Colorado GMU 48 Elk Hunting
Lake and Chaffee counties, central Colorado · 300 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 48 is like
Game Management Unit 48 spans 300 square miles across Lake and Chaffee counties in the central Colorado high country, with elevations ranging from 8,800 feet to 14,400 feet and a typical mid-range elevation near 11,100 feet. The terrain is mixed, with substantial steep ground: 31% of the unit is gentle, 38% moderate, 28% steep, and 4% rugged. Hunters should expect significant elevation changes and variable conditions depending on where they focus their efforts.
Approximately 88% of the unit — roughly 263 square miles — is open to public hunting. This ground consists primarily of U.S. Forest Service land (83% of the unit), with additional open ground managed by the BLM and State Wildlife Areas. The remaining 12% is split between private land (9.8%) and unclassified ownership (1.8%), which means a hunter can reliably access and hunt the majority of the unit.
Elk in this unit show strong seasonal movement. Summer Range covers the entire unit, with concentrated summer use on 37% of the area. Winter Range covers only 22% of the unit, and winter concentration is mapped on 13%. Resident Population comprises just 1% of the unit, indicating limited year-round use. The significant gap between summer and winter range coverage supports expecting a shift toward winter ground as fall progresses and snow accumulates; timing and extent of this movement vary with weather and snowfall. Migration corridors account for 6% of the unit, reflecting the seasonal nature of elk use here.
Six seasons are offered in 2026. Archery runs September 2–30 for either-sex hunting, overlapping with rut onset and the primary rut. Muzzleloader is September 12–20 for antlerless or bull, occurring during the primary rut. Four rifle seasons follow: 1st Rifle October 14–18 (bull only), 2nd Rifle October 24–November 1 (antlerless or bull), 3rd Rifle November 7–15 (antlerless or bull), and 4th Rifle November 18–22 (antlerless or bull). The 1st Rifle season spans late rut and post-rut recovery, while the remaining rifle seasons align with migration transition and winter range occupancy. Fall temperatures cool from September highs around 57°F to November highs near 35°F, with October bringing an average 8 inches of snowfall and November averaging 21 inches. This unit carries moderate draw difficulty (1–2 preference points for the easiest unit-wide bull or either-sex hunt available to adult Colorado residents) and low overall hunter pressure.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 8,800–14,400 ft, typically around 11,100 ft
- Steepness
- Rugged — mean slope 18.3°
- Slope breakdown
- 31% gentle · 38% moderate · 28% steep · 4% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~263 sq mi, plus ~2 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 88% of GMU 48 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest, BLM and State Wildlife Areas.
- National Forest83%
- BLM4%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land<1%
- Unclassified ownership2%
- Private10%
“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 48 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
- Summer Range100%used in summer
- Summer Concentration37%where elk bunch up in summer
- Winter Range22%used in winter
- Winter Concentration13%where elk bunch up in winter
- Migration Corridors6%movement between ranges, not residence
- Resident Population<1%the only layer that means year-round use
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 | Antlerless, Bull |
| 3rd Rifle | November 7 – November 15 | Antlerless, Bull |
| 4th Rifle | November 18 – November 22 | Antlerless, Bull |
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 57°F, lows around 33°F, about 0.9 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 46°F, lows around 23°F, about 8 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 35°F, lows around 12°F, about 21.2 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 48 elk hunting FAQ
What percentage of this unit is actually huntable for a public-land hunter?
Approximately 88% of the unit is open to public hunting, comprising U.S. Forest Service land, BLM, and State Wildlife Areas. The remaining ground is private or unclassified, so a hunter can expect to access and hunt the vast majority of the 300 square miles.
Should a hunter without preference points apply here, or is this unit only realistic with points banked?
The easiest unit-wide bull or either-sex code draws at moderate difficulty, requiring 1–2 preference points. A hunter with no points will not draw the most accessible hunts, but the unit does offer seasons ranked at that tier. Premium bull seasons are a separate tier and require substantially more points.
Is the early season (archery and muzzleloader) worth hunting, or does the rut have better odds later in fall?
Archery and muzzleloader are September hunts that fall during rut onset and primary rut, when bull calling and glassing can be most productive. Later rifle seasons encounter post-rut recovery and migration transition elk, which respond differently to hunting pressure and are moving toward winter ground rather than holding in thermal cover.
How much of this terrain is actually walkable for a hunter on foot?
Gentle and moderate terrain comprise 69% of the unit by area, while steep and rugged ground make up 32%. A foot-mobile hunter can find substantial acreage of approachable country, though elevation gain and mixed terrain mean route-finding and fitness matter significantly.
When should a hunter expect snow to significantly affect the hunt?
October averages 8 inches of snowfall at mid elevation, and November averages 21 inches. Archery and early muzzleloader in early September should encounter little snow, while 1st Rifle and later seasons increasingly face deep snow and its effects on elk movement and visibility.
Does this unit concentrate elk in predictable areas, or are they spread throughout?
Summer concentration is mapped on 37% of the unit, and winter concentration on 13%, indicating that elk cluster in specific areas during each season rather than distributing evenly. A hunter's success hinges partly on finding and focusing on those concentrated-use zones rather than randomly hunting across the entire unit.
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.