Unit 85

Successful hunters in Unit 85 typically scout public access points, study CPW boundary maps, and plan weapon-season tactics according to the chosen hunt code. Review current CPW regulations for season dates, legal methods of take, and any unit-specific restrictions.

Unit 85 black bears use the terrain and seasonal food resources available across this portion of Colorado.

Berry Patches and Mast Crops (August-September)

Black bears in Colorado heavily target chokecherry, serviceberry, wild plum, and oak mast (acorns) in late summer and early fall — building fat reserves for winter. Glass steep south-facing slopes and oakbrush patches at dawn and dusk to spot feeding bears. Bears are most visible during berry season.

Riparian Corridors

Riparian zones with berry-producing shrubs — especially wild plum, chokecherry, and serviceberry — hold bears along creek drainages. Bears travel drainage corridors between feeding sites and bedding areas in timber. Walk quietly along creek-bottom trails and check for fresh tracks, scat, and digging.

Timber and Shade

Bears bed in dense timber during midday, especially on hot days. Focus glassing on dark timber edges adjacent to food sources. Active feeding sites (fresh overturned rocks, torn-apart logs, claw-marked trees) indicate bear activity regardless of time of day.

Black bear hunting in Unit 85 offers Colorado hunters the opportunity to pursue a challenging and unpredictable quarry in varied terrain.

Pre-Season Scouting

Bears in Colorado are food-driven. Scout food sources — berry crops, acorn-producing oakbrush, and corn/grain fields near public land — before the season. A bumper berry year brings bears into the open; a poor berry year drives them to roadsides and agricultural areas. Know what the food situation is before you hunt.

Spot-and-Stalk on Food Sources

Glass steep south-facing slopes covered in chokecherry, serviceberry, and oakbrush at first and last light. When you locate a feeding bear, plan your stalk using terrain to get within shooting range. A feeding bear is focused on food and less alert — take your time with the approach and make a clean shot.

Baiting and Hound Hunting

Where legal in Colorado, baiting and hound hunting with licensed outfitters are effective methods. Check current CPW regulations for permitted hunting methods in Unit 85. Hound hunting produces the highest success rates but requires significant equipment, trained dogs, and local knowledge.

Unit 85 elk occupy foothills terrain near the plains-mountain interface. These elk use a predictable seasonal pattern between high summer range and lower winter pasture.

Foothills Timber and Parks

Ponderosa pine and mixed juniper-grassland terrain in the foothills holds the bulk of Unit 85's elk. Focus on timbered draws, park edges, and the transition where timber meets open grass. Morning and evening movement between bedding cover and feeding areas is most productive.

Agricultural Interface

Where private farms and ranches border public land in Unit 85, elk often move to agricultural fields at night and retreat to timber during daylight. Glassing from elevated positions overlooking these transition areas at first and last light can locate herds.

Water and Wallows

Stock tanks, springs, and small creeks in the foothills provide water that concentrates elk, especially during warm early-season conditions. Mark known water sources on your mapping app and check them during morning and evening scouting runs.

Unit 85 elk hunting rewards hunters who understand Colorado's elk behavior and invest in pre-season scouting and in-season persistence.

Pre-Season Scouting

Use CPW's Hunting Atlas and Google Earth to identify timbered north-facing drainages, water sources, wallows, and open parks within Unit 85. August scouting — either in person or via trail camera — identifies specific bulls and their home ranges before the season opens.

Archery Calling

September archery hunters should target wallow sites and elk concentrations in aspen parks. A locator bugle at first light identifies responsive bulls. Set up downwind of the expected approach and use cow calls or soft raking to draw bulls into range. Patience is critical — let the bull commit before drawing.

Rifle Season Strategy

On opening morning, position yourself before first light on terrain overlooking known travel routes and feeding areas. Elk move from timber to feeding areas at dawn and return before full light. After the opener, pressure shifts elk into heavier cover — focus subsequent days on slow, wind-careful still-hunting in dense timber.

Public Land Pressure Management

Unit 85 receives hunting pressure on public land. Getting farther from trailheads and roads — even 1-2 miles — dramatically reduces competition. Use a pack frame and plan for a kill at distance. Hunters willing to pack out game access less-pressured elk compared to those hunting within easy drag distance of a vehicle.

Unit 85 mule deer occupy the plains-grassland landscape of eastern Colorado, using a combination of agricultural fields, sagebrush pastures, and riparian corridors.

Agricultural Fields and Dryland Wheat

Mule deer in plains units feed heavily on dryland wheat stubble, corn residue, and alfalfa during fall. Deer move from bedding cover in CRP grassland, draws, and cattail patches to ag fields at dawn and dusk. Glassing from elevated road shoulders can locate deer in open terrain.

Riparian Corridors and Draws

River and creek drainages provide the primary travel corridors and bedding cover in plains units. Cottonwood and willow riparian zones on public land — including SWA properties — hold deer through the season. Focus morning and evening hunts on these transition zones between open fields and cover.

CRP Ground and Sagebrush Pastures

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grassland and native sagebrush provide bedding cover and travel habitat. Check Colorado PLOTS and SWA maps for publicly accessible parcels within Unit 85 before your hunt.

Hunting Unit 85 mule deer effectively requires understanding the seasonal patterns of Colorado deer and applying pressure-management tactics appropriate for the terrain.

Pre-Season Glassing

Invest time glassing Unit 85 in late August and early September when bucks are still in velvet and in summer patterns. Identify target bucks and memorize their terrain features. Velvet bucks are the most predictable — late August is the best time to find a specific animal before the season.

October Rut Hunting

Colorado's October rifle seasons are timed perfectly for the mule deer pre-rut and rut. Bucks abandon their tight summer ranges and cruise the terrain in search of does. Hunt all day during the peak rut — midday movement can be as good as dawn and dusk when bucks are actively covering ground.

Wind and Approach

Mule deer rely on their nose as much as their eyes. Hunt with the thermals — in mountain terrain, thermals rise as the day warms and fall at dawn and dusk. Plan your approach routes to keep wind in your favor at the time of day you're hunting each specific terrain feature.