Colorado GMU 59 Elk Hunting
Pueblo, Fremont, El Paso and Teller counties, central Colorado · 647 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 59 is like
Game Management Unit 59 covers 647 square miles across Pueblo, Fremont, El Paso and Teller counties in central Colorado. The unit spans from 4,700 feet to 14,100 feet in elevation, with a typical hunting elevation around 7,100 feet. Terrain is rolling, with some steeper breaks: 58% of the unit is gentle, 27% moderate, and 15% steep or rugged combined. The landscape transitions from lower-elevation foothills across mid-elevation ridge systems to higher alpine country, with elevation changes affecting both how hunters move through the unit and where elk concentrate seasonally.
Roughly 31% of the unit—about 203 square miles—is generally open to public hunting, consisting of National Forest, BLM, and State Wildlife Areas. Colorado State Trust Land comprises an additional 5% of the unit, but access to it depends on enrollment in CPW's Public Access Program; not all parcels are open. Private land makes up 61% of the unit, and roughly 2.8% is unclassified in ownership. The fragmented public land means that while substantial acreage is available to hunt, legal access and navigation between private inholdings shape where hunters can actually work the ground.
Elk distribution across the unit varies seasonally. Overall Range covers 83% of the unit, indicating the broad extent of mapped elk habitat. Resident Population, which identifies year-round use, covers only 6% of the unit, suggesting most elk shift with the seasons. Summer Range covers 60% of the unit, including 4% that represents Summer Concentration areas where elk cluster. Winter Range covers 39% of the unit, with 9% marked as Winter Concentration where elk gather in the colder months. Migration Corridors occupy 4% of the unit. As fall progresses from September through November and winter approaches, hunters should expect elk to shift gradually from higher summer range toward lower winter ground, though the timing and extent of movement varies with weather and snow.
The unit offers seven seasons total, six open to public applicants. Archery runs September 2 through September 30 for either-sex or antlerless elk. Muzzleloader occurs September 12 through September 20 for antlerless or bull. Four rifle seasons follow: 1st Rifle October 14–18 (antlerless or bull), 2nd Rifle October 24–November 1 (antlerless), 3rd Rifle November 7–15 (antlerless), and 4th Rifle November 18–22 (antlerless or bull). A seventh season is private-land-only. Archery and Muzzleloader occur during the rut, while rifle seasons span the post-rut and migration transition periods. Early-season applicants experience September temperatures around 72°F and essentially no snow; by November highs drop to near 49°F with average snowfall around 3.5 inches. Draw difficulty for the easiest unit-wide bull or either-sex code available to adult Colorado residents is Easy, often requiring zero preference points.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,700–14,100 ft, typically around 7,100 ft
- Steepness
- Moderate — mean slope 11.5°
- Slope breakdown
- 58% gentle · 27% moderate · 14% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~203 sq mi, plus ~32 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 31% of GMU 59 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest, BLM and State Wildlife Areas. A further 5% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- National Forest20%
- BLM10%
- State Wildlife Area1%
- State Trust Land5%
- Unclassified ownership3%
- Private61%
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 59 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 Range83%the full extent of range CPW maps for elk — near 100% on most units, and not a statement about when elk are present
- Summer Range60%used in summer
- Winter Range39%used in winter
- Winter Concentration9%where elk bunch up in winter
- Resident Population6%the only layer that means year-round use
- Migration Corridors4%movement between ranges, not residence
- Summer Concentration4%where elk bunch up in summer
Elk seasons & weapons (2026)
| Season | Dates | Tags offered |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | September 2 – September 30 | Either-sex, Antlerless |
| 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 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 72°F, lows around 43°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 60°F, lows around 32°F, about 1.9 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 49°F, lows around 23°F, about 3.5 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 59 elk hunting FAQ
Is GMU 59 realistic for a first-time applicant with no preference points?
Yes. Draw difficulty for the easiest available bull or either-sex hunt is Easy and often occurs at zero points. However, applicants should note that only about 31% of the unit is open to public hunting, so legal access to huntable ground requires careful planning. Other weapon types, seasons, or nonresident status can require substantially more points.
Does this unit have good early-season rut hunting?
Archery (September 2–30) and Muzzleloader (September 12–20) both occur during rut onset and primary rut phases, when bulls are vocally active and responsive. Early-season temperatures remain mild, averaging around 72°F in September with no significant snow, making foot travel straightforward, though the condensed hunting window requires quick scouting and setup.
How much of this unit can a public-land hunter actually access?
About 31% of the unit—roughly 203 square miles—is generally open to public hunting on National Forest, BLM, and State Wildlife Areas. An additional 5% is Colorado State Trust Land, but only parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program are huntable. The remaining 64% is private or unclassified, meaning access is the primary constraint, regardless of terrain walkability.
When do elk shift toward winter ground in this unit?
Winter Range covers 39% of the unit, with 9% marked as Winter Concentration areas. Hunters should expect a gradual shift from higher summer ranges toward lower winter ground as temperatures cool and snow accumulates from November onward, though the timing and extent depend on weather. The Migration Transition phase (November 1–30) is when this movement becomes most evident.
Is the terrain steep and difficult to hunt on foot?
No. Fifty-eight percent of the unit is gentle terrain, and another 27% is moderate; only 15% combined is steep or rugged. The landscape is rolling with some breaks rather than predominantly steep, making it navigable for hunters in average condition. However, the elevation span from 4,700 to 14,100 feet means that terrain difficulty varies with which seasonal ranges a hunter pursues.
Does this unit see heavy hunting pressure?
Overall hunter pressure on the unit is Low. However, hunter pressure and draw difficulty are separate measures; an easy-to-draw unit is not necessarily crowded, and applicants should scout conditions and access carefully before the season. The fragmented public land and large private share mean that pressure may concentrate on accessible public parcels even if the overall unit is lightly hunted.
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.