GMU 161 Elk Report — 2026 season
12 limited hunt codes valid in this unit. CPW 2026 brochure, 2026 primary draw recap, 2025 harvest survey. Points: resident / nonresident.
Unit harvest trend (2023–2024)
| Year | Harvest | Hunters | Success | Rec. days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 170 (85 bulls / 85 cows) | 3,294 | 5% | 17,615 |
| 2024 | 318 (114 bulls / 179 cows / 26 calves) | 2,888 | 11% | 15,319 |
| 2023 Archery | 45 | 1,021 | 4% | 7,050 |
| 2023 Muzzleloader | 9 | 130 | 7% | 742 |
| 2023 Rifle | 116 | 2,144 | 5% | 9,822 |
| 2024 Archery | 74 | 730 | 10% | 5,463 |
| 2024 Muzzleloader | 9 | 126 | 7% | 692 |
| 2024 Rifle | 235 | 2,032 | 12% | 9,164 |
| Season | Antlered harvest / hunters | Success | Antlerless harvest / hunters | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Rifle | 25 / 712 | 3% | 56 / 1,140 | 5% |
| 2024 Rifle | 50 / 704 | 7% | 110 / 1,011 | 11% |
* CPW's antlered/antlerless tables do not include either-sex hunt codes. The split is hidden where one side is empty, because that usually means the unit’s tags for it are either-sex codes.
All limited + over-the-counter hunters. CPW published unit-level tables for 2023 and 2024; the 2025 report has hunt-code totals only.
Every hunt code in the unit
| Dates | GMUs | Drew out at (pts) | Points 2023–2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-E-006-V1-ALeftover likely | archery | either | Sept. 2–30 | 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 | A | 706 | 411 | – | – | ––– | 11% | 75.3 |
| E-F-006-V1-ALeftover likely | archery | female | Sept. 2–30 | 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 | B | 3 | 0 | – | – | ––– | 0%* | – |
| E-E-006-O1-M | muzzleloader | either | Sept. 12–20 | 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 | A | 400 | 532 | 0 | 1 | 0/0/0/00/0/0/1 | 18% | 30.3 |
| E-F-006-O1-M | muzzleloader | female | Sept. 12–20 | 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 | B | 150 | 49 | 0 (3rd) | 0 (3rd) | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 6% | 79.1 |
| E-E-006-O1-R | rifle | either | Oct. 14–18 | 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 | A | 750 | 862 | 0 | 0 | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 15% | 24.3 |
| E-F-006-O1-RLeftover likely | rifle | female | Oct. 14–18 | 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 | B | 421 | 80 | – | – | ––– | 9% | 40.1 |
| E-F-006-O2-RLeftover likely | rifle | female | Oct. 24–Nov. 1 | 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 | B | 487 | 260 | – | – | ––– | 8% | 56.2 |
| E-F-161-O3-RLeftover likely | rifle | female | Nov. 7–15 | 161 | B | 152 | 81 | – | – | ––– | 1% | 567.5 |
| E-E-161-O4-R | rifle | either | Nov. 18–22 | 161 | A | 100 | 71 | 0 (2nd) | 0 (2nd) | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 12% | 38.4 |
| E-F-161-O4-RLeftover likely | rifle | female | Nov. 18–22 | 161 | B | 21 | 9 | – | – | ––– | 6% | 62.6 |
| E-E-006-P1-RPLOLeftover likely | rifle | either | Oct. 14–18 | 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 | A | 68 | 53 | – | – | 0/-/0/-0/-/0/- | 54% | 6.4 |
| E-F-006-P5-RPLOLeftover likely | rifle | female | Aug. 15– Jan. 31, 2027 | 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 | B | 154 | 77 | – | – | ––– | 29% | 37.7 |
* Low sample: CPW flags these hunt codes "few hunters responded".
- either +
- either-sex license; + marks codes where an adult Colorado resident needed on average 6+ preference points to draw over the previous three draws (CPW brochure p.20). Up to 20% of these licenses may go to nonresidents (p.4).
- 0 (2nd)
- the code filled with 2nd-choice applicants: every 1st-choice applicant drew, even with 0 points.
Near-sure draws (0–1 point in 2026)
- E-E-006-O1-M muzzleloader either, Sept. 12–20: 400 tags, 532 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /1 nonres, success 18%, List A
- E-E-006-O1-R rifle either, Oct. 14–18: 750 tags, 862 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /0 nonres, success 15%, List A
- E-E-161-O4-R rifle either, Nov. 18–22: 100 tags, 71 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 12%, List A
- E-F-006-O1-M muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20: 150 tags, 49 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (3rd choice) res /0 pts (3rd choice) nonres, success 6%, List B
Stackable tags (List B — can be held alongside a List A tag)
No List C hunts in this unit.
- E-F-006-V1-A archery female Sept. 2–30 — drew at – res / – nonres, 3 tags
- E-F-006-O1-M muzzleloader female Sept. 12–20 — drew at 0 pts (3rd choice) res / 0 pts (3rd choice) nonres, 150 tags
- E-F-006-O1-R rifle female Oct. 14–18 — drew at – res / – nonres, 421 tags
- E-F-006-O2-R rifle female Oct. 24–Nov. 1 — drew at – res / – nonres, 487 tags
- E-F-161-O3-R rifle female Nov. 7–15 — drew at – res / – nonres, 152 tags
- E-F-161-O4-R rifle female Nov. 18–22 — drew at – res / – nonres, 21 tags
- E-F-006-P5-R rifle female Aug. 15– Jan. 31, 2027 — drew at – res / – nonres, 154 tags
Leftover likely
These codes had licenses left over after the 2026 primary draw:E-E-006-V1-A, E-F-006-V1-A, E-F-006-O1-R, E-F-006-O2-R, E-F-161-O3-R, E-F-161-O4-R, E-E-006-P1-R, E-F-006-P5-R.
With your points
Likely draws (4)
- E-E-006-O1-M needs 0 pts
- E-F-006-O1-M 0 pts, 3rd choice
- E-E-006-O1-R needs 0 pts
- E-E-161-O4-R 0 pts, 2nd choice
Coin flips (0)
Not this year (0)
Numbers are the last draw's drawn-out-at points for the chosen residency: the points held by the last applicant who drew. Codes with no drawn-out-at value for that residency are left out. Point creep can move a code up a bucket.
Drawn-out-at = preference points held by the last successful applicant at that residency. "0 (2nd)" = the code filled with 2nd-choice applicants, so any 1st-choice applicant drew with 0 points. Success % and days/harvest are from CPW's 2025harvest survey, by hunt code.
FAQ
- Which elk hunt codes are valid in GMU 161?
- 12 limited codes in the 2026 brochure: E-E-006-V1-A (archery either, Sept. 2–30); E-F-006-V1-A (archery female, Sept. 2–30); E-E-006-O1-M (muzzleloader either, Sept. 12–20); E-F-006-O1-M (muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20); E-E-006-O1-R (rifle either, Oct. 14–18); E-F-006-O1-R (rifle female, Oct. 14–18); E-F-006-O2-R (rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-F-161-O3-R (rifle female, Nov. 7–15); E-E-161-O4-R (rifle either, Nov. 18–22); E-F-161-O4-R (rifle female, Nov. 18–22); E-E-006-P1-R (rifle either, Oct. 14–18); E-F-006-P5-R (rifle female, Aug. 15– Jan. 31, 2027).
- What is the easiest elk tag to draw in GMU 161?
- E-E-006-O1-M (muzzleloader, either, Sept. 12–20) drew out at 0 for residents and 1 for nonresidents in the 2026 draw, with 400 tags.
- How many points does it take to draw E-E-006-O1-M?
- In the 2026 primary draw the last E-E-006-O1-M tag went at 0 resident points and 1 nonresident points. Resident history 2023–2026: 0/0/0/0; nonresident: 0/0/0/1.
- What is elk hunting success in GMU 161?
- In 2024, 2,888 elk hunters in GMU 161 harvested 318 animals (11% success, all seasons and weapons, CPW harvest survey).
- What does "0 pts (2nd choice)" mean?
- The hunt code filled with second-choice applicants. Every first-choice applicant drew, even with zero preference points, and the remaining licenses went to people who listed it as their second choice.