dispersed forest roads that see real hunting pressure but also hold deer year after year. It's not a secret unit, but it's also not one of the state's high-profile trophy destinations. Understanding the actual harvest trends and herd data is essential before committing a season, and a nonresident point, to this hunt.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 50 Worth Applying For?

The honest answer, based on the data available through HuntPilot, is that Unit 50 is a solid opportunity unit rather than a trophy destination. Harvest success has been trending upward recently — from 26% in 2023 to 34% in 2024 and 45% in 2025 — which suggests either improving deer numbers, better hunter effort, or some combination of both. That's a meaningful jump, and the increase in harvested deer (146 in 2023 to 202 in 2025) alongside a relatively stable hunter count (554 down to 448) points toward genuinely better hunting conditions rather than simply more pressure diluting the harvest rate.

That said, hunters need to weigh this against the buck:doe ratio data. The 2024 survey reported a 26:100 buck:doe ratio, and this comes from a single survey year in the dataset. A ratio in the mid-20s is on the lower end for mule deer herds generally, and with only one year of survey data available, it's difficult to establish a reliable trend. Hunters should treat this figure as a single data point rather than a definitive read on herd structure, and should not expect a buck-heavy population based on this number alone.

With 46% public land, Unit 50 sits right at the threshold — more than half the unit is privately held, which means DIY hunters need to plan carefully around accessible public parcels rather than assuming free rein across the unit. Public land in the unit is real and huntable, but hunters chasing bucks on the margins of private ground should expect competition for the accessible pockets, particularly near known access points.

Trophy potential in the region is moderate. Counties overlapping Unit 50 carry a moderate trophy history, meaning there is some track record of quality bucks coming from this general area, but it isn't among Colorado's elite trophy units. Hunters going into Unit 50 should set expectations around a solid, huntable mule deer population with occasional mature bucks rather than target it purely as a trophy hunt.

Overall, Unit 50 is worth applying for if a hunter values accessibility, rising harvest success, and a realistic shot at a mature buck over the promise of a wall-hanger. It's a reasonable unit for residents building experience or nonresidents looking for a manageable draw with real recent momentum in the harvest numbers.

Harvest Success Rates

Unit 50's harvest data over the last five years shows a clear and encouraging trend for hunters weighing this unit:

• 2025: 448 hunters, 202 harvested, 45% success
• 2024: 441 hunters, 149 harvested, 34% success
• 2023: 554 hunters, 146 harvested, 26% success
• 2022: 537 hunters, 168 harvested, 31% success
• 2021: 608 hunters, 168 harvested, 28% success

The jump to 45% success in 2025 is the standout figure here. Hunter numbers have declined modestly over the five-year window (608 in 2021 down to 448 in 2025), while harvest totals have generally held steady or improved, culminating in the best success rate of the period. This kind of trend — fewer hunters, similar or better harvest totals — is typically a positive signal for herd health and huntability, though hunters should recognize that a single strong year can be influenced by weather, snow timing, or other short-term factors that concentrate deer movement and make them more visible to hunters.

Prior to 2025, success rates hovered in the high-20s to low-30s percent range, which is a more typical baseline for a unit like this. Hunters planning a trip should treat the 45% figure as an encouraging recent data point rather than a guaranteed outcome, and budget for a hunt where success in the 30% range is a realistic expectation based on the broader five-year average.

Trophy Quality

Trophy data for the counties overlapping Unit 50 shows a moderate history of trophy-class mule deer. This means the area has produced quality bucks over time, but it is not among Colorado's premier trophy-producing regions. Hunters should remember that record-book entries are logged at the county level, not the unit level, so any trophy history attributed to Unit 50 is shared with neighboring units that overlap the same counties — the specific animals behind those records could have come from anywhere within that broader area.

Given the moderate trophy designation, hunters heading into Unit 50 should expect a legitimate chance at a mature buck, particularly given the improving harvest success trend, but should not plan the trip around chasing an exceptional or record-class animal. This unit is better framed as a solid, dependable mule deer hunt than a trophy pursuit.

Herd Health & Population Trends

The only wildlife survey data available for Unit 50 comes from a single year, 2024, showing a buck:doe ratio of 26:100. Because this reflects just one survey year, it should be treated cautiously rather than as an established trend. A ratio in this range is on the lower side for mule deer herds and suggests a doe-heavy population structure, but without multiple years of survey data to compare against, it's impossible to say whether this is a stable pattern, a temporary dip, or an anomaly tied to survey conditions that particular year.

Hunters relying on herd composition data to set expectations should pair this figure with the harvest trend — rising success rates alongside a lower buck ratio could indicate that hunters are having more encounters with deer overall (does included), rather than necessarily encountering more bucks. Until additional survey years are published, the buck:doe ratio for Unit 50 should be considered a data point of limited reliability rather than a definitive herd health indicator.

Access & Terrain

Unit 50 spans elevations from 7,906 feet up to 11,513 feet, giving hunters a genuine range of terrain to work with — from lower timbered benches and reservoir-adjacent flats up into higher subalpine basins as the season progresses and deer respond to weather. The unit covers 320,140 acres total, with 46% classified as public land. That's just under half, meaning private ground makes up the majority of the unit's footprint.

Because public land sits below the 50% mark, hunters should not assume broad open access across Unit 50. Effective scouting means identifying which specific public parcels are huntable and workable relative to surrounding private boundaries, rather than assuming the whole map is fair game. Forest access roads through the Tarryall drainage area are a common access theme raised by hunters familiar with the unit, with public land pockets interspersed among private ranches — a pattern typical of Colorado's front-range-adjacent units. There is no wilderness designation in Unit 50 (0% wilderness), which means motorized access via forest roads remains a legitimate scouting and hunting strategy, unlike wilderness-heavy units where foot or stock access is mandatory.

Hunters planning a DIY trip should use mapping tools — including HuntPilot's public land overlays — to identify exactly where public boundaries lie before the season, since terrain alone won't tell the story of who can legally access which drainage.

How to Apply

Colorado's deer draw operates as a hybrid system: a portion of tags go to the highest preference point holders, with the remainder allocated through a weighted random draw where each point adds an additional entry. For hunters checking their specific odds at their current point level for Unit 50, visit HuntPilot's Colorado state page at /states/co or the HuntPilot Unit 50 page for the most current draw odds data.

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 Unit 50? Unit 50 ranges from 7,906 feet to 11,513 feet in elevation, covering timbered slopes, reservoir-adjacent flats, and higher subalpine terrain as elevation increases. The unit has no wilderness designation, meaning forest roads provide motorized access into much of the huntable ground rather than requiring foot or stock travel.

What is harvest success like in Unit 50? Recent harvest success has trended upward, from 26% in 2023 to 34% in 2024 and 45% in 2025. The five-year average sits closer to the 30% range, so hunters should treat the 45% figure from 2025 as a strong recent year rather than a guaranteed outcome each season.

How big are the mule deer in Unit 50? Trophy records from the counties overlapping Unit 50 show a moderate trophy history — the area has produced quality bucks over time but isn't classified among Colorado's top trophy-producing units. Hunters should expect a realistic chance at a mature buck rather than plan specifically around a record-class animal.

Is Unit 50 worth applying for? Based on the available data, Unit 50 is a reasonable option for hunters prioritizing accessibility and improving harvest trends over trophy potential. Rising success rates over the past two seasons, combined with moderate trophy potential and 46% public land, make it a solid choice for residents and nonresidents seeking a dependable mule deer hunt rather than a once-in-a-lifetime trophy pursuit.

How much public land is available in Unit 50 for DIY hunters? Unit 50 is 46% public land, meaning slightly more than half the unit is privately owned. DIY hunters can find huntable public ground, particularly in the forest-road-accessible areas around the unit's timbered and reservoir terrain, but should map out specific public parcels in advance rather than assuming widespread open access across the entire unit.