Colorado GMU 40 Elk Hunting
Mesa County, southwest Colorado · 742 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 40 is like
GMU 40 spans 742 square miles of Mesa County in the southwest region, covering terrain that rises from 4,300 feet to 9,700 feet with a typical elevation around 6,700 feet. The country is rolling, with some steeper breaks, distributed as 59 percent gentle terrain, 26 percent moderate, 12 percent steep, and 3 percent rugged by area. The mean slope across the unit is 12.2 degrees, falling in the moderate band. Elk occupy Overall Range covering 89 percent of the unit, with concentrated seasonal use in lower and mid-elevation areas.
Public hunting ground covers approximately 58 percent of the unit—428 square miles—across BLM, National Forest, and State Wildlife Areas. An additional 4.3 percent is National Park Service land closed to hunting. Private land comprises 38 percent of the unit. The public acreage available to hunters is therefore the 428 square miles of generally open ground; entry points and seasonal accessibility depend on individual access routes and road conditions.
Elk seasonal ranges are defined by CPW mapping: Winter Range covers 59 percent of the unit and Winter Concentration 6 percent, indicating where elk cluster during the cold months. Summer Range covers 28 percent of the unit, with Summer Concentration marking 20 percent where elk concentrate during the warm season. Migration Corridors comprise 3 percent. Elk use shifts between these seasonal grounds through the fall: herds move downslope and eastward as temperatures drop from September highs near 76 degrees Fahrenheit to November highs near 48 degrees, with October snowfall averaging 0.5 inches and November around 1.5 inches.
The unit offers seven publicly available hunting seasons in 2026. Archery runs September 2–30 for either-sex; Muzzleloader runs September 12–20 for either-sex or antlerless; four numbered Rifle seasons span October 14 through November 22 (1st Rifle October 14–18, 2nd Rifle October 24–November 1, 3rd Rifle November 7–15, 4th Rifle November 18–22), each offering either-sex or antlerless tags; a Late Rifle season offers antlerless hunting on unpublished dates. A private-land-only season runs September 1–November 30 for antlerless, and a Ranching for Wildlife season runs October 3–21 for either-sex or antlerless. Overall hunter pressure is low, and draw difficulty is classified as Premium, requiring 10–19 preference points for the easiest qualifying bull or either-sex hunt available to adult Colorado residents. Premium bull seasons in the unit demand substantially higher preference-point counts.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,300–9,700 ft, typically around 6,700 ft
- Steepness
- Moderate — mean slope 12.2°
- Slope breakdown
- 59% gentle · 26% moderate · 12% steep · 3% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~428 sq mi
Land & access
About 58% of GMU 40 is public land a hunter can count on — BLM, National Forest and State Wildlife Areas. Another 4% is public but closed to hunting — National Park Service.
- BLM56%
- National Forest2%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- National Park Service4%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private38%
Where elk live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps elk seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 40 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 Range89%the full extent of range CPW maps for elk — near 100% on most units, and not a statement about when elk are present
- Winter Range59%used in winter
- Summer Range28%used in summer
- Summer Concentration20%where elk bunch up in summer
- Winter Concentration6%where elk bunch up in winter
- Migration Corridors3%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 | Either-sex, Antlerless |
| 2nd Rifle | October 24 – November 1 | Either-sex, Antlerless |
| 3rd Rifle | November 7 – November 15 | Either-sex, Antlerless |
| 4th Rifle | November 18 – November 22 | Either-sex, Antlerless |
| Late Rifle | Dates vary by hunt code | Antlerless |
| Private-land only | September 1 – November 30 | Antlerless |
| Ranching for Wildlife | October 3 – October 21 | 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 76°F, lows around 49°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 62°F, lows around 37°F, about 0.5 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 48°F, lows around 26°F, about 1.5 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 40 elk hunting FAQ
Can a hunter with zero preference points draw this unit?
No. The easiest qualifying unit-wide bull or either-sex hunt for an adult Colorado resident requires 10–19 preference points. Applicants with no preference points will not draw in the primary allocation; however, they may remain on a waitlist for late draws or second-choice opportunities depending on CPW procedures.
Is this unit better suited to archery or rifle seasons?
Both weapons overlap with active rut timing. Archery (September 2–30) and Muzzleloader (September 12–20) coincide with Rut Onset and Primary Rut, when bulls are vocally active and competitive. The four numbered Rifle seasons (October 14–November 22) span Late Rut through Migration Transition, when bulls are past peak, post-rut bulls are recovering, and herds begin moving to winter range. Neither season is inherently superior; the choice depends on preference for rut hunting versus post-rut conditions and the specific weapon.
How much public-land acreage can a hunter actually access here?
CPW maps approximately 428 square miles of generally open public hunting ground on BLM, National Forest, and State Wildlife Areas. That total does not guarantee road or trailhead access to all of it; hunters must scout specific entry points and confirm seasonal access routes before the hunt. Private land inholdings and access roads still govern practical entry regardless of public ownership.
Where do elk concentrate during the fall hunting season?
CPW mapping shows Summer Concentration on 20 percent of the unit and Winter Concentration on 6 percent, indicating where elk cluster during warm months and cold months respectively. The specific elevation bands, aspects, and ground types where these concentrations lie are not identified in the mapping, so hunters must study seasonal range layers and scout to locate productive areas. Broad Summer and Winter Range coverage (89 percent overall) indicates elk use throughout much of the unit but does not mean they are uniformly distributed.
Does terrain on foot present a significant challenge?
The unit is predominantly gentle to moderate; 85 percent of the terrain ranks as gentle or moderate slope. Only 15 percent is steep or rugged. Hunters on foot should find much of the unit navigable, although the mix of elevations and the presence of some steep breaks means route-finding varies by location. Access via road and trailhead proximity still determines how much ground is practical to hunt.
What is the weather trend across the fall hunting season?
Fall temperatures cool steadily: September highs average 76 degrees Fahrenheit, October highs drop to 62 degrees, and November highs fall to 48 degrees. Snowfall is minimal in September, increases to 0.5 inches on average in October, and reaches 1.5 inches by November. Early-season hunts are warm and dry; later seasons face colder conditions and snow that can affect both herd movement and hunter mobility.
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 27, 2026.