Colorado GMU 69 Elk Hunting
Custer and Fremont counties, southeast Colorado · 292 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 69 is like
GMU 69 spans 292 square miles across Custer and Fremont counties in the southern Front Range, ranging from 5,200 feet to 10,400 feet in elevation with a typical mid-elevation around 7,800 feet. Terrain is rolling to moderately steep, with 48 percent gentle slopes, 31 percent moderate, 19 percent steep, and 2 percent rugged by area. The unit combines accessible lower-elevation country with higher alpine and subalpine reaches. Elk hunting here requires persistence in a landscape split sharply between public and private ground.
Only about 33 percent of the unit is generally open to public hunting — roughly 96 square miles managed by the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife State Wildlife Areas. An additional 2.5 percent consists of Colorado State Trust Land, huntable only on parcels enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program, and access to those parcels cannot be assumed. The remaining 65 percent is private, creating a checkerboard landscape where legal access governs opportunity far more than terrain or elk presence. Hunters must identify public boundaries carefully before entering.
Elk occupy the unit across multiple seasonal ranges covering 88 percent of mapped area overall, with 80 percent as Winter Range and 78 percent as Summer Range. Summer Concentration covers 27 percent and Winter Concentration covers 18 percent, indicating that elk cluster on specific portions rather than spreading evenly across their seasonal grounds. A small Resident Population layer covers just 2 percent of the unit, reflecting primarily year-round use on the lowest reaches. As fall advances from September through November, hunters should expect elk to shift from higher summer grounds toward lower winter ranges in response to cooling temperatures and snow, though the timing and extent of that shift varies with weather. By November, when temperatures average highs near 49 degrees and average snowfall reaches 3.9 inches per month, substantial elk movement toward lower elevations typically occurs.
The unit offers seven seasons across six public-hunting codes: Archery from September 2–30 (either-sex), Muzzleloader from September 12–20 (antlerless/bull), and four rifle seasons — 1st Rifle October 14–18 (bull), 2nd Rifle October 24–November 1 (antlerless/bull), 3rd Rifle November 7–15 (antlerless/bull), and 4th Rifle November 18–22 (antlerless/bull). Archery opens during rut onset and primary rut, with September temperatures averaging highs around 72 degrees and minimal precipitation. Rifle seasons span the late rut, post-rut recovery, and migration transition phases, with the earliest rifle hunt falling in the post-rut period and later hunts coinciding with seasonal migration. Hunter pressure is extreme, and drawing a tag requires 3–5 preference points for the easiest qualifying bull or either-sex hunt available to adult Colorado residents.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,200–10,400 ft, typically around 7,800 ft
- Steepness
- Steep — mean slope 14.2°
- Slope breakdown
- 48% gentle · 31% moderate · 19% steep · 2% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~96 sq mi, plus ~7 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 33% of GMU 69 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest, BLM and State Wildlife Areas. A further 2% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- National Forest26%
- BLM7%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land2%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private65%
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.
Where elk live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps elk seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 69 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 Range88%the full extent of range CPW maps for elk — near 100% on most units, and not a statement about when elk are present
- Winter Range80%used in winter
- Summer Range78%used in summer
- Summer Concentration27%where elk bunch up in summer
- Winter Concentration18%where elk bunch up in winter
- 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 | 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 72°F, lows around 42°F, about 0.1 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 60°F, lows around 31°F, about 2.5 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 49°F, lows around 21°F, about 3.9 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 69 elk hunting FAQ
How much ground can actually be hunted here?
About 33 percent of the unit is generally open to public hunting, managed by the Forest Service, BLM, and CPW State Wildlife Areas. An additional 2.5 percent is State Trust Land with access dependent on CPW enrollment, which cannot be assumed. That leaves 65 percent private, making legal access the primary constraint regardless of how walkable the terrain may be.
Is this a good unit for an applicant with few or no preference points?
No. The draw difficulty is hard, requiring 3–5 preference points for the easiest qualifying bull or either-sex hunt available to adult Colorado residents. Applicants without points in that range should not expect to draw a tag, though other weapon types and nonresident applicants may require substantially more.
When does the elk rut occur here?
The rut begins around September 1 and peaks September 11–30, directly overlapping the archery season. Muzzleloader season (September 12–20) coincides with the primary rut. The first rifle season opens October 14, after the rut has subsided and entered post-rut recovery.
Where do elk shift as the season progresses?
Elk begin the fall on higher summer ranges (78 percent coverage) and concentrate on winter grounds (80 percent coverage) as temperatures cool and snow accumulates. By November, when temperatures average highs near 49 degrees and snowfall averages 3.9 inches per month, substantial movement toward lower elevations typically occurs, though the timing and extent depend on weather.
Is the terrain manageable for a hunter on foot?
Terrain is generally walkable, with 48 percent gentle slopes and 31 percent moderate; only 21 percent of the unit is steep or rugged. However, legal access to the open ground is the actual challenge. A hunter must verify public boundaries before entering, since 65 percent is private and public land is scattered across just 33 percent.
What conditions should a hunter expect in September versus November?
September sees comfortable early-season temperatures averaging highs near 72 degrees with negligible snowfall, ideal for archery during the rut. November is considerably colder, with highs averaging 49 degrees and 3.9 inches of average monthly snowfall, coinciding with elk migration from higher ground and offering later-season hunting on winter range.
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.