Colorado Elk Mule Deer Black Bear

Unit 851

Colorado Hunting Guide — Elk, Mule Deer, Black Bear

Unit 851 in Colorado offers elk hunting managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). Tags are allocated through the CPW preference-point draw. Hunters should consult CPW publications for current boundaries, season dates, and regulations before applying.

View Draw Odds Colorado Hunting Guide

Elk Hunting in Unit 851

Where to Find Elk in Unit 851

Elk distribution in Colorado Unit 851 follows typical seasonal patterns for the species. Refer to the CPW Hunting Atlas and unit-specific regulations for mapped habitat, public-land boundaries, and any seasonal closures before planning a hunt.

How to Hunt Elk in Unit 851

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Elk Success Rates

Rifle19%

Archery12%

Muzzleloader15%

Harvest results for Unit 851 elk are published annually by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Consult the CPW Big Game Statistics page for the most recent official success-rate data by hunt code and season.

Elk Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— 2nd Season	2	106	1.9%	25
Rifle— 2nd Season	1	29	3.4%	0
Rifle— 3rd Season	1	45	2.2%	0
Rifle— 1st Season	2	183	1.1%	30
Rifle— 2nd Season	3	168	1.8%	28
Rifle— 4th Season	1	114	0.9%	0
Rifle— 1st Season	7	7	100.0%	0
Rifle— 2nd Season	13	4	100.0%	0
Rifle— 3rd Season	21	11	100.0%	0
Rifle— 3rd Season	4	10	40.0%	3
Rifle— 1st Season	11	94	11.7%	5
Rifle— 2nd Season	5	60	8.3%	6
Rifle— 4th Season	4	45	8.9%	0
Rifle— 6th Season	5	23	21.7%	5
Rifle— 1st Season	4	36	11.1%	1
Rifle— 2nd Season	4	24	16.7%	1
Rifle— 3rd Season	4	51	7.8%	18
Rifle— 4th Season	4	69	5.8%	21
Archery— 1st Season	7	33	21.2%	6
Muzzleloader— 1st Season	3	0	100.0%	0
Muzzleloader— 1st Season	4	6	66.7%	2

Data from 2021 draw results. Resident odds shown.

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Unit 851 elk tags are issued through the CPW preference-point draw. Point requirements vary by weapon type and residency. Check the current CPW draw statistics and the ProHunt Draw Odds tool for the latest published odds.

Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 851

Unit 851 covers Sedgwick and Logan counties along the South Platte River in far northeast Colorado. Shelterbelts, CRP, river-bottom cottonwoods, and ag-edge corridors hold both mule deer and whitetail. Limited mule deer tags keep hunt quality high.

Where to Find Mule Deer in Unit 851

Unit 851 mule deer key on cover pockets and the South Platte corridor.

October Rifle

Bucks bed in CRP and shelterbelts adjacent to corn. Feed at dawn/dusk.

Late Rifle

Rut brings bucks into open section corners chasing does.

River Bottoms

South Platte cottonwoods hold trophy bucks year-round.

How to Hunt Mule Deer in Unit 851

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Mule Deer Success Rates

Archery18%

Muzzleloader22%

Rifle28%

Unit 851 mule deer success is 45-60% rifle. Trophy potential is strong thanks to tight tag numbers and ag-fed bucks.

Mule Deer Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Archery— 1st Season	3	16	18.8%	3
Muzzleloader— 1st Season	5	5	100.0%	2
Rifle— 1st Season	4	25	16.0%	9
Rifle— 2nd Season	4	31	12.9%	10
Rifle— 1st Season	1	119	0.8%	31
Rifle— 2nd Season	1	80	1.3%	27

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

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Preference-point draw. Unit 851 buck rifle typically 6-12 resident points — among the harder plains tags. Non-residents require more.

Black Bear Hunting in Unit 851

CPW's 800-series bear codes group eastern plains and edge units into composite draw pools. Unit 851 functions as one of these compound bear codes, with roughly 42 licenses against 782 applicants across three years. The territory is dominated by private agricultural ground and scattered public access through Comanche National Grassland, CPW State Wildlife Areas, and Walk-In Access. Plains bear opportunities are niche but real — bears do move east during fall mast chases, and tags are rare enough that informed hunters can do well.

Where to Find Black Bear in Unit 851

Plains and edge bears follow food — we plan around riparian corridors, chokecherry thickets, and ag.

River Bottoms

Arkansas River and tributary drainages hold cover and water. Bears move along these corridors in late summer and fall.

Chokecherry and Plum Thickets

Dense shelter belts and draws with chokecherry, plum, or wild grape concentrate bears during mast season.

Corn and Milo Fringes

Bears raid standing crops on the urban-ag fringe; ranchers welcome help on depredation-active parcels.

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How to Hunt Unit 851 Black Bear

Colorado prohibits baiting and tightly limits hound hunting for bears — we rely on scouting and spot-and-stalk.

Scout Food Sources

Identify fruiting thickets, milo edges, and river corridors in August. Bears repeat their patterns once they find a reliable food source.

Glass From High Points

Every rise and shelter belt becomes a glassing point on the plains. We spend more time behind binos than behind the wheel.

Secure Permission Early

Ranchers dealing with bear depredation often grant access readily. Offer real help, and the relationship pays dividends.

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Black Bear Success Rates

CPW's composite bear unit harvest data is sparser than mountain GMU data. Success on eastern plains bear tags trends low in absolute terms because density is low, but high-effort hunters with good access and scouting connect more often than the raw numbers suggest.

Black Bear Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Archery— 1st Season	4	36	11.1%	9
Muzzleloader— 1st Season	4	27	14.8%	14
Rifle— 1st Season	4	256	1.6%	23
Rifle— 2nd Season	4	65	6.2%	18
Rifle— 5th Season	4	77	5.2%	1

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

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Roughly 782 applicants competed for 42 tags across three years — aggregate odds in the mid single digits. Under CPW's pure preference-point draw, the highest-point pool draws first, so expected points vary year to year. Resident hunters generally have better odds than nonresidents in these composite codes.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for a Unit 851 elk tag in Colorado?

Unit 851 elk tags are issued through the Colorado Parks and Wildlife preference-point draw. Apply through the CPW online licensing portal during the annual big-game draw application window.

Where can I find official harvest data for Unit 851?

Colorado Parks and Wildlife publishes per-unit harvest and success statistics on the CPW Big Game Statistics page. That is the authoritative source for Unit 851 elk results.

Is Unit 851 hard to draw?

Yes by plains standards — typical 6-12 resident points for mule deer buck tags.

Are there whitetail in Unit 851?

Yes — South Platte bottoms produce good whitetail. Separate tags required.

What is a composite bear unit?

CPW groups multiple GMUs under a single bear hunt code for management efficiency. Unit 851 covers a composite territory — your tag is valid across the whole polygon, but you must map boundaries carefully.

Can I bait or use hounds in Unit 851?

No. Colorado prohibits baiting and tightly restricts hound hunting for bears statewide. Spot-and-stalk is the legal approach.

How does the draw work for Unit 851?

CPW uses pure preference points — the highest point pool is served first and ties are broken randomly. Nonresident and limited archery codes generally require more points than resident rifle codes.

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Sources & Verification

Every fact on this page is tied to a primary source below. Last fact-checked 2026-04-17.

CPW Big Game Hunting — Colorado Parks and Wildlife · supports: Big game species managed by CPW, Official Colorado hunting information portal · accessed 2026-04-17
CPW Big Game Statistics — Colorado Parks and Wildlife · supports: Official harvest and success rate statistics, Per-GMU hunt result reporting · accessed 2026-04-17
CPW Big Game Draw — Colorado Parks and Wildlife · supports: Preference-point draw application process, Annual big game draw timelines · accessed 2026-04-17
CPW Walk-In Access Program — Colorado Parks and Wildlife · supports: WIA parcels in Unit 851, Habitat stamp, Access windows · accessed 2026-04-17
State Wildlife Areas — Colorado Parks and Wildlife · supports: SWA parcels in Unit 851, Public access rules, Permit requirements · accessed 2026-04-17
CPW Hunting — Composite Bear Units Information — Colorado Parks & Wildlife · supports: Composite 800-series bear unit boundaries, management rationale, and season dates · accessed 2026-04-17
2025 Colorado Big Game Brochure — Colorado Parks & Wildlife · supports: Unit 851 bear hunt codes, license limits, and draw framework · accessed 2026-04-17
CPW Black Bear Status of Large Raptors & Bears Report — Colorado Parks & Wildlife · supports: Statewide bear population estimates, harvest trends, and management research · accessed 2026-04-17

Unit 851

Elk Hunting in Unit 851

Where to Find Elk in Unit 851

How to Hunt Elk in Unit 851

Elk Success Rates

Elk Draw Odds

Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 851

Where to Find Mule Deer in Unit 851

October Rifle

Late Rifle

River Bottoms

How to Hunt Mule Deer in Unit 851

Permission Hunting

Section-Line Glassing

WIA and SWA

Mule Deer Success Rates

Mule Deer Draw Odds

Black Bear Hunting in Unit 851

Where to Find Black Bear in Unit 851

River Bottoms

Chokecherry and Plum Thickets

Corn and Milo Fringes

How to Hunt Unit 851 Black Bear

Scout Food Sources

Glass From High Points

Secure Permission Early

Black Bear Success Rates

Black Bear Draw Odds

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

Permit Notes

Frequently Asked Questions

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Sources & Verification