Colorado Unit 73 Elk Hunting Guide

Colorado Unit 73 is a limited-quota elk unit covering 570,199 acres of terrain ranging from 5,051 feet up to 13,216 feet in elevation. There is no general season here — every elk hunt in Unit 73 is draw-only, which puts a premium on understanding the harvest data, herd trends, and access picture before a hunter commits points or application dollars to this unit. With 75% of the unit in public ownership, there's substantial room to hunt without needing private land access, and the elevation swing from valley floor to high alpine means this unit offers a genuine mix of habitat types across a single tag.

Because every hunt in Unit 73 runs through Colorado's draw system, hunters need to go in with realistic expectations about both the sex of animal they're pursuing on a given hunt and what the harvest numbers are actually telling them. This article breaks down what the data shows — not what forum chatter or wishful thinking suggests — so hunters can decide whether to spend an application here.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 73 Worth Applying For?

The honest answer is that Unit 73 is a mixed bag, and the numbers back that up. Harvest success swung significantly between the two most recent years in the data: in the 2025 season, 11,607 hunters took to the field and harvested 2,770 elk, a 24% success rate. In the 2024 season, a much smaller pool of 1,278 hunters harvested 210 elk for a 16% success rate. That's a large shift in both hunter volume and success, and it's worth noting before reading too much into either single year — these numbers represent unit-wide totals across all hunt codes, which blend together animals taken on antlered, antlerless, and either-sex draw hunts. A hunter targeting a bull tag specifically should not assume the blended success rate reflects bull-hunt difficulty on its own.

The bull:cow ratio from the wildlife survey data is a bigger concern. Across six survey years from 2018 to 2024, the average bull:cow ratio sits at just 16:100. That is a low ratio by elk herd standards, and it signals a herd structure with relatively few mature bulls per 100 cows compared to units that manage more conservatively for bull age structure. A low bull:cow ratio generally correlates with higher bull harvest pressure in prior years and fewer bulls surviving to older age classes — which matters directly for anyone chasing a mature bull rather than just tag soup.

On the trophy side, the counties overlapping Unit 73 show a limited history of record-book entries. That doesn't mean mature bulls don't exist here, but it does mean hunters shouldn't walk in expecting this to be a unit with a strong trophy pedigree. Combined with the low bull:cow ratio, the data points toward Unit 73 being a better fit for hunters prioritizing opportunity, access, and the overall hunt experience over a realistic shot at an exceptional bull.

Where the unit does shine is access. At 75% public land across 570,199 acres, and with zero percent of the unit in designated wilderness, hunters have wide-open access to public ground without the extra logistics or guide requirements that wilderness designations can bring in other states. The elevation range — from 5,051 feet to 13,216 feet — means hunters can find terrain that suits different hunting styles, from lower-elevation foothill country to high alpine basins, all within the same unit boundary.

Bottom line: Unit 73 is worth applying for if a hunter's primary goal is a public-land elk hunt with a reasonable shot at filling a tag, particularly given the stronger harvest success shown in the 2025 data. It is not a unit to prioritize if the primary goal is a genuine trophy bull — the bull:cow ratio and limited trophy record history both argue against that expectation.

Harvest Success Rates

The two years of harvest data available for Unit 73 tell different stories, and hunters should treat them as data points rather than a single trend line. In 2025, 11,607 hunters combined to harvest 2,770 elk, a 24% overall success rate — a strong number for any elk unit, let alone one with no general season. In 2024, only 1,278 hunters hunted the unit and harvested 210 elk, for a 16% success rate.

The jump in hunter numbers between the two years — nearly 10x more hunters afield in 2025 than 2024 — suggests either an increase in tag allocation, a change in how hunts were counted, or both. Hunters should not assume that 24% success is the "new normal" without checking current, year-specific draw and harvest data on HuntPilot before applying, since success rates in heavily hunted draw units can swing based on tag numbers, weather, and migration timing in ways a two-year sample can't fully capture.

It's also worth repeating: these are unit-wide totals across all hunt codes and sexes. A hunter drawing a bull tag and a hunter drawing a cow tag in the same unit in the same year both get folded into that blended success percentage. Anyone serious about understanding their specific odds on a specific hunt code should check HuntPilot's unit page for harvest breakdowns by hunt type, rather than relying on the unit-wide average alone.

Trophy Quality

Trophy data for the counties overlapping Unit 73 shows a limited history of record-book entries. This is consistent with the low bull:cow ratio seen in the survey data — a herd carrying fewer bulls per 100 cows over multiple survey years is less likely to be producing the mature, older-age-class bulls that show up in trophy records.

This doesn't mean a big bull can't come out of Unit 73 — outlier animals exist in nearly every unit — but hunters should not plan a hunt here around trophy expectations. Given the county-level nature of trophy record attribution, it's also worth noting that any entries from these counties are shared with neighboring units, not unique to Unit 73's exact boundaries, which further limits what conclusions can be drawn about this specific unit's trophy potential.

Hunters chasing a genuine trophy-class bull would be better served researching units with a documented strong or exceptional trophy history rather than banking on Unit 73 to produce one.

Herd Health & Population Trends

The wildlife survey data covering 2018 through 2024 — six survey years in total — shows an average bull:cow ratio of 16:100 for Unit 73. This is a low ratio relative to what's typically considered a healthy, balanced bull age structure in elk herds, and it has direct implications for hunters:

• Fewer mature bulls in the population. A low bull:cow ratio generally means bulls are being harvested at a younger age or in higher numbers relative to the cow population, leaving fewer bulls to reach full maturity.
• Consistent signal across multiple years. Because this average is drawn from six separate survey years rather than a single snapshot, it's a more reliable indicator of the herd's long-term bull structure than any one year's count would be.
• Opportunity vs. quality tradeoff. A lower bull:cow ratio often accompanies higher hunter opportunity (more tags issued, more hunter days), which lines up with the hunter volume and harvest numbers seen in the 2025 season.

Hunters should interpret this ratio as a sign that Unit 73 functions more as a volume/opportunity elk unit than a trophy management unit, and plan their hunt strategy and expectations accordingly.

Access & Terrain

Unit 73 spans 570,199 acres with 75% of that land in public ownership, giving hunters substantial room to roam without needing to negotiate private land access. The elevation range is dramatic — from 5,051 feet at the lowest points to 13,216 feet at the highest — meaning the unit holds everything from lower-elevation foothill and valley terrain to true high-alpine basins near treeline and above.

There is 0% designated wilderness in Unit 73, which simplifies logistics for hunters: there are no wilderness-specific access restrictions, horse-and-foot-only travel zones, or the guide requirements that wilderness designations can trigger in other states. Hunters can plan their approach — whether that's vehicle-supported day hunting from lower elevations or backpack-style hunts pushing into the higher country — based on their own capability and gear rather than regulatory restrictions tied to wilderness boundaries.

Given the wide elevation band, scouting should account for seasonal elevation shifts in elk distribution — lower terrain early and higher basins later, or vice versa depending on weather and snow — though hunters should rely on HuntPilot's mapping tools to identify specific public-land parcels, water sources, and elevation contours within the unit rather than guessing from general terrain descriptions alone.

How to Apply

Because Unit 73 has no general season, every elk hunt here runs through Colorado's limited-quota draw system. There is no over-the-counter option for this unit — hunters must apply and be drawn to hunt here, regardless of whether they're after an antlered, antlerless, or either-sex tag.

Colorado's draw system is a true preference point system for elk: the highest point holders draw first, and accumulating enough points can eventually guarantee a tag on a given hunt code, depending on how competitive that specific hunt is. This is not a weighted lottery — it functions as a priority queue based on points held. Residents and nonresidents apply through the same preference point mechanics, though nonresidents should expect more competition for a limited pool of tags in any given draw year.

Hunters should decide upfront which hunt code and sex they're targeting, since antlered bull hunts, antlerless hunts, and either-sex hunts in the same unit can carry very different levels of competition and require different point investments. Given the blended harvest numbers discussed above, it's worth specifically identifying which hunt code matches a hunter's goals (bull vs. cow) before applying, rather than assuming all draw hunts in Unit 73 carry similar odds or similar harvest outcomes.

Application dates, fees, and current draw odds change every cycle and are not included here. For the most current numbers, visit HuntPilot's Colorado state page at /states/CO, where hunters can check live draw odds, deadlines, and fees before submitting an application.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the terrain like in Colorado Unit 73? Unit 73 covers 570,199 acres with an elevation range from 5,051 feet to 13,216 feet, meaning the unit includes everything from lower-elevation terrain to high alpine country. There is no designated wilderness in the unit (0%), so access isn't restricted by wilderness travel rules. With 75% of the unit in public ownership, hunters have substantial room to explore across that elevation gradient on public land.

What is harvest success like in Unit 73? Harvest success has varied significantly year to year. In the 2025 season, 11,607 hunters harvested 2,770 elk for a 24% success rate. In the 2024 season, a much smaller group of 1,278 hunters harvested 210 elk for a 16% success rate. These are unit-wide, all-hunt-code totals, so actual success on a specific bull or cow tag may differ — check HuntPilot's unit page for more granular, current-year detail.

How big are the elk in Unit 73? Trophy data for the counties overlapping Unit 73 shows a limited history of record-book entries, and the unit's average bull:cow ratio of 16:100 across six survey years (2018–2024) suggests a herd structure with relatively few mature bulls. Hunters should not expect strong trophy potential here; this unit is better suited to hunters prioritizing opportunity over trophy class.

Is Colorado Unit 73 worth applying for? It depends on the goal. For hunters wanting a public-land elk hunt with a real chance at filling a tag — particularly given the 24% success rate seen in the 2025 season — Unit 73 is a reasonable option, especially with 75% public land and no wilderness restrictions complicating access. For hunters specifically chasing a trophy-class bull, the low bull:cow ratio and limited trophy record history suggest other units would be a better investment of points.

Does Unit 73 have a general elk season? No. Every elk hunt in Unit 73 is limited-quota and draw-only — there is no general season or over-the-counter tag option. Hunters must apply through Colorado's preference point draw system and be selected before they can hunt elk in this unit.