Colorado OTC Elk Units › Unit 73
OTC 2nd & 3rd rifle · 2026

Unit 73 Elk Hunting, Colorado

San Juan Mountains near Dolores, Southwest Colorado. Here's the terrain, access, and license picture, plus how to hunt it under pressure.

RegionSan Juan Mountains near Dolores, Southwest Colorado
Public landSan Juan National Forest and BLM; largely public
Elevationroughly 7,000 to 13,000 ft
2026 licenseUnlimited antlered bull, over the counter (OTC), for 2nd and 3rd rifle in 2026.

The country

Flatter pinon and oak benches near Dolores rise into aspen and spruce-fir and rugged high peaks toward Rico and the Lizard Head country.

Access and pressure

Roaded access with moderate to heavy pressure out of the Dolores hub.

How to hunt Unit 73

Climb from the roaded benches into aspen and timberline basins, or catch migrating elk on the lower oak country in the late seasons.

Know the unit. Now find where the elk move.

ScoutIQ forecasts daily elk movement inside your unit, with a confidence score on every call.

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Terrain, forest, and elevation details are drawn from public land and habitat sources. License types change year to year, so always confirm a unit's current status and boundaries on the official Colorado Parks and Wildlife big game brochure before you buy. ScoutIQ forecasts are confidence-weighted, not guarantees.

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