Colorado GMU 58 Elk Hunting
Fremont and Park counties, central Colorado · 872 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 58 is like
Colorado GMU 58 spans 872 square miles across Fremont and Park counties in the central part of the state, with elevations ranging from 5,700 feet to 11,700 feet and typical hunting occurring near 9,100 feet. The terrain rolls from gentle slopes covering half the unit to moderately steep terrain making up most of the remainder, with steep ground comprising 10 percent of the area. The unit's mean slope of 12 degrees reflects its rolling to moderately steep character overall. Hunters can expect to encounter variable but generally manageable topography rather than high-altitude rock and scree.
Approximately 39 percent of GMU 58, or roughly 343 square miles, is generally open to public hunting. This ground is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and State Wildlife Areas. Colorado State Trust Land comprises an additional 9.3 percent of the unit, though hunting access to those parcels depends on enrollment in the CPW Public Access Program. The remaining acreage splits between private land at 50 percent and land with unclassified ownership at 1.4 percent. A hunter planning to operate on public ground should verify current access conditions and seasonal restrictions before the season opens.
CPW maps elk using most of the unit year-round, with overall range covering 91 percent. Summer range reaches 78 percent of the unit and concentrates on 15 percent of it, while winter range spans 71 percent with concentrated use on 35 percent. Only 6 percent of GMU 58 is mapped as resident population ground, meaning year-round occupancy is limited to a small fraction. As the fall progresses from September through November, hunters should expect elk to shift from summer to winter range and concentrate areas as temperatures drop and snow accumulates, though the timing and extent of that movement depend on weather and individual year conditions. Migration corridors occupy 6 percent of the unit.
The unit offers seven elk seasons in fall: Archery runs September 2 through September 30 as either-sex; Muzzleloader covers September 12 through September 20 as antlerless or bull; four rifle seasons span October 14 through November 22, each opening antlerless and bull tags. A private-land-only season runs September 1 through January 31 for antlerless elk. The archery season falls during the rut onset and primary rut phases, muzzleloader during primary rut, and the rifle seasons move through late rut and post-rut phases into the migration transition period. Overall hunter pressure on the unit is low. The draw difficulty for the easiest qualifying bull or either-sex hunt code for an adult Colorado resident is moderate, typically requiring 1 to 2 preference points.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,700–11,700 ft, typically around 9,100 ft
- Steepness
- Moderate — mean slope 12°
- Slope breakdown
- 50% gentle · 40% moderate · 10% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~343 sq mi, plus ~81 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 39% of GMU 58 is public land a hunter can count on — BLM, National Forest and State Wildlife Areas. A further 9% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- BLM29%
- National Forest9%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land9%
- Unclassified ownership1%
- 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.
“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 58 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 Range91%the full extent of range CPW maps for elk — near 100% on most units, and not a statement about when elk are present
- Summer Range78%used in summer
- Winter Range71%used in winter
- Winter Concentration35%where elk bunch up in winter
- Summer Concentration15%where elk bunch up in summer
- Migration Corridors6%movement between ranges, not residence
- Resident Population6%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 | Antlerless, 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 |
| Private-land only | September 1 – January 31 | 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 67°F, lows around 37°F, about 0.1 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 56°F, lows around 27°F, about 2.8 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 44°F, lows around 17°F, about 4.6 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 58 elk hunting FAQ
How much public land can a hunter actually access here?
Roughly 39 percent of the unit, about 343 square miles, is managed by BLM, the Forest Service and State Wildlife Areas and is generally open to public hunting. An additional 9.3 percent is Colorado State Trust Land, but access to those parcels depends on CPW enrollment in the Public Access Program, which may not cover all tracts. The remaining acreage is private or unclassified ownership. A hunter should contact CPW and check current conditions before planning a hunt.
Is this unit realistic for someone with no preference points?
The easiest qualifying bull or either-sex hunt code for an adult Colorado resident sits in the Moderate draw-difficulty range, typically requiring 1 to 2 preference points. An applicant with zero points would need to understand that the tags available at zero points may be scarcer or for less-popular seasons or weapons than the easiest qualifying hunt. Checking the current draw results for specific season codes is necessary to confirm what zero-point applicants can actually draw.
Does this unit work better for archery or rifle hunting?
The archery season runs September 2 to 30 during rut onset and primary rut, a period when bulls are vocal and moving. The four rifle seasons run from mid-October into late November, overlapping post-rut through migration transition phases when bull activity is lower and weather is colder. Choice between weapons depends more on personal skill and preference than on seasonal advantage, but bowhunters have the acoustic advantage of the early rut window, while rifle hunters have more weeks of seasons to choose from.
What happens to elk distribution through the fall?
Summer range covers 78 percent of the unit, while winter range extends across 71 percent with concentrated use on 35 percent of the unit. As fall progresses from September through November and snow accumulates, elk are expected to shift from summer ground toward lower winter range and concentrate more densely. The timing and magnitude of this shift vary with weather and snowfall patterns each year, so hunters in early rifle seasons should plan to follow changing elk location closely.
How steep is this terrain, and will I be hiking all day?
Half the unit is gentle, 40 percent is moderately steep and 10 percent is steep. Elevation runs from below 5,700 feet to above 11,700 feet, so terrain difficulty depends on which part of the unit a hunter accesses. Much of the ground is walkable without technical climbing, but steeper sections and high elevation do exist, and private-land inholdings may limit where public-ground hunters can roam without circumventing difficult terrain.
When does the rut occur during the seasons offered here?
The rut onset and primary rut phases occur September 1 to 30, meaning the archery season (September 2–30) covers the entire primary rut period when bulls are most vocal and active. Muzzleloader hunting (September 12–20) also overlaps primary rut. The first rifle season (October 14–18) begins as the rut enters its late and post-rut phases, after peak calling activity has passed. Subsequent rifle seasons occur in the post-rut recovery and migration transition phases when bulls are less responsive to calling but can still be located by glassing and hiking.
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.