Colorado GMU 301 Elk Hunting
Moffat County, northwest Colorado · 367 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 301 is like
GMU 301 sprawls across 367 square miles of northwestern Colorado's low-elevation high plains and foothills, ranging from 6,000 feet in the valleys to 7,500 feet on the ridges. The terrain is gentle and rolling, with 83% of the unit falling in gentle terrain, 16% moderate, and only 1% steep. The country is walkable and relatively open, but the distribution of public land is the actual constraint to hunting here.
The unit is predominantly private, comprising about 85% of its area. Approximately 11% (42 square miles) is Bureau of Land Management (BLM) ground that is open to public hunting. An additional 3.9% (14 square miles) is Colorado State Trust Land, which may be hunted only on parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program; the enrollment status of individual parcels is not published here and varies. That BLM acreage is the only ground a hunter can reliably count on accessing, and it is the limiting factor in a unit where terrain itself is not a barrier.
Elk concentrate heavily on winter range that covers the entire unit, and CPW maps migration corridors across 70% of the area. The unit shows almost no mapped summer range (2%), which means most elk are present through the fall and winter. As the seasons advance from September through November, a general movement toward winter ground should be expected, with timing and extent varying by weather and snow. The concentration of elk on winter ground means they cluster rather than spread evenly, and a hunter's chance of success depends heavily on accessing the right small patches of public land where that concentration occurs.
The unit offers nine seasons total, seven of which are available to public applicants: Archery from September 2 to September 30 (Either-sex), Muzzleloader from September 12 to September 20 (Either-sex/Antlerless), four numbered Rifle seasons running from October 14 to November 22 (with various code options), and a separate Late Rifle season from December 1 to December 31 (Antlerless). Archery and Muzzleloader fall during the primary rut, while the first rifle season catches the tail end of the rut and post-rut recovery. The second and third rifle seasons span the migration transition period. Late Rifle hunts winter range. The draw for this unit is easy, often taking zero preference points for the most accessible either-sex or bull hunts, but that accessibility contrasts sharply with extreme hunter pressure and the scarcity of public ground to hunt on.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 6,000–7,500 ft, typically around 6,600 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 6.8°
- Slope breakdown
- 83% gentle · 16% moderate · 1% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~42 sq mi, plus ~14 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 11% of GMU 301 is public land a hunter can count on — BLM. A further 4% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- BLM11%
- State Trust Land4%
- Private85%
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 301 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
- Winter Concentration100%where elk bunch up 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
- Migration Corridors70%movement between ranges, not residence
- Summer Range2%used 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 | Either-sex, Antlerless, Bull |
| 2nd Rifle | October 24 – November 1 | Antlerless, Bull |
| 3rd Rifle | November 7 – November 15 | Antlerless, Bull |
| 4th Rifle | November 18 – November 22 | Either-sex, Antlerless, Bull |
| Late Rifle | December 1 – December 31 | Antlerless |
| Private-land only | September 2 – December 31 | Either-sex, Antlerless |
| Ranching for Wildlife | November 17 – January 17 | 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.
GMU 301 elk hunting FAQ
Can a hunter with zero points get a tag here?
Yes. The unit draws at easy difficulty, meaning the most accessible either-sex or bull hunts for adult Colorado residents in the primary draw typically require zero preference points. Other weapon types, seasons, and nonresident applicants can require substantially more points. Antlerless-only hunts may also have different draw requirements not specified in this guide.
How much public land can actually be hunted?
About 11% of the unit (42 square miles) is BLM ground open to public hunting. An additional 3.9% (14 square miles) is State Trust Land, but only parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program can be hunted, and enrollment status varies and is not published here. The walkable terrain is not the limiting factor; legal access to the 11% of BLM acreage is.
Is this unit better for archery or rifle?
Archery and Muzzleloader both fall during the primary rut (September 2–20), when elk are most responsive to calling and movement. Rifle seasons run from October through November and into December, spanning the post-rut recovery, migration, and early winter periods. The choice depends on hunting style and season preference; both weapon types are offered, and the rut timing for archery is the traditional advantage.
Where do elk go as fall progresses?
CPW maps winter concentration across the entire unit, with migration corridors covering 70% of it. Almost no summer range is mapped (2%), meaning most elk remain through the fall. As November advances into winter, expect elk to shift toward and concentrate on winter ground, though the timing and extent vary with weather and snow. A hunter should anticipate they are present and clustering from archery season onward.
Is the terrain difficult to walk?
No. The unit is 83% gentle terrain and 16% moderate, with only 1% steep ground. Hiking and hiking cross-country is manageable. The real challenge is not the terrain but finding and accessing the small patches of public land where elk concentrate, especially in a unit where 85% is private.
How does extreme hunter pressure affect hunts here?
The unit draws easily but sees very heavy hunting activity across all seasons. Because only about 11% of the unit is reliably open to public hunting, that limited ground will be crowded. Success depends on scouting public parcels before the season, arriving early, and hunting outside peak weekends if possible.
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.