Colorado GMU 861 Elk Hunting
Huerfano County, southeast Colorado · 207 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 861 is like
GMU 861 spans 207 square miles of rolling to moderately steep country in Huerfano County, ranging from 7,300 feet to 14,300 feet elevation. The terrain is dominated by gentle and moderate slopes—46 percent gentle and 39 percent moderate—with steeper terrain comprising 14 percent of the unit and rugged ground only 1 percent. The unit sits in the southeastern region of Colorado and offers diverse seasonal hunting opportunities across multiple weapon types.
Public hunting ground comprises about 36 percent of the unit, roughly 74 square miles, split among National Forest, BLM, and State Wildlife Areas. State Trust Land makes up an additional 2.5 percent of the unit, though access to these parcels depends on CPW enrollment in the Public Access Program. Private land covers approximately 62 percent of the unit. The fragmented ownership pattern means that planning access before the season is essential; public parcels are interspersed with private holdings throughout the area.
Elk occupy both summer and winter range across much of the unit. Summer Range covers 68 percent of the unit, while Winter Range covers 71 percent, indicating substantial year-round presence. Summer Concentration areas comprise 35 percent of the unit, and Winter Concentration comprises the same share, meaning elk cluster predictably in both seasons. As fall progresses, hunters should expect elk to shift gradually toward winter range, though timing and extent of this movement vary with weather and snow conditions.
The unit offers six seasons open to public applicants: Archery from September 2 to September 30 (either-sex/antlerless), Muzzleloader from September 12 to September 20 (either-sex/antlerless), and four rifle seasons—1st Rifle October 14 to October 18 (either-sex), 2nd Rifle October 24 to November 1 (antlerless), 3rd Rifle November 7 to November 15 (antlerless), and 4th Rifle November 18 to November 22 (either-sex/antlerless). September hunting starts cool, with midday highs around 67°F, while October cools to the mid-50s and November to the mid-40s, with October averaging 3.2 inches of snowfall and November averaging 5.7 inches. The early archery and muzzleloader seasons coincide with the primary rut phase, while the rifle seasons span the late rut through the post-rut recovery and into the migration period. Draw difficulty for the easiest qualifying adult-resident unit-wide bull or either-sex hunt is easy, often at zero preference points, though other weapons, seasons, and nonresident applicants may require substantially more points.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 7,300–14,300 ft, typically around 8,900 ft
- Steepness
- Steep — mean slope 13.6°
- Slope breakdown
- 46% gentle · 39% moderate · 14% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~74 sq mi, plus ~5 sq mi of State Trust Land where access depends on enrollment
Land & access
About 36% of GMU 861 is public land a hunter can count on — National Forest, BLM and State Wildlife Areas. A further 2% is State Trust Land, which is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it.
- National Forest23%
- BLM12%
- State Wildlife Area<1%
- State Trust Land2%
- National Park Service<1%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private62%
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 861 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 Range71%used in winter
- Summer Range68%used in summer
- Winter Concentration35%where elk bunch up in winter
- Summer Concentration35%where elk bunch up in summer
Elk seasons & weapons (2026)
| Season | Dates | Tags offered |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | September 2 – September 30 | Either-sex, Antlerless |
| Muzzleloader | September 12 – September 20 | Either-sex, Antlerless |
| 1st Rifle | October 14 – October 18 | Either-sex |
| 2nd Rifle | October 24 – November 1 | Antlerless |
| 3rd Rifle | November 7 – November 15 | Antlerless |
| 4th Rifle | November 18 – November 22 | Either-sex, Antlerless |
| Private-land only | September 1 – January 31 | 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.
Fall weather
- September — highs around 67°F, lows around 40°F (mid-elevation normals)
- October — highs around 56°F, lows around 31°F, about 3.2 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
- November — highs around 45°F, lows around 21°F, about 5.7 in of snow (mid-elevation normals)
GMU 861 elk hunting FAQ
Is there enough public ground here to hunt without relying on private-land access?
Public land (National Forest, BLM, and State Wildlife Areas) makes up about 36 percent of the unit. State Trust Land comprises another 2.5 percent but is huntable only where CPW has enrolled it in the Public Access Program. The remaining 62 percent is private, so a public-land-only hunter will need to identify and navigate to open parcels carefully, as they are interspersed throughout the unit rather than consolidated.
When does the rut peak during the seasons offered here?
The primary rut phase runs September 11 to September 30, falling entirely within the Archery season and encompassing the latter half of the Muzzleloader season (September 12–20). The 1st Rifle season (October 14–18) begins in the late rut and early post-rut phases, so early-season rifle hunters will encounter elk past peak rut activity.
How much does snow typically fall during the hunting season?
October averages 3.2 inches of snowfall at mid elevation, and November averages 5.7 inches. Early-season archery and muzzleloader hunters (September) should expect little to no snow, while rifle seasons starting in mid-October onward will increasingly encounter snow accumulation on the ground.
Does elk distribution shift as the season progresses?
Winter Range covers 71 percent of the unit and Summer Range covers 68 percent, indicating substantial overlap and year-round presence. However, hunters should expect gradual shifts toward winter range as fall advances, particularly from November onward as the Migration Transition phase begins. The timing and extent of this shift depend on weather and snow conditions and will vary year to year.
How concentrated are elk in this unit, and should a hunter expect to find them spread out or in clusters?
Both Summer Concentration and Winter Concentration each cover 35 percent of the unit, meaning elk cluster on about one-third of the ground in each season rather than dispersing evenly. Hunters should focus effort on these concentration areas, particularly early and late in the season when clustering is most predictable.
What draw score should a resident expect to need for the easiest public hunt?
The easiest qualifying adult-resident unit-wide bull or either-sex hunt typically draws at zero preference points, making this an easy-draw unit. However, this rating applies only to the most accessible hunt code; other seasons, weapons, and nonresident applicants may require substantially more points.
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.