Colorado GMU 72 Elk Hunting
Montezuma County, southwest Colorado · 977 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 72 is like
GMU 72 spans 977 square miles in Montezuma County in the southwestern corner of Colorado. The unit sits between 4,600 and 10,000 feet in elevation, with typical terrain around 6,100 feet. The landscape is predominantly gentle and rolling: 74 percent of the unit falls in gentle terrain, 20 percent is moderate, and 6 percent is steep, with no rugged ground. This character carries through to a mean slope of 7.7 degrees across the unit.
Public hunting access is limited. Approximately 29 percent of the unit—roughly 279 square miles—is generally open to public hunting on BLM and State Wildlife Areas. The remaining 71 percent is private land. That restricted public share means legal access, not terrain ease, is the primary constraint on how much ground a public-land hunter can actually cover.
Elk occupy this unit year-round across approximately 30 percent of the ground mapped as Resident Population, where CPW records year-round use. Winter Range covers 46 percent of the unit, though this does not indicate elk leave during other seasons—the Resident Population layer already accounts for year-round occupancy on its portion. Winter Concentration comprises 17 percent of the unit, marking where elk cluster in the colder months. Migration Corridors occupy 1 percent. Overall Range, the full extent of mapped elk habitat, covers 77 percent of the unit.
The unit offers four rifle seasons and one archery season open to public drawing, plus a muzzleloader season and a private-land-only hunt. Archery runs September 2 through September 30 during Rut Onset and Primary Rut. Muzzleloader is September 12 through September 20, spanning Primary Rut. First Rifle runs October 14 through October 18 during Late Rut/Early Post-Rut and Post-Rut Recovery. Second Rifle is October 24 through November 1 in Post-Rut Recovery and Migration Transition. Third Rifle spans November 7 through November 15 during Migration Transition. Fourth Rifle runs November 18 through November 22, also during Migration Transition. A private-land-only hunt runs the full season from September 1 through November 22. September temperatures at mid-elevation average highs near 78 degrees and lows near 47 degrees with negligible snowfall. October sees highs around 65 degrees, lows near 36 degrees, and about 0.2 inches of snowfall. November cools to highs near 51 degrees and lows near 26 degrees with about 0.7 inches of snowfall. The unit draws moderately under general hunter pressure and ranks as Easy to draw for the most accessible unit-wide bull or either-sex hunt codes available to adult Colorado residents.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,600–10,000 ft, typically around 6,100 ft
- Steepness
- Gentle — mean slope 7.7°
- Slope breakdown
- 74% gentle · 20% moderate · 6% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~279 sq mi
Land & access
About 29% of GMU 72 is public land a hunter can count on — BLM and State Wildlife Areas.
- BLM28%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land<1%
- National Park Service<1%
- Private71%
Where elk live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps elk seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 72 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 Range77%the full extent of range CPW maps for elk — near 100% on most units, and not a statement about when elk are present
- Winter Range46%used in winter
- Resident Population30%the only layer that means year-round use
- Winter Concentration17%where elk bunch up in winter
- Migration Corridors<1%movement between ranges, not residence
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 1 – November 22 | Either-sex, Antlerless, Bull |
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 78°F, lows around 47°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 65°F, lows around 36°F, about 0.2 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 51°F, lows around 26°F, about 0.7 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 72 elk hunting FAQ
How much public land can a hunter actually hunt in GMU 72?
Approximately 29 percent of the unit, or about 279 square miles, is open to public hunting on BLM and State Wildlife Areas. The remaining 71 percent is private. Legal access, not terrain walkability, is the limiting factor here—a hunter cannot count on covering most of the unit even though much of what is public is gentle and rolling.
Will elk be in the unit during the rifle seasons?
Year-round resident elk occupy about 30 percent of the unit, so some elk remain throughout the fall. Winter Range covers 46 percent and Winter Concentration 17 percent, meaning elk cluster increasingly as the season advances into November. Archery and muzzleloader occur during Rut Onset and Primary Rut (early to mid-September), while rifle seasons span Late Rut through Migration Transition (mid-October into November).
Is this unit realistic for a hunter with zero preference points?
The unit draws as Easy for the most accessible unit-wide bull or either-sex hunt codes available to adult Colorado residents, and often at zero points. However, this describes only the easiest qualifying hunt; other weapons, seasons, and resident applicants can require substantially more points. Nonresidents face a different draw structure.
How does draw difficulty relate to hunting pressure here?
Draw difficulty and hunter pressure are separate factors. GMU 72 is Easy to draw but sees Moderate overall hunter pressure. An easy-to-draw unit can still be crowded in the field—legal access to only 29 percent of the unit means available ground, not tag availability, constrains the actual hunting experience.
What happens to elk as the season cools from September into November?
Archery and muzzleloader coincide with Rut Onset and Primary Rut in September when bulls are actively calling and moving. Rifle seasons (October through November) occur during and after the rut into Migration Transition, when elk become less predictable but Winter Concentration (17 percent of the unit) shows where clustering increases as cold advances. The timing and extent of seasonal shifts depend on weather and snow.
Is the terrain manageable for a hunter on foot?
The unit is 74 percent gentle terrain with only 6 percent steep ground, making the landscape itself walkable for most ability levels. However, since 71 percent of the unit is private land and legal access is restricted to roughly 29 percent on BLM and State Wildlife Areas, a hunter's ability to reach and stay on huntable ground is constrained by access, not by steep slopes or rugged country.
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.