Colorado GMU 104 Elk Hunting
Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas and Elbert counties, central Colorado · 1,454 sq mi
Based on the EASIEST unit-wide bull or either-sex hunt code available to adult Colorado residents in the 2026 primary draw — the lowest preference-point tier that drew reliably. Private-land-only and Ranching for Wildlife hunts are excluded because neither is a unit-wide public-land opportunity — NOT because the public cannot draw them. A private-land-only license requires the hunter's own permission to hunt private ground; a Ranching for Wildlife license is valid on the participating ranches enrolled in that program. They are separate systems. Other weapons, seasons and nonresident applicants can require substantially more points. The band is a floor, not a target: even the easiest qualifying hunt here sits in that range.
What hunting GMU 104 is like
GMU 104 is a 1,454-square-mile unit covering parts of Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas, and Elbert counties on Colorado's Front Range. The terrain is predominantly gentle and rolling, with 97 percent of the unit classified as gentle by area, 3 percent as moderate, and no steep or rugged terrain. Elevation ranges from a low of 5,000 feet to a high of 7,900 feet, with a typical elevation around 5,800 feet. The unit sits in heavily populated and developed country near the Denver metropolitan area.
Public hunting ground is scarce. Approximately 0.1 percent of the unit, roughly 1 square mile, comprises State Wildlife Areas and is generally open to public hunting. An additional 3.5 percent, about 50 square miles, is Colorado State Trust Land where hunting access depends on enrollment in CPW's Public Access Program and cannot be assumed. The remaining land is 87 percent private and 9.6 percent unclassified in ownership. Legal access to hunt is the limiting factor on this unit far more than terrain walkability.
Elk occupancy varies seasonally. CPW maps overall range across 21 percent of the unit and a resident population layer across 19 percent, indicating year-round use over that share. Summer Range covers 6 percent of the unit and Winter Range covers 3 percent, with Summer Concentration and Winter Concentration each marking 1 percent where elk cluster during their respective seasons. As fall advances from September into November, cooling temperatures—from highs near 79 degrees Fahrenheit in early September to the low 50s by mid-November—push elk toward winter ground, though the timing and extent of this shift vary with weather and snow. Migration Corridors are not mapped in this unit.
The unit offers six seasons open to public applicants: Archery from September 2 to September 30 (either-sex), Muzzleloader from September 12 to September 20 (antlerless or bull), and four rifle seasons spanning October 14 through November 22 (1st Rifle October 14–18 for bull, 2nd Rifle October 24–November 1 for bull, 3rd Rifle November 7–15 for bull, 4th Rifle November 18–22 for bull). The Archery season occurs during Rut Onset and Primary Rut phases when bull activity is high, while Muzzleloader coincides with the Primary Rut peak. The rifle seasons progress from Late Rut and Post-Rut Recovery into the Migration Transition phase as fall advances. The draw for these hunts is ranked Easy for the easiest qualifying unit-wide bull or either-sex code available to adult Colorado residents, though other weapons, seasons, and nonresident applicants can carry substantially higher preference-point requirements. Extreme hunter pressure characterizes this unit despite the modest draw difficulty.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,000–7,900 ft, typically around 5,800 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 3.1°
- Slope breakdown
- 97% gentle · 3% moderate · 0% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~1 sq mi, plus ~50 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About <1% of GMU 104 is public land a hunter can count on — State Wildlife Areas. A further 3% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land3%
- Unclassified ownership10%
- Private87%
Colorado State Trust Land is open to public hunting only where it is enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program. Check current enrollment before planning around it.
“Ownership unclassified” means the source dataset does not record an owner for that acreage. It is not known to be public or private.
Where elk live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps elk seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 104 each range covers — the single best clue to whether elk are here in September, in November, or only passing through. The layers overlap, so they do not add to 100%.
- Overall Range21%the full extent of range CPW maps for elk — near 100% on most units, and not a statement about when elk are present
- Resident Population19%the only layer that means year-round use
- Summer Range6%used in summer
- Winter Range3%used in winter
- Winter Concentration1%where elk bunch up in winter
- Summer Concentration<1%where elk bunch up in summer
- Migration Corridors<1%movement between ranges, not residence
Elk seasons & weapons (2026)
| Season | Dates | Tags offered |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | September 2 – September 30 | Either-sex |
| Muzzleloader | September 12 – September 20 | Antlerless, Bull |
| 1st Rifle | October 14 – October 18 | Bull |
| 2nd Rifle | October 24 – November 1 | Bull |
| 3rd Rifle | November 7 – November 15 | Bull |
| 4th Rifle | November 18 – November 22 | Bull |
| Private-land only | September 1 – January 31 | Antlerless |
| Ranching for Wildlife | November 20 – December 20 | Either-sex, Antlerless |
Dates span every hunt code of that type in this unit and can differ by code. Confirm the current brochure with Colorado Parks & Wildlife before applying.
Fall weather
- September — highs around 79°F, lows around 48°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 66°F, lows around 36°F, about 1.1 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 54°F, lows around 26°F, about 1.7 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 104 elk hunting FAQ
Can a hunter with zero preference points draw a tag on GMU 104?
The easiest unit-wide bull or either-sex code for adult residents ranks as Easy draw difficulty, often requiring zero points. However, other seasons, weapons, and nonresident applicants can carry substantially higher point requirements, and all draws depend on the specific code applied for. A zero-point applicant should check which hunts drew at zero points in recent years before applying.
How much public land can a hunter actually access on GMU 104?
Only about 0.1 percent of the unit, roughly 1 square mile of State Wildlife Areas, is generally open to public hunting. An additional 3.5 percent is Colorado State Trust Land where access depends on CPW's Public Access Program enrollment and cannot be assumed. Legal access, not terrain, is the primary constraint here—the gentle rolling terrain itself is easy to walk, but nearly all of it is private land.
Does GMU 104 hold elk year-round?
CPW maps a resident population layer across 19 percent of the unit, indicating year-round elk use over that share. However, this does not mean elk are spread evenly or that they remain throughout the unit—the Summer and Winter Concentration layers, each covering 1 percent, show that elk cluster seasonally. A hunter should expect elk to concentrate differently in summer and winter, with timing driven by weather and snow.
What rut timing do the archery and muzzleloader seasons cover?
Archery (September 2–30) spans Rut Onset into the Primary Rut peak, when bulls are actively vocaling and competing. Muzzleloader (September 12–20) falls entirely within the Primary Rut, the period of highest rut intensity. Both seasons coincide with peak bull activity and calling opportunity.
How does weather change across the hunting season on GMU 104?
Fall temperatures cool steadily from September highs near 79 degrees Fahrenheit to November highs near 54 degrees Fahrenheit. Snowfall increases from nearly none in September to about 1.1 inches in October and 1.7 inches in November. This cooling and precipitation trend pushes elk toward winter ground, though the timing and extent vary with actual weather.
Is GMU 104 realistic to hunt given the extreme hunter pressure?
The unit sits near the Denver metropolitan area and draws extreme hunter pressure despite its easy draw difficulty and gentle terrain. Access scarcity—only about 0.1 percent is dependably open to public hunting—is the hard limit on realistic hunting opportunity, not the draw or the landscape. A hunter should verify specific access options and trailheads before committing to an application.
Data sources & methodology
- Colorado Parks & Wildlife — Big Game hunting — seasons, weapons, hunt codes and license types
- CPW — Primary Draw rules — how preference points and the hybrid draw work
- CPW — Elk statistics, draw recap and Drawn Out At reports — the point levels behind the draw-difficulty bands
- CPW — Secondary Draw — licenses remaining after the primary draw
- CPW — Maps and GIS (Species Activity Mapping) — elk seasonal range
- CPW — State Trust Land Finder — which State Trust acreage is enrolled and open to public hunting
- Federal and state land-ownership datasets — land ownership and access
- NOAA climate normals — fall weather
Draw difficulty is a qualitative band, not published odds — the note under the summary above states exactly which hunt code it describes. Land shares are separate, non-overlapping categories: publicly owned is not the same as open to hunting, and State Trust Land is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it. Unit data last updated August 28, 2026.