Colorado Unit 87 Pronghorn Antelope Hunting Guide

Colorado Unit 87 sits in the northeastern plains grasslands, an area well known among pronghorn hunters for its high tag volume and open, rolling terrain. For hunters researching pronghorn antelope hunting in this unit, the numbers tell a clear story: consistent harvest success, a moderate trophy history, and a landscape that rewards those willing to work for distance from other hunters. This is not a wilderness hunt — it's a plains-country pronghorn unit where public land access and hunting pressure shape the experience as much as the animals themselves.

Unit 87 spans elevations from 4,819 to 6,385 feet across 714,794 total acres, with public land making up 24% of that acreage. That public land percentage is a critical number for anyone planning a DIY hunt here — with roughly three-quarters of the unit in private ownership, hunters need to plan access carefully and shouldn't assume they'll find wide-open public ground in every direction. Forum discussion around this unit consistently references large public grassland holdings as the anchor for public hunting opportunity, but also flags that private land parcels interspersed throughout the unit control key water sources, which can concentrate both antelope and hunters onto the public tracts that remain.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 87 Worth Applying For?

Based on data compiled by HuntPilot, Unit 87 is a solid option for hunters prioritizing opportunity and harvest success over trophy potential, with some real caveats around crowding and access.

The harvest numbers are the strongest selling point. Across the last four recorded seasons, Unit 87 has produced consistently good success rates: 56% in 2025, 56% in 2024, 62% in 2023, and 59% in 2022. Those are strong numbers for antelope hunting, and they've held steady even as hunter numbers have fluctuated significantly — from 755 hunters in 2025 up to 1,511 in 2024 and 1,408 in 2023. This tells hunters two things: first, that Unit 87 issues a meaningful number of tags, and second, that most tag holders who put in effort are connecting with an animal.

The trade-off is pressure. Multiple hunters posting in forums describe the unit as heavily trafficked, particularly on the larger public grassland tracts, with one hunter recalling "insane" numbers of trucks driving the public ground during a recent season. Another hunter noted that success often hinges on the opening period — if an animal isn't down early, the increased pressure can make follow-up days more difficult. This lines up with what the harvest data shows: high hunter counts paired with still-solid success rates suggest that animals are there in good numbers, but hunters are working in proximity to each other rather than solitude.

Trophy quality is a secondary consideration for most hunters chasing this unit, and the data supports that framing. The counties overlapping Unit 87 carry a moderate history of trophy-class record-book entries — not a standout trophy destination, but not without history either. Hunters targeting a genuine trophy buck should treat this as a bonus rather than the primary draw of the unit; anyone building points specifically for a record-class pronghorn may find better-calibrated options elsewhere. For hunters who want a good chance at putting a pronghorn on the ground and don't require exceptional headgear, Unit 87 is a legitimately strong choice.

Harvest Success Rates

Unit 87's harvest data over the past four years shows a unit that reliably produces:

• 2025: 755 hunters, 424 harvested — 56% success
• 2024: 1,511 hunters, 853 harvested — 56% success
• 2023: 1,408 hunters, 867 harvested — 62% success
• 2022: 1,025 hunters, 606 harvested — 59% success

These figures represent unit-wide totals across all pronghorn hunt types. The consistency here is notable — success has stayed in a tight band between 56% and 62% despite hunter numbers nearly doubling between 2025 and 2024. That stability suggests the unit's antelope population and habitat can support a heavy hunter load without success collapsing, which is a meaningful data point for hunters weighing whether a crowded-sounding unit still delivers results. It does.

Trophy Quality

Trophy data for Unit 87 points to moderate potential. The counties overlapping this unit carry a moderate history of trophy-class record-book entries, meaning some notable bucks have come from the area over time, but it isn't a unit defined by consistent trophy production. Hunters should also remember that record-book entries are logged by county, not by specific hunt unit — the history attributed to this area is shared with neighboring units that fall in the same counties, and any given trophy animal could have come from adjacent ground rather than Unit 87 specifically.

Practically speaking, this means hunters should come into Unit 87 expecting a representative, huntable pronghorn population rather than planning around drawing a record-class buck. Given the high volume of tags issued and hunting pressure described by hunters in the field, the unit functions more as a dependable opportunity hunt than a trophy destination. Anyone specifically chasing a wall-hanger pronghorn should weigh this moderate trophy history against units with a deeper or more consistent trophy record before committing points here.

Herd Health & Population Trends

Wildlife survey data for Unit 87 spans six survey years between 2018 and 2024, showing an average buck:doe ratio of 40:100. That's a healthy, believable ratio for a pronghorn herd and sits within a normal range for a unit issuing a large number of tags annually. A 40:100 ratio suggests a herd structure capable of sustaining both strong harvest numbers and ongoing buck recruitment, without the kind of extreme swings that would signal survey sample issues.

Combined with the multi-year harvest success rates holding in the mid-to-high 50s and low 60s percent range, this survey data paints a picture of a stable, productive antelope population. Hunters shouldn't expect a herd skewed heavily toward mature bucks, but they also shouldn't expect a depleted or stressed population — this is a working plains pronghorn herd that has held steady across recent survey years.

Access & Terrain

Unit 87 sits at relatively low elevation for Colorado big game country, ranging from 4,819 to 6,385 feet, and the terrain reflects classic eastern plains grassland — open, rolling ground with long sightlines rather than mountainous or timbered cover. There is no wilderness acreage in this unit (0%), so hunters don't need to worry about wilderness-specific access restrictions; this is drive-and-glass, walk-and-stalk pronghorn country.

The public land figure of 24% is the number hunters need to internalize before planning a trip. With three-quarters of the unit in private hands, DIY hunters are working with a meaningfully limited footprint of public ground, and that public ground tends to see concentrated pressure — a theme echoed repeatedly across hunter forums, which describe large public grassland tracts drawing heavy truck traffic and hunter density, especially on opening weekend. Private parcels within the unit reportedly control key water access points, which can pull antelope activity toward areas hunters may not be able to reach.

Practical takeaways for scouting: hunters working the public grassland tracts should expect company, particularly near well-known access points and water. Those willing to walk farther from vehicle access on foot-only stretches of public ground may find better opportunities to separate themselves from other hunters, a strategy echoed by hunters who specifically sought out public parcels with limited access points to avoid opening-weekend crowds. Hunters can use HuntPilot's public land mapping tools to identify the exact boundaries of public versus private ground within Unit 87 before heading out, which is essential given how fragmented land ownership is across this unit.

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 charged in addition to the application fee and, if drawn, the tag fee. Nonresidents should budget for all three costs (license, application, and eventual tag fee) when planning for this unit, as the total investment is considerably higher than the application fee alone suggests.

Colorado's draw system operates on true preference points, meaning the highest point holders are guaranteed to draw ahead of lower point holders for a given hunt — Colorado is not a weighted lottery. Hunters building points for Unit 87 should check HuntPilot's Colorado state page for current point requirements and unit-specific draw data, as odds and point cutoffs shift from year to year.

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 87? Unit 87 is open plains and grassland country in northeastern Colorado, with elevations ranging from 4,819 to 6,385 feet. There's no wilderness acreage in the unit, and the landscape is rolling, low-relief ground typical of eastern plains pronghorn habitat — long sightlines, sparse cover, and terrain that favors spot-and-stalk tactics over ambush hunting.

What is harvest success like in Unit 87? Harvest success has been consistently strong, ranging from 56% to 62% across the last four recorded seasons (2022–2025). Even as hunter numbers rose to over 1,500 in 2024, success rates held steady in the mid-50s percent range, indicating a productive and accessible antelope population.

How big are the pronghorn in Unit 87? Trophy data shows a moderate history of trophy-class record-book entries in the counties overlapping this unit. This isn't a unit known for producing exceptional trophy bucks consistently, so hunters should treat Unit 87 as a solid opportunity hunt rather than a dedicated trophy destination. Buck:doe survey ratios have averaged 40:100 across recent survey years, indicating a healthy, well-balanced herd.

Is Colorado Unit 87 worth applying for? For hunters prioritizing a good chance at harvesting a pronghorn, yes — the success rates back that up clearly. For hunters specifically chasing trophy-class bucks, the moderate trophy history suggests looking elsewhere might be worth considering. Hunters should also be prepared for crowding on public grassland tracts, particularly around water sources and easy-access areas, based on repeated hunter reports of heavy pressure during the season.

Is Unit 87 a good option for a DIY hunter with no scouting experience in the area? It can be, but access planning matters more here than in many units. With only 24% of the unit in public ownership, hunters need to map out exactly where legal public access exists before the season — HuntPilot's land ownership overlays are a good starting point for identifying which grassland tracts are huntable and which parcels are private. Hunters willing to walk farther from easy access points on foot-only public ground tend to find less competition than those sticking to well-known, vehicle-accessible areas.