Colorado GMU 70 Elk Hunting
Dolores, Montrose and San Miguel counties, southwest Colorado · 1,509 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 70 is like
GMU 70 spans roughly 1,509 square miles across Dolores, Montrose and San Miguel counties in southwestern Colorado. The unit is rolling terrain with some steeper breaks, ranging from 4,800 feet to 14,000 feet elevation with a typical elevation around 6,900 feet. About 59% of the unit is gentle terrain, 26% is moderate, 13% is steep and 2% is rugged. The landscape supports elk hunting across a range of country types and elevations, though most of the unit slopes moderately overall.
Public land in GMU 70 comprises roughly 67% of the unit, or about 1,016 square miles, managed by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and Colorado Parks and Wildlife State Wildlife Areas. An additional 2.2% (33 square miles) is Colorado State Trust Land, access to which depends on enrollment in CPW's Public Access Program. Private land accounts for approximately 30% of the unit. Hunters should verify current access conditions and road status before planning a trip, as seasonal closures and private holdings affect what ground can actually be reached.
Elk distribution across the unit shifts with season. Winter Range covers 78% of the unit, while Summer Range spans 29%, suggesting a substantial but incomplete winter population that can be expected to concentrate as conditions worsen through the fall. Winter Concentration, which marks areas where elk cluster, covers 9% of the unit. Summer Concentration covers 5%. Resident Population mapping, which reflects year-round use, covers only 2% of the unit. Migration Corridors span 5% of the unit. As fall progresses from September into November, elk can be expected to shift toward winter range, though the timing and extent of this shift varies with weather and snow.
The unit offers seven seasons total, six of which are open to public hunters: Archery from September 2 to September 30 (antlerless/bull), Muzzleloader from September 12 to September 20 (antlerless/bull), four rifle seasons spanning October 14 to November 22 (1st Rifle October 14–18, antlerless/bull; 2nd Rifle October 24–November 1, antlerless; 3rd Rifle November 7–15, antlerless; 4th Rifle November 18–22, antlerless/bull), and a private-land-only season from September 2 to December 15 (either-sex/antlerless). Archery overlaps rut onset and the primary rut period. Muzzleloader occurs during the primary rut. Early rifle seasons fall during late rut and early post-rut recovery phases, while later rifle seasons span the migration transition period. The unit draws at easy difficulty, often at zero preference points for the most accessible bull or either-sex hunts available to adult Colorado residents, though nonresidents and other weapons may require substantially more points. Hunter pressure is moderate across the unit.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,800–14,000 ft, typically around 6,900 ft
- Steepness
- Moderate — mean slope 11.8°
- Slope breakdown
- 59% gentle · 26% moderate · 13% steep · 2% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~1,016 sq mi, plus ~33 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 67% of GMU 70 is public land a hunter can count on — BLM, National Forest and State Wildlife Areas. A further 2% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- BLM49%
- National Forest17%
- State Wildlife Area2%
- State Trust Land2%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private30%
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 70 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 Range78%used in winter
- Summer Range29%used in summer
- Winter Concentration9%where elk bunch up in winter
- Migration Corridors5%movement between ranges, not residence
- Summer Concentration5%where elk bunch up in summer
- Resident Population2%the only layer that means year-round use
Elk seasons & weapons (2026)
| Season | Dates | Tags offered |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | September 2 – September 30 | Antlerless, Bull |
| 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 – December 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.
GMU 70 elk hunting FAQ
How much public land can a hunter realistically access in GMU 70?
About 67% of the unit, roughly 1,016 square miles, is open BLM, National Forest and State Wildlife Area ground. An additional 2.2% is Colorado State Trust Land, but access depends on CPW enrollment in the Public Access Program, which is not guaranteed on all parcels. Approximately 30% is private land. Roads, trailheads, seasonal closures and private inholdings will still determine whether specific areas can actually be reached.
Is this a realistic unit for an applicant with zero preference points?
Yes. GMU 70 draws at easy difficulty, often at zero points for the most accessible bull or either-sex hunts available to adult Colorado residents. Nonresidents and applicants for other weapon types or seasons may require substantially more points, and the difficulty described is a floor, not a target, but resident applicants can expect to draw a public hunt without points.
When in the fall should a hunter expect to find elk concentrated?
Winter Concentration ground, which marks areas where elk cluster, covers 9% of the unit. As fall progresses from September into November, hunters should expect elk to shift toward winter range, though the timing and extent of this shift varies with weather and snow. No single date guarantees that concentration will occur.
Does the archery season coincide with the rut?
Yes. Archery from September 2 to September 30 spans rut onset (September 1–10) and the primary rut (September 11–30), when bulls are actively calling and responding. This season overlaps the period when elk behavior is most predictable for archery hunters.
Is terrain in this unit steep enough to challenge a hunter on foot?
Most of the unit is gentle to moderate terrain—59% gentle and 26% moderate. Steep terrain comprises 13% and rugged terrain only 2%. A hunter on foot can navigate most of the unit without extreme climbing, though specific drainages and breaks will still present challenges depending on where they choose to hunt.
How does the unit's seasonal range mapping affect where to hunt as fall progresses?
Summer Range covers only 29% of the unit, while Winter Range covers 78%, indicating that elk occupy far more ground in winter than summer. Hunters in early seasons (September) may find scattered elk across broader summer areas, while later-season hunters should expect growing concentration on winter range, though weather and snow timing drive the actual transition.
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.