Best Colorado antelope units?

[blacksheep]

I am wanting to do an antelope hunt in Colorado in 2026. I am a non-resident. I have had luck drawing elk tags for the past several years. What units should I look at? Do I need a guide service?

 

[Dsnow9]

I am wanting to do an antelope hunt in Colorado in 2026. I am a non-resident. I have had luck drawing elk tags for the past several years. What units should I look at? Do I need a guide service?

How many points do you have?

Do you want to hunt one or have a good chance at killing one?

Do you want to try and kill any antelope or a buck?

Age class of buck?

 

[Bigjay73]

If no points, you can get a buck rifle tag for the Eastern part of the state if you hire a guide. Lots of private, tags are easy to draw.

 

[LopeHunter]

Wyoming's average pronghorn units may be as good as what you can draw in Colorado and draw with shorter waits between tags plus several units have plenty of public lands that hold pronghorn. Cost to get a non-resident tag is about the same if figure will need to build two or three years of points in Wyoming for a suitable unit while might need to wait more years to get a comparable unit in Colorado. Wyoming has some nice bucks in many of their units if that is something you focus on. I tend to look for goofy horns or take an above average mature buck on Day 3 or so.

Some Wyoming pronghorn units on the eastern side of the state, though, are mostly private and access is often though hiring a guide rather than merely paying a fee or knocking on a door to ask to hunt that ranch on your own. Wyoming also has the much more expensive "special" draw for a pronghorn tag which in practice enables you to draw a pronghorn tag sooner than the regular draw but not always.

Winter kill can hammer a pronghorn herd and reduce tags drastically for a couple of years so that is a factor in WY and MT every few years.

 

[nrpate05]

Depends on how many points you have and what kind of experience you're looking for. A guide service will open up opportunities, but there are public land units that you can do yourself. Many take several points to draw.

 

[2rocky]

I'm just piling on...there are services that make their living helping folks find outfitters that will make doing research unnecessary.
amd really that is a good avenue if it is a one and done species for folks, or a state you can't scout or hunt yearly. It's not really fair to ask a diy guy to give up intel on a state he or she invested years of experience in...

 

[Sheltowee]

If no points, you can get a buck rifle tag for the Eastern part of the state if you hire a guide. Lots of private, tags are easy to draw.

Don't count on drawing a decent rifle or muzzy buck tag in any unit with an appreciable amount of public if you don't have points. You'll likely need to either (1) go guided in order to hunt private or (2) try your luck in the OTC archery season.

 

[Khunter]

looking like @blacksheep is not inclined to fill in requested details (points in hand) to receive more guidance?

 

[Bigjay73]

Don't count on drawing a decent rifle or muzzy buck tag in any unit with an appreciable amount of public if you don't have points. You'll likely need to either (1) go guided in order to hunt private or (2) try your luck in the OTC archery season.

Glad you agree

 

[shb]

looking like @blacksheep is not inclined to fill in requested details (points in hand) to receive more guidance?

 

[JohnCushman]

Welcome to HT

 

[blacksheep]

No points antelope points. I want to rifle hunt. Eastern Colorado is ok with me. I may need to do a guided hunt on private. I'm not looking for a BC buck, just a good mature representation. Don't get me wrong I'll take a big buck! Are there any guide services that come highly recommended??

 

[jimss]

Try NMex

 

[brownbear932008]

No points antelope points. I want to rifle hunt. Eastern Colorado is ok with me. I may need to do a guided hunt on private. I'm not looking for a BC buck, just a good mature representation. Don't get me wrong I'll take a big buck! Are there any guide services that come highly recommended??

Unless you're dead set on Colorado, I'd take take a look at a guided hunt in Eastern Wyoming more animals and better quality. IMO With no points outfitted is the way to go if you want to hunt next year.

 

[Mallardsx2]

Best of luck to you. I have 13 points and I'm not even close to what I would consider a "Good" unit for a rifle hunt.

 

[Bigjay73]

You could hunt big public land antelope 4 times in 13 years in Co.

 

[Fred_WalsenburgRanch]

I am wanting to do an antelope hunt in Colorado in 2026. I am a non-resident. I have had luck drawing elk tags for the past several years. What units should I look at? Do I need a guide service?

Good question—CO antelope is mostly a draw, so I’d start by looking at units with decent public access out west rather than the eastern plains unless you’ve got access lined up. You definitely don’t need a guide for a DIY hunt if you’re willing to e-scout and put in some miles. Antelope are easy to find but can be tricky to stalk, so terrain and wind matter more than people expect.

 

[Fred_WalsenburgRanch]

Good question—CO antelope is mostly a draw, so I’d start by looking at units with decent public access out west rather than the eastern plains unless you’ve got access lined up. You definitely don’t need a guide for a DIY hunt if you’re willing to e-scout and put in some miles. Antelope are easy to find but can be tricky to stalk, so terrain and wind matter more than people expect.