Colorado Unit 52 Hunting Information

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Overview of CO GMU 52 Hunting Facts

Located in western Colorado in Delta County, Unit 52 presents as a hunting destination for elk and mule deer hunters every season. With a mere 48% public land, this unit can be a little tricky to maneuver through, but there are also several tags that allow hunters to expand their hunting area to include certain nearby units. Located amongst the Grand Mesa National Forest, Unit 52 provides a backwoods experience for hunters looking to get closer to nature. Aside from the National Forest, there are also patches of BLM land scattered throughout the unit. For more Colorado Unit 52 hunting information, check out the Info for Cities Near Unit 52 section on the right.

CO Unit 52 Species Hunting Info

Unit 52 Mule Deer
Unit 52 Elk
Unit 52 Antelope

INFO: Mule Deer Hunting in Colorado Unit 52
Considering the numerous creeks and streams and vast tracts of public land, it is no surprise that Unit 52 is highly regarded as an adequate hunting ground for mule deer. In addition to drawing a mule deer tag, hunters in Unit 52 have the option of purchasing an OTC add-on bear tag. The mule deer in Unit 52 tend to gravitate towards the private, lower-elevation land in the later seasons. This may seem like a defeating factor to any late-season hunters, but it can be advantageous if you strategically hunt the edges of where the private and public land meet.

SUCCESS RATES for Mule Deer Hunting in Colorado Unit 52
5 Year Estimated Average for Deer
Archery 30%
Muzzle Loader 45%
2nd Rifle 50%
3rd Rifle 55%
4th Rifle 75%
Mule Deer TROPHY QUALITY for Unit 52 Colorado
Average Quality 150″ – 170″
Trophy Potential 170″
Buck to Doe Ratio 31:100
Colorado Unit 52 Mule Deer Hunting FORUM Coming Soon!

INFO: Elk Hunting in Colorado Unit 52
Elk hunting in Colorado GMU 52 may have some added hunting pressure due to the availability and ease of purchasing OTC elk tags. However, there are healthy elk numbers in this unit still providing enough elk to go around. As mentioned above with mule deer, the elk are going to spend the warmer months in the higher elevations which is predominantly public land and as winter takes off, they will drop down into the private, lower areas of the unit. This will allow great opportunities for hunters to hunt these boundaries where the private and public land meet. The OTC elk tags are purchased as an OTC antlerless elk archery, “either sex” archery, or 2nd & 3rd rifle antlered elk. Muzzleloader and 1st rifle is a limited draw for “either sex” and valid in units 41, 42, 52, 411, 421, and 521. Colorado Unit 52 is a stand-alone unit for limited draw cow tags for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th rifle seasons. The 4th rifle season for bulls is a limited draw and is valid in units 41, 42, 52, 411, 421, and 521.

SUCCESS RATES for Elk Hunting in Colorado Unit 52
5 Year Estimated Average for Elk
Archery 10%
Muzzle Loader 15%
1st Rifle 25%
2nd Rifle 12%
3rd Rifle 10%
4th Rifle 15%
Elk TROPHY QUALITY for Unit 52 Colorado
Average Quality 260″ – 300″
Trophy Potential 300″
Buck to Doe Ratio 28:100
Colorado Unit 52 Elk Hunting FORUM Coming Soon!

INFO: Antelope Hunting in Colorado Unit 52
Bring extra excitement to your deer or elk hunt with an OTC archery antelope tag. This unit may not be the top unit for hunting pronghorn in Colorado, but it is much better to have a tag and not need it than to stumble upon a herd of antelope and not be able to make a move to put one down.

Colorado Unit 4 Antelope Hunting FORUM Coming Soon!

Available Hunts

Unit 52 Hunting Information Video

Total Acreage: 170,000 acres over 265 square miles

Total Public Land: 82,000 acres or 48%

Land Ownership Mix: 52% Private; 48% Public; USFS: 63,296 acres; BLM: 17,664 acres

Species: Black Bear: Elk, Mule Deer, Moose, Pronghorn

Elevation Variances: 5,000 ft. to 10,982 ft.

Terrain Difficulty Overall: Mild to Moderate

Land Coverage/Vegetation: 30% evergreen forest, 26% deciduous forest, 19% shrub/scrub and 12% pasture/hay

Unit 52 Boundaries: (Delta County Colorado) bounded on North by Delta-Mesa County line; on East by Grand Mesa-Gunnison National Forest boundary, Overland Ditch, West Reservoir No. 1 and Jay Creek; on South by North Fork of Gunnison River and Colorado 92; on West by Colorado 65

The terrain of Colorado Unit 52 consists mainly of rolling green hills with conifer patches and rocky grounds. There are several water sources located throughout the unit, mainly in the northern portion. With its land cover primarily consisting of evergreen forests, there is some dense vegetation for wildlife to take cover, making these areas great scouting areas. There are areas of farmland and low elevation meadows.

Unit 52 has a little bit of everything when it comes to the vegetation varieties thriving in its environment. The higher elevations consist of evergreen forestland complete with pine, firs, and spruces. Middle to lower elevations contains a blend of oak brush, sagebrush, and pine. There is desert shrubbery foliage thriving in the bottom elevation planes.

This unit is bounded on the south by Hwy 92, the west by Hwy 65, and a series of smaller roads that stem from these two major highways. The numerous creeks that weave through the unit are a great source of water travel to get into the deep, remote areas. The majority of the roads do not get back into that untouched forest. There is also a series of trails that measure roughly 137 miles with 1 trailhead. Be mindful of your location if using a motorized vehicle since not all areas are permissive of this activity.

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