Colorado GMU 26 Elk Hunting
Eagle, Garfield and Routt counties, northwest Colorado · 240 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 26 is like
GMU 26 spans 240 square miles across the northwest region of Colorado in Eagle, Garfield and Routt counties. The unit rises from 6,500 feet to 12,400 feet, with typical elevations near 8,900 feet. The terrain is rolling, with some steeper breaks: 64 percent of the unit is gentle, 31 percent moderate, and just 5 percent steep or rugged. The rolling character and elevation range support a diverse elk range across the unit's considerable size.
About half the unit, roughly 117 square miles, is generally open to public hunting under National Forest and BLM management. Another 1.3 percent, or roughly 3 square miles, is Colorado State Trust Land; access to these parcels depends on enrollment in CPW's Public Access Program and varies by property. The remaining half of the unit is private land. Public ownership covers roughly half the total, but the huntable portion is the National Forest and BLM ground only.
Elk occupy the unit across two main seasonal ranges. Summer Range covers 82 percent of the unit and Summer Concentration accounts for 3 percent, meaning most elk are dispersed across the broader summer range with minimal clustering. Winter Range covers 84 percent of the unit, and Winter Concentration reaches 28 percent—a substantial share where elk cluster as cold months arrive. As the fall season progresses from September into November, hunters should expect elk to shift gradually onto winter range in response to cooling temperatures and snow, though the timing and extent of that movement vary with weather patterns year to year.
The unit offers eight seasons across archery, muzzleloader and rifle. Archery runs September 2–30 for either-sex hunting. Muzzleloader runs September 12–20 and offers either-sex and antlerless options. Five 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) all end in November, while Late Rifle runs December 1–January 15. The earlier rifle seasons offer antlerless and bull options; later seasons are primarily antlerless. The unit draws as Easy—often at zero preference points—for the most accessible bull or either-sex code available to adult Colorado residents. Hunter pressure on the unit is extreme.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 6,500–12,400 ft, typically around 8,900 ft
- Steepness
- Moderate — mean slope 9.4°
- Slope breakdown
- 64% gentle · 31% moderate · 4% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~117 sq mi, plus ~3 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 49% of GMU 26 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest and BLM. A further 1% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- National Forest30%
- BLM19%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land1%
- Private50%
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 26 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 Range100%the full extent of range CPW maps for elk — near 100% on most units, and not a statement about when elk are present
- Winter Range84%used in winter
- Summer Range82%used in summer
- Winter Concentration28%where elk bunch up in winter
- Summer Concentration3%where elk bunch up in summer
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 – January 15 | Antlerless |
| Private-land only | August 15 – January 15 | 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 66°F, lows around 36°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 53°F, lows around 27°F, about 3.1 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 40°F, lows around 16°F, about 12 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 26 elk hunting FAQ
Can a hunter with no preference points draw this unit?
Yes. The easiest qualifying bull or either-sex hunt code for an adult Colorado resident draws at zero preference points reliably. Other weapons, seasons and nonresident applicants may require substantially more points. The zero-point tier applies to the easiest available unit-wide hunt and should not be assumed for all season and weapon combinations.
How much public ground can actually be hunted here?
Roughly 117 square miles of National Forest and BLM land is generally open to public hunting. An additional roughly 3 square miles of Colorado State Trust Land may be huntable, but only if those specific parcels are enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program, which is not guaranteed. Hunters should verify enrollment before planning to hunt trust land parcels.
Is this unit better for early or late season hunting?
The primary rut runs through September and early October, making September's archery and muzzleloader seasons the best time for aggressive bull hunting. Rifle seasons transition from post-rut (October) through the migration window (November) into December. Late Rifle (December 1–January 15) targets elk on winter range after snow drives them down, but these seasons are antlerless-focused.
Where should a hunter expect to find elk as fall progresses?
Summer Range covers 82 percent of the unit in September and early October, with elk dispersed across that broad area. As November arrives and snow accumulates—averaging 12 inches that month—hunters should expect a shift toward the 28 percent of the unit mapped as Winter Concentration, where elk cluster as they move to lower winter range. The pace and extent of that shift depend on snowfall and weather patterns.
Does the terrain here require mountaineering experience?
No. The unit is rolling with some steeper breaks—64 percent gentle terrain and 31 percent moderate. Only 5 percent of the unit is steep or rugged, so a hunter on foot can navigate most of the country without technical skills. Steeper sections do exist and should be expected in breaks and higher-elevation patches, but they are not the dominant character of the terrain.
How crowded is this unit during the season?
Hunter pressure is extreme. The unit's easy draw and 240 square miles of public and accessible private land mean many hunters compete for the same ground, particularly during the September archery and early rifle seasons. Large-area public land does not guarantee solitude, especially in a unit this accessible and easy to draw.
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.