Colorado GMU 79 Elk Hunting
Alamosa, Mineral, Rio Grande and Saguache counties, southwest Colorado · 426 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 79 is like
GMU 79 spans 426 square miles across Alamosa, Mineral, Rio Grande and Saguache counties in the southwestern region, with elevations ranging from 7,600 feet to 13,000 feet and a typical hunting elevation near 9,100 feet. The terrain is rolling, with some steeper breaks: 51% of the unit is gentle, 39% is moderate, 9% is steep, and 1% is rugged by area. The unit occupies a transition zone between lower foothills and higher mountain terrain.
About 72% of the unit, or roughly 305 square miles, is generally open to public hunting on National Forest, BLM and State Wildlife Areas. Another 1.1% is Colorado State Trust Land where access depends on CPW enrollment in the Public Access Program; hunting there requires verification of current enrollment status. An additional 1.5% of the unit is unclassified in ownership records. Private land comprises 26% of the unit. The public-land hunter should expect a substantial but not dominant hunting area, with private inholdings and boundaries affecting access strategy.
Elk occupy the unit across overlapping seasonal ranges. Winter Range covers 60% of the unit, and within that, 32% is mapped as Winter Concentration where elk cluster. Summer Range covers 46% of the unit with 11% mapped as Summer Concentration. Migration Corridors account for 4% of the unit. CPW maps Overall Range at 100%, indicating the full potential extent of elk use, but this does not mean elk are present uniformly or year-round. As fall progresses from September into November, hunters should expect elk to shift toward the mapped Winter Range as snow and cold advance; timing and extent of this movement vary with weather and snow conditions.
The unit offers six seasons: Archery (September 2–September 30, either-sex), Muzzleloader (September 12–September 20, antlerless or bull), 1st Rifle (October 14–October 18, antlerless or bull), 2nd Rifle (October 24–November 1, antlerless or bull), 3rd Rifle (November 7–November 15, antlerless or bull), and 4th Rifle (November 18–November 22, antlerless). Archery and Muzzleloader seasons occur during rut onset and the primary rut, when bulls are actively calling and moving. The four rifle seasons span the late rut, post-rut recovery, and migration transition periods. Weather cools significantly across the fall, from September highs near 68°F to November highs near 44°F, with October averaging 1.6 inches of snowfall and November averaging 7.1 inches. The unit draws at easy difficulty for the most accessible bull or either-sex hunts available to adult Colorado residents, often at zero preference points, though other seasons, weapons and nonresident applicants may require substantially more points. Overall hunter pressure on the unit is moderate.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 7,600–13,000 ft, typically around 9,100 ft
- Steepness
- Moderate — mean slope 11.5°
- Slope breakdown
- 51% gentle · 39% moderate · 9% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~305 sq mi, plus ~5 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 72% of GMU 79 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest, BLM and State Wildlife Areas. A further 1% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- National Forest65%
- BLM7%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land1%
- Unclassified ownership1%
- Private26%
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.
“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 79 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 Range60%used in winter
- Summer Range46%used in summer
- Winter Concentration32%where elk bunch up in winter
- Summer Concentration11%where elk bunch up in summer
- Migration Corridors4%movement between ranges, not residence
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 | Antlerless, Bull |
| 2nd Rifle | October 24 – November 1 | Antlerless, Bull |
| 3rd Rifle | November 7 – November 15 | Antlerless, Bull |
| 4th Rifle | November 18 – November 22 | 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 68°F, lows around 37°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 57°F, lows around 27°F, about 1.6 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 44°F, lows around 16°F, about 7.1 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 79 elk hunting FAQ
Can a hunter with zero preference points draw this unit?
Yes. GMU 79 draws at easy difficulty for the most accessible bull or either-sex hunts available to adult Colorado residents, and zero-point applicants often draw in the primary draw. Other seasons, weapons and nonresident applicants may require substantially more points.
Is archery season or rifle season more likely to connect with bulls in the rut?
Archery season (September 2–30) overlaps rut onset and the primary rut, when bulls are most responsive to calling. The rifle seasons begin in October after the primary rut has passed into late rut and post-rut recovery, so early-season rifle hunters (1st Rifle, October 14–18) will encounter bulls in transition, while later rifle seasons occur during migration transition into early winter range.
How much public land can a hunter actually access and hunt here?
Roughly 72% of the unit, or 305 square miles, is generally open to public hunting on National Forest, BLM and State Wildlife Areas. Roads, trailheads, seasonal closures, and private inholdings will further constrain where a foot-hunter can actually reach, so scouting approach routes and checking access details before the season is essential.
What should a hunter expect for snow and cold as the fall progresses?
September remains mild, with highs near 68°F and minimal snowfall. October cools to highs near 57°F with about 1.6 inches of monthly snowfall. November brings significant cooling to highs near 44°F and about 7.1 inches of monthly snowfall, which typically drives elk toward lower Winter Range terrain.
Does elk distribution shift toward different areas as the season advances?
Yes. Winter Range covers 60% of the unit and includes 32% mapped as Winter Concentration, where elk cluster as fall advances and snow accumulates. Hunters in November should expect elk to concentrate in these mapped Winter Range areas, though timing and extent of the shift vary with weather and snow conditions.
Is the terrain manageable for a hunter on foot across this unit?
The terrain is predominantly rolling to moderate, with 51% gentle and 39% moderate terrain by area; only 10% of the unit is steep or rugged. Most of the unit is walkable, though elevation gain from 7,600 to 13,000 feet and scattered steeper breaks will test fitness and endurance across longer days.
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.