Colorado Unit 89 Mule Deer Hunting Guide

Colorado Unit 89 is a limited-quota mule deer unit where every tag — including antlered animals — is allocated exclusively through the draw. There is no general season here, which immediately sets this unit apart from the OTC-style deer hunting available in much of the state. For hunters evaluating where to spend hard-earned preference points, Unit 89 deserves a close look based on its harvest data, terrain profile, and land ownership mix.

The unit sits at a relatively low elevation band for Colorado mule deer country, running from 3,863 to 5,093 feet across 495,065 total acres. That's a wide, lower-elevation landscape more typical of transitional and foothill terrain than high alpine basins. Public land is limited to just 12% of the unit, and there is no designated wilderness within its boundaries. That combination — low public access and no wilderness — shapes nearly every strategic decision a hunter will make here, from scouting to access to whether this unit fits a DIY budget at all.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 89 Worth Applying For?

The honest answer depends heavily on what a hunter is looking for. Unit 89 is a 100% limited-quota unit, meaning Colorado Parks and Wildlife controls hunter numbers tightly every year, and both antlered and either-sex tags come through the draw rather than over the counter. That structure alone makes it more exclusive than general-season units, and historically that kind of quota control correlates with less hunting pressure per tag issued relative to OTC units statewide.

But the numbers tell a more complicated story. Harvest success in Unit 89 has swung wildly over the past five years — from a low of 23% in 2023 to a high of 60% in 2024. In 2025, the unit saw 862 hunters afield with 341 harvested, a 40% success rate. The year before, in 2024, a much smaller group of 260 hunters posted 156 harvests for that 60% figure. That kind of volatility — hunter counts bouncing between roughly 236 and 862 over five seasons — suggests CPW has been actively adjusting tag quotas year to year, likely in response to herd conditions or management goals. Hunters should not assume that one strong season (like 2024) represents the new normal going into any given year; the five-year average success rate lands closer to the low-to-mid 40% range when you account for all five years together.

The buck:doe ratio from the 2024 survey data came in at 36:100 across a single survey year. That is on the lower end for a mule deer herd and is worth taking seriously — it points to a buck segment that is thin relative to the doe population, which can translate into fewer mature bucks per square mile for hunters to find, especially later in the season after the shooting starts. With only one year of survey data available, there's no multi-year trend to lean on here, but a 36:100 ratio by itself is not a ratio that signals an abundance of bucks on the landscape.

Public land access is the other major factor working against this unit. At just 12% public land, the overwhelming majority of Unit 89's acreage is privately held. That is a critical number for anyone considering a DIY approach — with public land this scarce, hunters are competing for a small slice of huntable ground unless they have arranged private access, landowner permission, or are hunting through an outfitted program on private acreage. This is not a unit where a hunter can show up, pick a drainage off a map, and expect wide-open public access to roam.

Trophy history for the counties overlapping Unit 89 shows a moderate trophy record — meaning there is some history of quality bucks coming out of this part of the state, but it's not a unit with an exceptional or heavily decorated trophy pedigree. Remember that record-book entries are logged by county, not by unit boundary, so any trophy history attributed to this area is shared with neighboring units that overlap the same counties. Hunters chasing a genuine trophy-class buck should treat this as one data point among several, not a guarantee that Unit 89 itself is quietly producing giants.

Put together, Unit 89 looks like a unit best suited to hunters who have already secured access — whether through a private lease, family connection, or outfitter relationship — rather than a cold-call DIY public-land hunt. The limited-quota structure keeps hunter numbers controlled, which is a genuine positive, but the thin public land base and inconsistent year-over-year success rates mean this isn't an easy recommendation for every applicant. It's worth applying for if a hunter has access lined up and values the quota-controlled, lower-pressure format over open-access public hunting.

Harvest Success Rates

The five-year harvest record for Unit 89 shows meaningful variability:

• 2025: 862 hunters, 341 harvested — 40% success
• 2024: 260 hunters, 156 harvested — 60% success
• 2023: 430 hunters, 97 harvested — 23% success
• 2022: 483 hunters, 221 harvested — 46% success
• 2021: 236 hunters, 122 harvested — 52% success

What stands out immediately is the inconsistency. Hunter numbers more than tripled between 2024 and 2025 (260 to 862), while success rate dropped by 20 percentage points in that same window. That's a strong signal that CPW significantly increased tag quotas for 2025, diluting per-hunter success even though total harvest also rose. Conversely, 2023 stands out as the toughest year on record in this dataset, with only 97 deer harvested out of 430 hunters afield — a 23% success rate that is roughly half of what hunters saw in the surrounding years.

For anyone using this data to set expectations, the takeaway is that Unit 89's success rate is not stable from year to year. Hunters drawing a tag here should plan for anywhere from a 23% to 60% chance of filling their tag based on recent history, and should check HuntPilot's unit page for the most current trends before finalizing trip plans.

Trophy Quality

Trophy records tied to the counties overlapping Unit 89 reflect a moderate history — not a blank slate, but not a unit known for producing a steady stream of exceptional bucks either. Because record-book entries are attributed at the county level rather than to a specific hunt unit, any trophy buck credited to this region could have been taken anywhere within the overlapping counties, including neighboring units. Hunters should treat this as background context rather than a promise of big buck potential specific to Unit 89's exact boundaries.

Combined with the 36:100 buck:doe ratio from the 2024 survey, the overall picture leans toward a unit where mature, trophy-class bucks exist but are not abundant. Hunters chasing a genuine wall-hanger here should expect a grind, lean heavily on scouting for isolated pockets of older bucks, and keep expectations realistic given the data available.

Herd Health & Population Trends

The only survey data available for Unit 89 is from 2024, showing a buck:doe ratio of 36:100. With just one year of survey data provided, there is no multi-year trend to draw from, and hunters should be cautious about reading too much into a single snapshot. That said, a ratio in the mid-30s to 100 does not suggest a buck-heavy herd — it's a ratio more consistent with moderate hunting pressure and/or a population skewed toward does, which aligns with the inconsistent harvest numbers seen over the past five years.

Hunters should treat this figure as a general indicator of herd composition rather than a precise predictor of buck density in any specific drainage, and should look for updated survey data on HuntPilot's unit page as new counts are published.

Access & Terrain

Access is the defining challenge of Unit 89. With only 12% of the unit's 495,065 acres classified as public land, the vast majority of this unit is privately owned. This is well below the threshold where a unit can be considered DIY-friendly, and hunters without secured private access, a landowner relationship, or an outfitted arrangement will find their options for legal, huntable ground significantly constrained.

Elevation across the unit ranges from 3,863 to 5,093 feet — a relatively low, narrow band by Colorado standards, suggesting terrain that leans toward foothill, sagebrush, and transitional country rather than high alpine basins or heavy timber. There is no designated wilderness within Unit 89, so hunters won't encounter wilderness-specific access restrictions, but the low public land percentage is the far bigger obstacle to plan around.

Given the small footprint of public ground, hunters serious about this unit should use mapping tools — such as HuntPilot's public land overlay — to precisely identify where public parcels sit relative to private boundaries before investing points or travel budget. Scouting trips focused on confirming legal access points are not optional here; they're essential given how little public ground is available to work with.

How to Apply

Unit 89 operates entirely through Colorado's limited-quota draw system — there is no general season fallback for antlered mule deer in this unit. Every tag, regardless of sex, is allocated through the draw, which means hunters must apply and either draw a tag or forgo hunting this unit that year.

Colorado's draw system uses a preference point structure for mule deer, with separate resident and nonresident applicant pools. Nonresidents will face a more competitive path to a tag here than residents, as is standard across Colorado's limited-quota units, and building points over multiple seasons is part of the long-term strategy for hunters targeting a specific unit like this one. Because every tag in Unit 89 is draw-only, there's no over-the-counter alternative for hunters who miss out in a given cycle — the unit simply isn't accessible outside the draw.

Application structure, deadlines, and fees change from year to year, so hunters should not rely on outdated information when planning. For the current application windows, fees, and draw odds for Unit 89, check HuntPilot's Colorado state page for up-to-date details before applying.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the terrain like in Colorado Unit 89? Unit 89 spans a relatively low elevation range for Colorado, from 3,863 to 5,093 feet, across nearly 495,000 acres. This elevation band suggests foothill and transitional terrain rather than high alpine country, and there is no designated wilderness within the unit. With only 12% public land, most of that terrain sits on private ground, so terrain type matters less than land ownership when planning a hunt here.

What is harvest success like in Unit 89? Harvest success has varied significantly over the past five years, ranging from 23% in 2023 to 60% in 2024. The most recent year on record, 2025, posted a 40% success rate across 862 hunters. Hunters should expect meaningful year-to-year variability rather than a consistent success rate, and should check current data before setting expectations for a specific season.

How big are the mule deer in Unit 89? Trophy records for the counties overlapping Unit 89 reflect a moderate trophy history, meaning quality bucks have come from this broader region but it is not known as a unit with an exceptional or heavy trophy pedigree. The 2024 survey data showing a 36:100 buck:doe ratio also suggests mature bucks are present but not abundant. Hunters chasing a true trophy buck should treat this as a secondary consideration behind access and tag availability.

Is Unit 89 worth applying for? It depends on access. The limited-quota structure keeps hunting pressure controlled, which is a genuine advantage, but with only 12% public land, DIY hunters without secured private access or an outfitted arrangement will struggle to find legal ground to hunt. Hunters with access already lined up, or those willing to invest in scouting the limited public parcels using detailed mapping tools, will get more value out of a tag here than someone hoping to find open public land on arrival.

Does Unit 89 have a general season option for mule deer? No. Every hunt in Unit 89 is limited-quota and allocated through the draw, including tags for antlered deer. There is no general season fallback in this unit, so hunters must draw a tag to hunt here at all.