Colorado GMU 771 Elk Hunting
Archuleta County, southwest Colorado · 366 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 771 is like
GMU 771 spans 366 square miles of rolling to moderately steep country in the southwestern corner of Colorado, with elevations ranging from 6,000 feet to 9,000 feet and a typical elevation around 7,100 feet. The terrain is 42 percent gentle, 43 percent moderate, and 15 percent steep to rugged combined. The unit sits in a transition zone between lower-elevation public land and higher country dominated by private holdings, offering a mix of topography and land ownership that shapes where and how a hunter can pursue elk.
Only about 18 percent of the unit—roughly 67 square miles—is generally open to public hunting. This land is split between National Forest (the vast majority) and a small share of Bureau of Land Management ground. The remaining 82 percent comprises approximately 79 percent private land, 2.1 percent unclassified ownership, and less than 1 percent state trust land. The private-land dominance means that legal access is the primary constraint on a public-land hunter's options in this unit, regardless of the ground's terrain or terrain's walkability.
Elk in 771 occupy the entire unit as mapped range, but their actual distribution shifts through the fall. Winter range and winter concentration grounds—which together cover the full unit and 81 percent of it respectively—mark where elk cluster as temperatures drop and snow accumulates. Summer range covers 92 percent of the unit, with summer concentration on just 4 percent. A resident population layer covers 20 percent of the unit, indicating year-round use over that portion. As the season progresses into November and the migration transition begins, hunters should expect elk to shift toward concentrated winter grounds, though the timing and extent of that movement vary with weather and snow.
The unit offers seven seasons total: archery from September 2–30, muzzleloader from September 12–20, four rifle seasons spanning October 14 through November 22 (both antlerless and bull tags in the early and late seasons, antlerless only in the middle seasons), and a private-land-only hunt. Archery and muzzleloader seasons fall during the rut onset and primary rut phases, while the rifle seasons progress from the late rut into the migration transition period. Draw difficulty for the easiest unit-wide bull or either-sex code available to adult Colorado residents is easy, often requiring zero preference points. However, the unit draws extreme hunter pressure, and because legal access is limited to roughly 18 percent of the ground, crowds will concentrate on a small portion of publicly huntable area.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 6,000–9,000 ft, typically around 7,100 ft
- Steepness
- Steep — mean slope 13.8°
- Slope breakdown
- 42% gentle · 43% moderate · 14% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~67 sq mi, plus ~1 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 18% of GMU 771 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest and BLM.
- National Forest18%
- BLM<1%
- State Trust Land<1%
- Unclassified ownership2%
- Private79%
“Ownership unclassified” means the source dataset does not record an owner for that acreage. It is not known to be public or private.
Where elk live in the unit
Colorado Parks & Wildlife maps elk seasonal ranges statewide. This is how much of GMU 771 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
- Winter Range100%used in winter
- Summer Range92%used in summer
- Winter Concentration81%where elk bunch up in winter
- Migration Corridors31%movement between ranges, not residence
- Resident Population20%the only layer that means year-round use
- Summer Concentration4%where elk bunch up in summer
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.
GMU 771 elk hunting FAQ
Is GMU 771 realistic for a hunter with zero preference points?
Yes. The draw difficulty for the easiest unit-wide bull or either-sex code available to adult Colorado residents is easy, often drawing at zero points. However, other weapon types, seasons, and nonresident applicants may require substantially more points, so applicants should confirm which specific hunt code they are pursuing.
How much public ground can a hunter actually access in this unit?
Approximately 18 percent of the unit—about 67 square miles—is generally open to public hunting, split between National Forest and BLM land. The remaining 82 percent is predominantly private, meaning legal access is the controlling factor in planning a hunt here. A hunter needs to identify accessible public ground or gain permission on private land before applying.
When during the fall are elk most concentrated in 771?
Winter concentration grounds cover 81 percent of the unit, indicating heavy elk clustering in late fall and winter. As the season progresses from October into November, hunters should expect elk to move toward concentrated winter areas, though the timing and extent depend on snow and weather conditions. Early seasons (archery and muzzleloader) occur during the rut when elk distribution is less predictable.
Is the terrain in this unit manageable for a hunter on foot?
The unit is 42 percent gentle and 43 percent moderate terrain, with only 15 percent steep to rugged combined, making it generally walkable. However, terrain difficulty is secondary to legal access—hunters are limited to roughly 18 percent of the unit's public land regardless of how easy the rest is to traverse. Terrain should not be the deciding factor here; access should be.
Does the extreme hunter pressure mean tags are hard to draw?
No. Draw difficulty and hunter pressure are separate factors. GMU 771 draws easy for the lowest-point bull or either-sex code but experiences extreme hunter pressure from competing hunters on the limited public land available. An easy draw does not mean less crowded hunting once on the ground.
Which rifle season is best for this unit?
The first rifle season (October 14–18) falls during the late rut and early post-rut phases when bull activity remains higher than in later seasons, though elk are beginning to shift toward winter grounds. The muzzleloader season (September 12–20) and archery season (September 2–30) span the primary rut and rut onset, offering different opportunities depending on whether a hunter prefers hunting active bulls or using a rifle. Later rifle seasons occur during migration transition and are antlerless-only on most tags.
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.