At a Glance
225Square Miles
49.5%Public Land
6,495 - 12,354Elevation Range
Quick Tips
- Buy a fishing license
- Good hunting for mature bucks in late rifle season
- Excellent bear hunting in September
- Carry maps and a GPS to know private land
Hunters in Colorado's Unit 26 highlight its challenging terrain, suggesting that physical preparation is key to success. Several hunters note that while this unit offers potential for encountering elk, the density isn't high, requiring scouts to be thorough and strategic. Experiences from previous seasons suggest focusing efforts on higher elevations during colder parts of the season as game tends to move to lower grounds with snow conditions. A recurring piece of advice is to familiarize oneself with the area's road access and plan accordingly for weather conditions, which can change rapidly and impact travel and hunting success.
Decent populations of elk and deer are found in this unit along with opportunities to pursue moose. This unit offers great opportunity for hunters of all skill classes and backgrounds from remote canyons to low elevation prairie lands. Hunters will find a good distribution of public lands throughout the unit but access can become an issue later in the year where a large portion of wintering grounds encompass private property.
Hunters see many elk here, but hunting pressure is heavy enough that few bulls get old enough to grow trophy size antlers. There is no limit on elk tags for second and third rifle seasons. Expect spectacular alpine scenery.