Colorado GMU 751 Elk Hunting
Archuleta, Hinsdale, La Plata and San Juan counties, southwest Colorado · 463 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 751 is like
GMU 751 spans 463 square miles across Archuleta, Hinsdale, La Plata and San Juan counties in the San Juan Mountains. Elevation ranges from 6,100 feet to 14,000 feet, with typical hunting elevations around 8,900 feet. The terrain is mixed, with substantial steep ground: 35% gentle, 36% moderate, 24% steep, and 6% rugged by area. The unit's mean slope of 17.9 degrees places it in the steep terrain band, and a hunter on foot will encounter both passable and demanding country depending on the approach chosen.
Public land open to hunting comprises approximately 71% of the unit, or about 329 square miles, managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. Private land accounts for roughly 28% of the unit, and a small amount of state trust land is present but huntable only where CPW has enrolled it. Access is governed by road and trailhead availability on the public portion; a hunter should scout approach options carefully before the season.
CPW maps 89% of the unit as summer range and 47% as winter range. Summer concentration areas cover 30% of the unit, and winter concentration areas cover 25%. These concentration figures indicate that elk cluster on particular ground rather than spreading evenly across available habitat. Resident population mapping covers only 3% of the unit, meaning CPW identifies minimal year-round occupancy; a hunter should expect seasonal movement through fall as cooling weather and increasing snow drive elk transitions. Migration corridors, mapped on 13% of the unit, mark movement routes rather than residence.
Seven seasons are offered, including archery September 2–September 30 for bull or antlerless; muzzleloader September 12–September 20 for bull or antlerless; four rifle seasons spanning October 14 through November 22, with the first and fourth rifle seasons offering both bull and antlerless tags and the second and third restricted to antlerless; and a private-land-only season September 2–November 22. Archery and muzzleloader seasons overlap the rut onset and primary rut phases. The first rifle season falls during late rut and early post-rut recovery, while the second, third, and fourth rifle seasons correspond with post-rut recovery and migration transition periods. Temperatures cool from September highs near 69 degrees Fahrenheit to November highs near 47 degrees, and snowfall remains minimal through October but averages over 7 inches in November. Draw difficulty for the easiest qualifying unit-wide bull or either-sex hunt code for an adult Colorado resident is easy, often available at zero preference points. Hunter pressure on the unit is moderate overall.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 6,100–14,000 ft, typically around 8,900 ft
- Steepness
- Steep — mean slope 17.9°
- Slope breakdown
- 35% gentle · 36% moderate · 24% steep · 6% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~329 sq mi, plus ~2 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 71% of GMU 751 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest and BLM.
- National Forest71%
- BLM<1%
- State Trust Land<1%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private28%
Where elk live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps elk seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 751 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 Range100%the full extent of range CPW maps for elk — near 100% on most units, and not a statement about when elk are present
- Summer Range89%used in summer
- Winter Range47%used in winter
- Summer Concentration30%where elk bunch up in summer
- Winter Concentration25%where elk bunch up in winter
- Migration Corridors13%movement between ranges, not residence
- Resident Population3%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 – 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 69°F, lows around 41°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 58°F, lows around 31°F, about 1 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 47°F, lows around 22°F, about 7.1 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 751 elk hunting FAQ
How much public ground can a hunter realistically access here?
Approximately 71% of the unit, or about 329 square miles, is open to public hunting on U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management land. Access depends on trailhead and road availability, which varies by drainage and direction of approach. Private land comprises 28% of the unit and is not available without permission.
Is this unit realistic for someone with no preference points?
Yes. The easiest qualifying unit-wide bull or either-sex hunt code for an adult Colorado resident draws at easy difficulty, often at zero preference points. Other seasons, weapons, and applicant classes may require substantially more points, so applicants should check the specific hunt code before applying.
When should a hunter expect elk to shift from summer to winter ground?
Summer range covers 89% of the unit while winter range covers 47%, indicating that a substantial portion of the elk population moves to winter ground as the season advances. Timing and extent of movement vary with weather and snowfall; November average snowfall of over 7 inches suggests accelerated transitions by late fall, though movement begins before significant accumulation.
Is the terrain steep enough to be a barrier for a hunter on foot?
The unit is mixed, with substantial steep ground: 35% gentle, 36% moderate, 24% steep, and 6% rugged by area. A determined hunter can find passable country, but nearly 30% of the unit is steep or rugged, and elevation gain can be significant. The mean slope of 17.9 degrees indicates that the typical hillside is steep enough to be noticeable.
Where do elk cluster on this unit?
CPW maps summer concentration areas on 30% of the unit and winter concentration areas on 25%, indicating that elk gather on particular grounds during both seasons. The mapping shows the share of concentrated ground but not its specific location; a hunter must scout to identify where concentrations lie within the ranges available.
Does the early rifle season (October 14–18) occur during the rut?
No. The first rifle season falls during late rut and early post-rut recovery, after the primary rut has peaked. Bulls are still responsive but are transitioning out of peak rut behavior. Archery and muzzleloader seasons, occurring in September, span rut onset and primary rut.
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.