Colorado GMU 61 Elk Hunting
Mesa, Montrose, Ouray and San Miguel counties, southwest Colorado · 922 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 61 is like
Unit 61 spans 922 square miles across mesa, mountain and high-elevation terrain in southwestern Colorado, with elevations ranging from 4,600 feet to 10,000 feet and a typical elevation around 7,400 feet. The country is rolling, with some steeper breaks; 58 percent of the unit is gentle terrain, 27 percent moderate, and 13 percent steep, with 1 percent rugged. This is a large unit with diverse habitat and extensive hunting opportunities.
About 85 percent of the unit—roughly 780 square miles—is publicly owned and generally open to hunting, consisting of National Forest and BLM ground. The remaining 15 percent is private land. This split means a substantial portion of the unit is accessible to the public, though roads, trailheads, and private inholdings still govern entry to specific areas.
Elk occupy the unit across seasonal ranges. Winter Range covers 75 percent of the unit, and Summer Range covers 59 percent, with significant portions of both marked by concentration areas where elk cluster. Winter Concentration accounts for 29 percent of the unit and Summer Concentration for 25 percent. A small Resident Population layer covers 2 percent of the unit, indicating year-round use in limited areas. Migration Corridors span 4 percent. The unit's Overall Range layer extends across 99 percent, reflecting the full extent of mapped elk habitat. Early in the season, elk move through higher country, and as fall progresses and temperatures drop from September highs near 73 degrees Fahrenheit to November highs near 48 degrees, elk shift downslope toward winter range.
The unit offers seven public hunting seasons across archery, muzzleloader and rifle weapons. Archery runs September 2 – September 30 with either-sex opportunity, coinciding with the primary rut. Muzzleloader runs September 12 – September 20 for antlerless and bull elk. Early Rifle runs October 1 – October 7 with either-sex opportunity and falls in the late rut and early post-rut window. Five rifle seasons follow: 1st Rifle October 14 – October 18, 2nd Rifle October 24 – November 1, 3rd Rifle November 7 – November 15, and 4th Rifle November 18 – November 22, all offering antlerless and bull options. A private-land-only season runs December 15 – January 15. Overall hunter pressure is low. Draw difficulty is Premium, requiring 10–19 preference points for the easiest qualifying unit-wide bull or either-sex hunts available to adult Colorado residents.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,600–10,000 ft, typically around 7,400 ft
- Steepness
- Moderate — mean slope 11.9°
- Slope breakdown
- 58% gentle · 27% moderate · 13% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~780 sq mi, plus ~1 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 85% of GMU 61 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest and BLM.
- National Forest49%
- BLM36%
- State Trust Land<1%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private15%
Where elk live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps elk seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 61 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 Range99%the full extent of range CPW maps for elk — near 100% on most units, and not a statement about when elk are present
- Winter Range75%used in winter
- Summer Range59%used in summer
- Winter Concentration29%where elk bunch up in winter
- Summer Concentration25%where elk bunch up in summer
- Migration Corridors4%movement between ranges, not residence
- Resident Population2%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 |
| Early Rifle | October 1 – October 7 | Either-sex |
| Private-land only | December 15 – January 15 | 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 73°F, lows around 45°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 61°F, lows around 34°F, about 0.8 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 48°F, lows around 24°F, about 3.6 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 61 elk hunting FAQ
How much public ground can a hunter actually access here?
About 85 percent of the unit—roughly 780 square miles—is National Forest and BLM land generally open to public hunting. Access still depends on specific roads, trailheads and seasonal closures; check current conditions and maps for detailed entry points on the ground you plan to hunt.
Is early season archery the rut window here?
Yes. Archery runs September 2–30, which spans both rut onset and the primary rut. Muzzleloader (September 12–20) also falls during the primary rut, making both seasons viable for calling and pursuing bugling bulls.
Where are elk concentrated in this unit?
Winter Concentration covers 29 percent of the unit and Summer Concentration covers 25 percent, but the data does not specify where those areas lie—only that significant portions of the unit's seasonal ranges overlap with concentrated-use ground. On-the-ground scouting is required to locate clustering.
Do elk leave the unit after the rut, or stay through fall?
Elk occupy the unit across both summer and winter seasonal ranges. As temperatures fall from September through November, hunters should expect increasing use of winter range, although the timing and extent of movement vary with weather and snow conditions. A 2 percent Resident Population layer indicates some year-round use, but most elk movement follows the seasonal shift.
What are the odds of drawing a tag here with zero or few preference points?
Draw difficulty is Premium (10–19 points) for the easiest qualifying unit-wide bull or either-sex hunt code for an adult Colorado resident. This means even the most accessible hunt requires that preference-point tier; applicants with zero or very few points should not expect to draw.
Is this unit realistic for a hunter on foot with limited time?
The unit is large (922 square miles) and rolling terrain dominates, making it huntable by foot, though the diversity of elevation and aspect means scouting and planning are essential to find concentrations of elk. Low hunter pressure is an advantage, but the size and seasonal movement mean covering productive ground requires planning and effort.
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.