Colorado Unit 62 Elk Hunting Guide

Colorado Unit 62 is one of the state's higher-pressure, higher-opportunity elk hunting units, spanning 880,844 acres of mixed terrain with elevations ranging from 4,634 to 10,328 feet. With 72% public land, the unit offers substantial access for do-it-yourself hunters, and recent harvest data shows this is a unit where hunters find consistent, if not always trophy-caliber, success. For hunters researching Colorado Unit 62 elk hunting opportunities, understanding the tradeoffs between opportunity and crowding is essential before committing an application.

This unit draws a large number of hunters every year, and that pressure shows up both in forum chatter and in the numbers. It's not a secret spot — it's a well-known, heavily hunted unit that still produces elk in solid volume. The question for most hunters isn't whether they can find elk in Unit 62, but whether they're willing to work for distance from roads and other hunters to find a quality animal.

Harvest Success Rates

Unit 62's harvest data shows a unit that puts elk on the ground consistently, though success rates fluctuate with hunter pressure. In 2025, 2,536 hunters harvested 634 elk for a 25% unit-wide success rate. That's a notable jump from the two prior years — in 2024, 11,338 hunters harvested 2,047 elk for an 18% success rate, and in 2023, 7,703 hunters harvested 1,395 elk, also at 18%.

The most striking figure here is the swing in hunter numbers. Hunter pressure dropped dramatically from 11,338 in 2024 to just 2,536 in 2025, while success rate climbed from 18% to 25%. This pattern is consistent with what hunters describe in unit forums: Unit 62 is well-known and gets hit hard in high-pressure years, and success rates tend to improve when fewer hunters are competing for the same animals. Hunters evaluating this unit should treat the 18% figure as the more typical baseline in higher-pressure years, with the 25% mark representing what's achievable when hunter numbers thin out.

Overall, these numbers put Unit 62 solidly in line with a heavily-hunted, high-opportunity Colorado elk unit — not a sleeper unit, but one where hunters willing to put in the work can expect a real shot at filling a tag.

Trophy Quality

Trophy records tied to the counties overlapping Unit 62 reflect a moderate trophy history. This isn't a unit associated with a strong recent run of exceptional bulls, but it isn't devoid of trophy potential either — there's a documented history of trophy-class elk coming from this general area over time. Given the county-level nature of record-book attribution, these entries are shared with neighboring units, not exclusive to Unit 62's boundaries.

What this means practically: hunters chasing a genuine trophy bull in Unit 62 should keep expectations realistic. Forum commentary from hunters who've spent time in the unit consistently emphasizes that quality elk are out there, but they require distance from roads and pressure to find. Several hunters describe the unit as one of the most heavily pressured in the state, with elk becoming increasingly educated as the season progresses and more hunters show up. The consensus among experienced Unit 62 hunters is that the animals seen "over the hood of the truck" near main roads are rarely the better bulls — those tend to be pushed into the nastier, harder-to-reach country by hunting pressure.

Herd Health & Population Trends

Wildlife survey data collected across six survey years from 2018 to 2024 shows an average bull:cow ratio of 20:100 for Unit 62. This is a low ratio relative to what's typically desired for a mature bull segment in the herd, and it reflects the reality of a unit that sees heavy hunter pressure and correspondingly high bull harvest relative to the cow population. A 20:100 ratio suggests that while cow numbers appear healthy enough to support hunting pressure, the bull segment is thinner than in more lightly-hunted or trophy-managed units.

This aligns with the harvest data and forum sentiment: Unit 62 functions as a high-volume opportunity unit rather than a unit managed for a deep pool of mature bulls. Hunters should calibrate expectations accordingly — this is a unit to hunt for a solid, legal bull and a good elk camp experience, not one where herd structure data points toward a high likelihood of encountering large numbers of mature, dominant bulls.

Access & Terrain

Unit 62 offers 72% public land across its 880,844 acres, which gives DIY hunters substantial room to roam without needing to negotiate private land access. Elevations span an enormous range, from 4,634 feet up to 10,328 feet, meaning hunters can find everything from lower-elevation sagebrush and transition terrain to high alpine basins within the same unit boundary. There is no designated wilderness acreage in Unit 62, which means access via roads and trails is generally more available than in wilderness-heavy units, but it also means motorized and mechanized pressure can reach deeper into the unit than in wilderness-restricted areas.

Forum accounts consistently point to road accessibility as both a blessing and a curse in this unit. Several hunters mention well-known roads that see heavy truck traffic and hunter concentration, with more remote basins requiring hunters to get away from vehicle access to find calmer elk and better hunting. One recurring theme across hunter reports: those willing to hike deep into the "nasty deep stuff" away from roads tend to have notably better encounters than those who stay near primary access routes. With such a wide elevation band, hunters have options to hunt lower-elevation transitional terrain early in the year or push into higher basins as conditions dictate — but the tradeoff of easier access is more competition for the same visible terrain.

Hunters using HuntPilot's mapping tools can overlay public land boundaries and terrain features to identify pockets of Unit 62's 880,844 acres that see less foot and vehicle traffic, which based on hunter reports is the single biggest factor separating a frustrating hunt from a successful one in this unit.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 62 Worth Applying For?

Unit 62 is a legitimate option for hunters prioritizing opportunity and access over trophy potential. The harvest numbers back this up — a 25% success rate in a lower-pressure year (2025) and consistent 18% rates in higher-pressure years (2023-2024) demonstrate that hunters who put in effort can expect a reasonable chance at filling a tag. Combined with 72% public land access and a huge elevation range that offers varied terrain to hunt, this unit gives DIY hunters plenty of room to work with.

Where Unit 62 falls short is trophy potential and herd structure. The bull:cow ratio of 20:100 confirms what unit forums have said for years: this is a heavily pressured unit where mature bulls are the exception, not the rule. Moderate trophy history in the surrounding counties suggests occasional good bulls do come out of this area, but hunters shouldn't apply to Unit 62 expecting a high-odds shot at a wall-hanger. This unit is best suited to hunters who want a good elk hunting experience, are comfortable working hard to get away from crowds and roads, and are satisfied with a solid, legal bull rather than chasing score.

For meat hunters, first-timers building experience, or hunters who value acreage and access over exclusivity, Unit 62 is worth serious consideration. For hunters whose primary goal is a trophy-class bull, the data suggests looking elsewhere or being prepared to hunt the unit's most remote corners hard and long to beat the pressure.

How to Apply

Colorado's draw application system for elk uses separate resident and nonresident fee structures, and hunters need to account for license fees required before applying, not just the application fee itself.

Colorado's elk draw operates on a true preference point system, meaning the highest point holders draw available tags first, and a sufficiently high point level can guarantee a tag on many hunts. For current draw odds specific to Unit 62 and up-to-date application details, hunters should check HuntPilot's Colorado unit pages 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 62? Unit 62 spans a dramatic elevation range from 4,634 to 10,328 feet, offering everything from lower-elevation terrain to high alpine basins within one unit. There is no wilderness acreage in the unit, so road and trail access reaches further into the terrain than in wilderness-restricted units, though this also means more hunter and vehicle traffic in accessible areas. Hunters report that the best opportunities come from getting well away from roads into more remote basins and drainages.

What is harvest success like in Unit 62? Success rates have varied meaningfully with hunter pressure. In 2025, 634 of 2,536 hunters harvested elk for a 25% success rate. In 2024 and 2023, success rates held steady at 18% despite much higher hunter numbers (11,338 and 7,703 respectively). Hunters should expect success in the high-teens to low-20s percentage range depending on the year's hunting pressure.

How big are the elk in Unit 62? Trophy records tied to the counties overlapping Unit 62 show a moderate trophy history, with occasional trophy-class bulls documented over time, though this isn't a unit known for consistently producing exceptional bulls. Combined with survey data showing a bull:cow ratio of 20:100, hunters should expect most bulls encountered to be younger, more accessible age classes rather than mature, heavily-antlered animals. Bigger bulls are out there but tend to be found by hunters willing to push deep into less-pressured terrain.

Is Unit 62 worth applying for? Yes, for hunters prioritizing opportunity, access, and a solid chance at filling a tag over trophy potential. With 72% public land, a wide elevation range, and success rates ranging from 18-25% in recent years, Unit 62 delivers reasonable odds of harvesting an elk. It's less suited to hunters specifically chasing a trophy-class bull, given the moderate trophy history and low bull:cow ratio in survey data.

Is Unit 62 crowded with other hunters? Yes — hunter forums consistently describe Unit 62 as one of Colorado's more heavily pressured elk units, and the harvest data supports this, with hunter numbers as high as 11,338 in a single year. Hunters who want to avoid the crowds near roads should plan to hike into more remote terrain, particularly given the unit's substantial elevation range and lack of wilderness designation limiting motorized access.