Colorado GMU 52 Elk Hunting
Delta and Gunnison counties, southwest Colorado · 264 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 52 is like
GMU 52 spans 264 square miles across Delta and Gunnison counties in southwest Colorado, ranging from 5,000 feet to 11,300 feet in elevation with a typical elevation around 7,700 feet. The terrain is rolling, with some steeper breaks: 63 percent of the unit is gentle, 33 percent moderate, and 4 percent steep. The landscape supports a mix of forest, meadow and brushy country across its elevation span.
About 48 percent of the unit—roughly 126 square miles—is open to public hunting on National Forest and BLM land. The remaining 52 percent is private. Public ground is interspersed with private holdings throughout the unit, and access depends on the specific route; hunters should verify approach options before applying.
Elk occupy broad seasonal ranges across the unit. Winter Range covers 61 percent of the unit, while Summer Range spans 54 percent, reflecting movement tied to snow and forage. Summer Concentration marks 33 percent of the unit, indicating where elk cluster during the warmer months, while Winter Concentration covers 20 percent, showing where they gather as conditions cool. Hunters should expect elk to shift toward winter concentration ground as November arrives and snow accumulates, though timing and extent vary with weather patterns.
GMU 52 offers six public elk seasons in the archery, muzzleloader, and rifle weapons classes. Archery runs September 2 to September 30 for either-sex hunting during the primary rut. Muzzleloader hunts occur September 12 to September 20 for bull or antlerless. Four rifle seasons follow: the 1st runs October 14 to October 18, the 2nd October 24 to November 1, the 3rd November 7 to November 15, and the 4th November 18 to November 22, with varying antlerless and bull options. The unit draws as easy, often requiring zero preference points for the easiest unit-wide bull or either-sex hunt code available to adult Colorado residents. Hunter pressure on the unit is extreme.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,000–11,300 ft, typically around 7,700 ft
- Steepness
- Moderate — mean slope 9.4°
- Slope breakdown
- 63% gentle · 33% moderate · 4% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~126 sq mi
Land & access
About 48% of GMU 52 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest and BLM.
- National Forest37%
- BLM10%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private52%
Where elk live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps elk seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 52 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 Range94%the full extent of range CPW maps for elk — near 100% on most units, and not a statement about when elk are present
- Winter Range61%used in winter
- Summer Range54%used in summer
- Summer Concentration33%where elk bunch up in summer
- Winter Concentration20%where elk bunch up in winter
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 | Antlerless, Bull |
| 2nd Rifle | October 24 – November 1 | Antlerless |
| 3rd Rifle | November 7 – November 15 | Antlerless |
| 4th Rifle | November 18 – November 22 | Antlerless, Bull |
| Private-land only | September 2 – January 31 | 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 70°F, lows around 43°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 58°F, lows around 32°F, about 1 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 45°F, lows around 22°F, about 5.3 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 52 elk hunting FAQ
How much public ground can a hunter actually hunt in GMU 52?
About 48 percent of the unit, roughly 126 square miles, is open to public hunting on National Forest and BLM land. The remaining 52 percent is private. Public and private land are interspersed throughout the unit, so access to that public ground depends on the specific approach route; hunters should verify trailhead and road access before applying.
Is GMU 52 realistic for someone with no preference points?
Yes—the unit draws as easy, often at zero points, for the easiest unit-wide bull or either-sex hunt code available to adult Colorado residents. Applicants without preference points can expect a good chance at one of those qualifying hunts. Other weapons, seasons, and nonresident applicants may require substantially more points.
When do elk concentrate in this unit as fall progresses?
Winter Concentration covers 20 percent of the unit, and as November arrives with cooling temperatures and increasing snowfall (averaging 5.3 inches in November at mid elevation), elk should be expected to shift toward that winter concentration ground. Timing and extent of that shift vary with actual weather patterns and snow depth.
Is the archery season early or late in the rut?
Archery runs September 2 to September 30, spanning both the onset of the rut (September 1–10) and the primary rut (September 11–30). Hunters can expect to encounter bulls engaged in rutting behavior throughout the season.
How does the terrain change across the unit's elevation range?
The unit spans from 5,000 feet to 11,300 feet, with the bulk of terrain at around 7,700 feet. Terrain is 63 percent gentle and 33 percent moderate, making most of the unit hikeable on foot, though steeper breaks comprise 4 percent of the area and may offer more demanding hiking in certain sections.
Why is GMU 52 easy to draw despite extreme hunter pressure?
Draw difficulty and hunter pressure are separate factors—an easy-to-draw unit near populated areas can attract many applicants while still issuing tags at low or zero preference points. GMU 52's easy draw reflects the tag availability relative to demand, not the crowding that hunters will encounter once in the field.
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.