Colorado Unit 93 Mule Deer Hunting Guide

Colorado Unit 93 sits at the low end of the state's elevation spectrum, ranging from 3,445 to 4,377 feet across 605,319 acres. For hunters researching mule deer opportunity in this part of Colorado, Unit 93 presents a unique profile: every hunt here is limited-quota, public land is scarce at just 11% of the unit, and recent harvest data shows a unit that's producing results but demands careful planning around access.

This is not a unit where a hunter shows up and wanders onto open national forest. With public land holding at just 11%, the vast majority of Unit 93 is private ground, and that single fact should drive almost every decision a hunter makes about this unit — from whether to apply, to how to plan access, to what kind of hunt to expect once a tag is in hand.

Hunt Structure: A Fully Limited-Quota Unit

There is no general season in Unit 93. Every hunt here — including hunts for antlered and either-sex deer — is allocated through the draw. That's an important distinction from units where antlered deer are available over the counter and only antlerless tags require a draw application. In Unit 93, hunters pursuing bucks must draw a tag before they can hunt, full stop. This limited-quota structure is part of what keeps hunting pressure more controlled than it would be in an open unit, but it also means access to this unit is entirely dependent on the draw process.

Harvest Success Rates

Harvest data for Unit 93 shows a unit trending in a positive direction over the past several seasons. In the 2022 season, 1,079 hunters harvested 298 deer for a 28% success rate. That dipped slightly in 2023, with 1,056 hunters and 264 harvested for a 25% success rate — the lowest mark in the four-year window. But 2024 and 2025 both show meaningful improvement: in 2024, 952 hunters harvested 320 deer for a 34% success rate, and in 2025, hunter numbers jumped to 1,690 with 663 harvested, pushing success to 39%.

That 39% success rate in 2025 is a strong number for a limited-quota mule deer hunt, and the upward trend across three consecutive years (25% to 34% to 39%) suggests either improving herd conditions, better hunter behavior, or some combination of both. It's worth noting that hunter participation nearly doubled from 2024 to 2025 (952 to 1,690) while success rate still climbed — that's a meaningful signal that the unit was producing more deer, not just concentrating success among fewer applicants.

Trophy Quality

Trophy history for the counties overlapping Unit 93 shows a moderate trophy record — not a unit with the kind of sustained, elite trophy pedigree that headlines western hunting forums, but one with a legitimate history of producing quality bucks over time. As with any unit, record-book entries are logged at the county level rather than the unit level, so the trophy history associated with Unit 93 reflects records from the broader overlapping counties and is shared with neighboring units in that same geography.

Hunters should treat this as a unit where a genuinely exceptional buck is possible but not the expectation. The moderate trophy history here points to a population capable of producing mature, respectable bucks rather than one defined by trophy rarity or consistent record-book production. Hunters chasing a wall-hanger specifically should temper expectations accordingly, while hunters looking for a solid, representative mule deer hunt with real harvest opportunity will find more to like.

Herd Health & Population Trends

The available survey data for Unit 93 comes from a single survey year (2024), showing a buck:doe ratio of 35:100. This is a modest ratio relative to many Colorado mule deer units, and because it's drawn from only one survey year, it should be read as a single data point rather than a confirmed long-term trend. A 35:100 ratio suggests a herd with a buck segment that's present but not heavily skewed toward mature males — consistent with a unit that sees meaningful hunting pressure on the buck segment of the population given its draw-only structure.

Without multi-year survey data to compare against, it's difficult to say whether this ratio is improving, declining, or holding steady. Hunters should treat the 35:100 figure as a baseline snapshot rather than a definitive statement on herd trajectory, and check HuntPilot's unit page for any updated survey data in future years.

Access & Terrain

Access is the defining challenge of Unit 93. With only 11% public land across 605,319 acres, the overwhelming majority of this unit is private property. This is well below the threshold where a unit can reasonably be called DIY-friendly, and hunters need to internalize that fact before applying. There is no wilderness acreage listed for this unit, so there are no wilderness-specific access restrictions to navigate — but that's a minor consideration next to the private-land reality.

Elevation in Unit 93 runs from 3,445 to 4,377 feet, a relatively narrow and low band compared to many Colorado mule deer units that climb into alpine terrain. This lower-elevation profile suggests terrain more characteristic of foothill country, river bottoms, and agricultural or ranch-adjacent ground rather than high alpine basins or heavy timber. Deer in lower-elevation units like this often concentrate around food and water sources on private land, which reinforces the access challenge — the best habitat may simply not be reachable without landowner permission or a lease arrangement.

Hunters drawing a tag in Unit 93 should plan on one of three approaches: securing permission on private land well before the season, working with a local landowner access program, or carefully identifying the limited public parcels using mapping tools before investing time and travel in the unit. HuntPilot's mapping tools, including public land overlays, can help hunters identify exactly where that 11% public land sits relative to access points before committing to a hunt plan.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 93 Worth Applying For?

Unit 93 is a mixed bag, and the honest answer depends heavily on what a hunter values most. On the harvest side, the data is genuinely encouraging — a climb from 25% success in 2023 to 39% success in 2025, with participation nearly doubling along the way, is not a fluke pattern. That's a real signal of a unit producing results for the hunters who draw tags here.

On the trophy side, the moderate trophy history means this isn't a unit to chase purely for record-book potential, but it's also not a dead zone — quality bucks have come from the broader area historically, and a patient hunter with good access could find one.

The sticking point is access. At just 11% public land, Unit 93 is not a unit where a hunter can show up, study a map, and expect to walk onto good public ground with confidence. This is a unit that rewards hunters who do the legwork beforehand — securing private land access, researching landowner relationships, or being extremely precise about identifying and using the limited public parcels that do exist. For a hunter without that access lined up, the strong harvest numbers may be difficult to replicate.

Bottom line: Unit 93 is worth applying for if a hunter has — or is willing to build — private land access, or is comfortable doing detailed pre-season scouting to identify the small percentage of public ground that's huntable. The harvest trend supports optimism. The access reality demands preparation. Hunters relying purely on a draw tag with no access plan should think carefully before applying here, while those who've done their homework on land access stand to benefit from a unit with genuinely improving success rates.

How to Apply

Because every deer hunt in Unit 93 is limited-quota, hunters must apply through Colorado's draw system to hunt here — there is no over-the-counter or general-season fallback for antlered deer in this unit. Colorado residents and nonresidents apply through the same statewide draw, though resident and nonresident applicants are considered separately within that system, and Colorado's preference point structure means accumulated points matter over time for competitive units.

Colorado operates a true preference system for deer, meaning hunters with the most points are awarded tags first in the preference portion of the draw — this is not a weighted lottery where point accumulation gives marginal odds improvement; it's a sequential system where sufficient points can secure a tag outright on many hunts. Hunters should also understand that a successful draw consumes accumulated points, so any hunter who draws a Unit 93 tag will start rebuilding points from zero for future applications.

Given that draw odds, tag quotas, and point requirements shift from year to year as Colorado Parks and Wildlife adjusts allocations, hunters should not rely on historical draw odds when planning an application strategy. For current, year-specific draw odds, tag numbers, and application deadlines, visit HuntPilot's Colorado page for the most up-to-date figures before submitting an application.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the terrain like in Colorado Unit 93? Unit 93 sits at a relatively low elevation band for Colorado mule deer country, ranging from 3,445 to 4,377 feet across 605,319 total acres. This lower-elevation profile points toward foothill and valley-bottom terrain rather than high alpine basins. There is no wilderness acreage in this unit, so terrain access isn't complicated by wilderness travel restrictions — but the dominant access challenge is land ownership, not terrain difficulty.

What is harvest success like in Unit 93? Harvest success in Unit 93 has trended upward in recent years. The 2022 season saw a 28% success rate (1,079 hunters, 298 harvested), followed by a dip to 25% in 2023 (1,056 hunters, 264 harvested). Success then climbed to 34% in 2024 (952 hunters, 320 harvested) and reached 39% in 2025, with 1,690 hunters harvesting 663 deer — the strongest success rate and the highest participation of the four years reported.

How big are the deer in Unit 93? Trophy history for the counties overlapping Unit 93 reflects a moderate trophy record — not an elite producer of record-book bucks, but a unit with a legitimate history of quality deer. Hunters should view Unit 93 as a place where a genuinely exceptional buck is possible but not the expectation, and plan their hunt around a solid, representative mule deer experience rather than a guaranteed trophy pursuit.

Is Colorado Unit 93 worth applying for? It depends almost entirely on access planning. The harvest data supports real optimism — success rates climbing from 25% to 39% over three years is a strong trend. But with only 11% public land across the unit, hunters without a private-land access plan or detailed knowledge of the limited public parcels may struggle to replicate those numbers. Hunters willing to do the access legwork beforehand will find a unit with improving harvest trends and moderate trophy potential; those hoping to draw a tag and figure out access later should reconsider.

What is the public land situation in Unit 93? Public land accounts for just 11% of Unit 93's 605,319 acres, meaning roughly 89% of the unit is private property. This is well below the level needed to call a unit DIY-friendly, and hunters should plan on securing private land permission, pursuing a landowner access arrangement, or using detailed mapping tools — such as HuntPilot's public land overlays — to precisely identify and target the small percentage of huntable public ground before investing time in this unit.