Colorado GMU 13 Elk Hunting
Moffat and Routt counties, northwest Colorado · 362 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 13 is like
Game Management Unit 13 spans 362 square miles across Moffat and Routt counties in Colorado's northwest region, covering rolling country with some steeper breaks. The unit ranges from 6,100 feet to 8,500 feet in elevation, with typical hunting at around 6,900 feet. Terrain is predominantly gentle to moderate: 53% of the unit is gentle slope, 38% moderate, and 9% steep, making most of the ground walkable for hunters on foot. This rolling topography dominates the landscape, though steeper breaks create varied hunting terrain.
Public ground that a hunter can dependably access is limited. Only about 7.1% of the unit—roughly 26 square miles—is generally open to public hunting, managed by the Bureau of Land Management and State Wildlife Areas. An additional 15% (roughly 55 square miles) consists of Colorado State Trust Land; hunting here depends on CPW enrollment in the Public Access Program, and specific parcels available in any year are not predictable from this designation. The remaining 77% is private land. This ownership split means legal access is the defining constraint of hunting Unit 13, regardless of how walkable the terrain appears.
Elk use this unit seasonally. Winter Range covers the entire unit, indicating elk presence on winter-use ground. Summer Range blankets 90% of the unit. Winter Concentration (63% of the unit) and Summer Concentration (41% of the unit) show where elk cluster during their respective seasons. Migration Corridors occupy 27% of the unit, reflecting movement as elk shift between ranges. The unit supports no mapped Resident Population area, meaning CPW records no significant year-round-use zone. Hunters should expect elk distribution to shift as seasons progress from summer to fall and into winter, with the timing and extent of movement varying with weather and snow.
The unit offers eight seasons total, including seven open to public applicants. Archery runs September 2–30 and is either-sex. Muzzleloader runs September 12–20 and offers either-sex and antlerless codes. Four numbered rifle seasons follow: 1st Rifle (October 14–18), 2nd Rifle (October 24–November 1), 3rd Rifle (November 7–15), and 4th Rifle (November 18–22), with various bull and antlerless options. Late Rifle extends December 1–31 and is antlerless only. A private-land-only season also operates September 2–November 30. Early-season hunts (Archery and Muzzleloader) fall during rut onset and the primary rut. The rifle block spans the transition from late rut and post-rut recovery into migration season. Late Rifle hunts the winter range period. Draw difficulty for adult Colorado residents is easy, typically requiring zero preference points for the easiest unit-wide either-sex or bull codes, though other hunts, weapons, and applicant classes may require substantially more points. Hunter pressure on Unit 13 is extreme.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 6,100–8,500 ft, typically around 6,900 ft
- Steepness
- Moderate — mean slope 11.6°
- Slope breakdown
- 53% gentle · 38% moderate · 9% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~26 sq mi, plus ~55 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 7% of GMU 13 is public land a hunter can count on — BLM and State Wildlife Areas. A further 15% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- BLM7%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land15%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private77%
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.
Where elk live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps elk seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 13 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%.
- Winter Range100%used in winter
- Overall Range100%the full extent of range CPW maps for elk — near 100% on most units, and not a statement about when elk are present
- Summer Range90%used in summer
- Winter Concentration63%where elk bunch up in winter
- Summer Concentration41%where elk bunch up in summer
- Migration Corridors27%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 | Either-sex, Antlerless |
| 1st Rifle | October 14 – October 18 | Antlerless, Bull |
| 2nd Rifle | October 24 – November 1 | Antlerless |
| 3rd Rifle | November 7 – November 15 | Antlerless |
| 4th Rifle | November 18 – November 22 | Antlerless, Bull |
| Late Rifle | December 1 – December 31 | Antlerless |
| Private-land only | September 2 – November 30 | 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 73°F, lows around 40°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 59°F, lows around 30°F, about 1.3 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 44°F, lows around 20°F, about 7.4 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 13 elk hunting FAQ
Can a hunter with zero preference points draw a tag on Unit 13?
Yes. The easiest unit-wide bull or either-sex codes for adult Colorado residents in the primary draw typically require zero preference points. However, other hunts on the unit—specific season codes, nonresident applicants, and certain weapons—can require substantially more points. The easy-draw designation applies to the lowest preference-point tier that drew reliably; not all tags are equally accessible.
How much ground can a public-land hunter actually hunt?
Only about 7.1% of the unit—roughly 26 square miles—is generally open to public hunting through BLM and State Wildlife Areas. An additional 15% is State Trust Land, huntable only on parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program in a given year. The remaining 77% is private. Legal access, not terrain walkability, is the limiting factor for most hunters in this unit.
Is this unit better for early-season or late-season hunts?
Early-season hunts (Archery September 2–30, Muzzleloader September 12–20) occur during rut onset and the primary rut, when bulls are vocal and active. Mid-season rifle hunts (October 14–November 22) progress from late rut into post-rut recovery and migration season. Late Rifle (December 1–31) hunts the winter range period. Choice depends on whether a hunter prefers rut activity or the terrain and elk behavior of later seasons.
Does hunter pressure make this unit unrealistic to hunt?
Hunter pressure on Unit 13 is extreme, meaning the unit receives very high visitation. However, the unit draws easily—the easiest qualifications often require zero preference points—so public hunters can access tags. Success depends more on skill, ground selection, and being willing to hunt the difficult-access public parcels than on tag difficulty.
What is the terrain like for a hunter on foot?
Most of Unit 13 is walkable. Fifty-three percent of the unit is gentle slope and 38% is moderate slope, leaving only 9% steep terrain. The rolling topography with some steeper breaks is generally manageable for hunters in reasonable fitness. Steep sections do exist but are not dominant, and most hunters should be able to cover public ground without extreme physical demands from steepness alone.
When should a hunter expect elk to be concentrated in the unit?
Winter Concentration covers 63% of the unit and Summer Concentration covers 41%, indicating elk cluster significantly during both seasons. The specific locations of these concentrated areas are not mapped in this data, and clustering can shift with weather and snow. Hunters should plan on scouting to locate current elk groups rather than expecting uniform distribution across the accessible ground.
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.