GMU 18 Elk Report — 2026 season
14 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 | 572 (366 bulls / 184 cows / 23 calves) | 5,500 | 10% | 26,660 |
| 2024 | 662 (370 bulls / 269 cows / 23 calves) | 4,997 | 13% | 24,655 |
| 2023 Archery | 58 | 1,356 | 4% | 8,432 |
| 2023 Muzzleloader | 44 | 387 | 11% | 2,102 |
| 2023 Rifle | 471 | 3,756 | 13% | 16,127 |
| 2024 Archery | 73 | 1,070 | 7% | 6,503 |
| 2024 Muzzleloader | 51 | 382 | 13% | 2,165 |
| 2024 Rifle | 538 | 3,544 | 15% | 15,987 |
| Season | Antlered harvest / hunters | Success | Antlerless harvest / hunters | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Rifle | 190 / 1,155 | 16% | 124 / 1,522 | 8% |
| 2024 Rifle | 182 / 1,242 | 15% | 171 / 1,199 | 14% |
* 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-018-V1-ALeftover likely | archery | either | Sept. 2–30 | 18, 181 | A | 264 | 139 | – | – | ––– | 2% | 344.7 |
| E-F-018-V1-ALeftover likely | archery | female | Sept. 2–30 | 18, 181 | B | 3 | 2 | – | – | ––– | – | – |
| E-E-018-O1-M | muzzleloader | either | Sept. 12–20 | 18, 181 | A | 250 | 273 | 0 | 0 | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 11% | 52.2 |
| E-F-018-O1-M | muzzleloader | female | Sept. 12–20 | 18, 181 | B | 55 | 17 | 0 (2nd) | 0 (2nd) | -/0/0/0-/0/0/0 | 4% | 122.0 |
| E-F-018-L1-R | rifle | female | Nov. 28–Dec. 6 Late | 18 | B | 10 | 48 | 2 | – | 0/1/1/20/-/2/- | 0% | – |
| E-E-018-O1-R | rifle | either | Oct. 14–18 | 18, 181 | A | 405 | 582 | 0 | 0 | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 17% | 22.3 |
| E-F-018-O1-R | rifle | female | Oct. 14–18 | 18, 181 | B | 80 | 76 | 0 (2nd) | 0 | -/0/0/0-/0/0/0 | 9% | 38.8 |
| E-F-018-O2-R | rifle | female | Oct. 24–Nov. 1 | 18 | B | 250 | 196 | 0 (2nd) | 0 (2nd) | -/0/0/0-/0/0/0 | 4% | 135.1 |
| E-F-018-O3-R | rifle | female | Nov. 7–15 | 18 | B | 200 | 181 | 0 (2nd) | 0 (2nd) | -/-/0/0-/-/0/0 | 9% | 59.8 |
| E-E-018-O4-R | rifle | either | Nov. 18–22 | 18, 181 | A | 205 | 128 | 0 (2nd) | 0 (2nd) | -/-/-/0-/-/-/0 | 11% | 34.3 |
| E-F-018-O4-R | rifle | female | Nov. 18–22 | 18 | B | 50 | 13 | 0 (2nd) | 0 (2nd) | -/-/-/0-/-/-/0 | 17% | 19.8 |
| E-E-018-P1-RPLOLeftover likely | rifle | either | Oct. 14–18 | 18, 181 | A | 23 | 9 | – | – | ––– | 54% | 5.5 |
| E-E-018-P4-RPLOLeftover likely | rifle | either | Nov. 18–22 | 18, 181 | A | 1 | 0 | – | – | ––– | 12% | 34.0 |
| E-F-018-P5-RPLO | rifle | female | Sept. 1– Jan. 31, 2027 | 18 | B | 10 | 66 | 1 | – | -/-/1/1-/-/1/- | 20%* | 142.5 |
* 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-F-018-P5-R rifle female, Sept. 1– Jan. 31, 2027: 10 tags, 66 first-choice apps, drew at 1 res /– nonres, success 20% (low sample), List B (private land only)
- E-F-018-O4-R rifle female, Nov. 18–22: 50 tags, 13 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 17%, List B
- E-E-018-O1-R rifle either, Oct. 14–18: 405 tags, 582 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /0 nonres, success 17%, List A
- E-E-018-O1-M muzzleloader either, Sept. 12–20: 250 tags, 273 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /0 nonres, success 11%, List A
- E-E-018-O4-R rifle either, Nov. 18–22: 205 tags, 128 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 11%, List A
- E-F-018-O3-R rifle female, Nov. 7–15: 200 tags, 181 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 9%, List B
- E-F-018-O1-R rifle female, Oct. 14–18: 80 tags, 76 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 nonres, success 9%, List B
- E-F-018-O1-M muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20: 55 tags, 17 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 4%, List B
- E-F-018-O2-R rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1: 250 tags, 196 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 4%, List B
Point creep warnings (resident or nonresident points rose 2+ since 2023)
- E-F-018-L1-Rrifle female:res 0/1/1/2nonres 0/-/2/-
Stackable tags (List B — can be held alongside a List A tag)
No List C hunts in this unit.
- E-F-018-V1-A archery female Sept. 2–30 — drew at – res / – nonres, 3 tags
- E-F-018-O1-M muzzleloader female Sept. 12–20 — drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res / 0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, 55 tags
- E-F-018-L1-R rifle female Nov. 28–Dec. 6 Late — drew at 2 res / – nonres, 10 tags
- E-F-018-O1-R rifle female Oct. 14–18 — drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res / 0 nonres, 80 tags
- E-F-018-O2-R rifle female Oct. 24–Nov. 1 — drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res / 0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, 250 tags
- E-F-018-O3-R rifle female Nov. 7–15 — drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res / 0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, 200 tags
- E-F-018-O4-R rifle female Nov. 18–22 — drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res / 0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, 50 tags
- E-F-018-P5-R rifle female Sept. 1– Jan. 31, 2027 — drew at 1 res / – nonres, 10 tags
Leftover likely
These codes had licenses left over after the 2026 primary draw:E-E-018-V1-A, E-F-018-V1-A, E-E-018-P1-R, E-E-018-P4-R.
With your points
Likely draws (8)
- E-E-018-O1-M needs 0 pts
- E-F-018-O1-M 0 pts, 2nd choice
- E-E-018-O1-R needs 0 pts
- E-F-018-O1-R 0 pts, 2nd choice
- E-F-018-O2-R 0 pts, 2nd choice
- E-F-018-O3-R 0 pts, 2nd choice
- E-E-018-O4-R 0 pts, 2nd choice
- E-F-018-O4-R 0 pts, 2nd choice
Coin flips (1)
- E-F-018-P5-R needs 1 pt
Not this year (1)
- E-F-018-L1-R needs 2 pts
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 18?
- 14 limited codes in the 2026 brochure: E-E-018-V1-A (archery either, Sept. 2–30); E-F-018-V1-A (archery female, Sept. 2–30); E-E-018-O1-M (muzzleloader either, Sept. 12–20); E-F-018-O1-M (muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20); E-F-018-L1-R (rifle female, Nov. 28–Dec. 6 Late); E-E-018-O1-R (rifle either, Oct. 14–18); E-F-018-O1-R (rifle female, Oct. 14–18); E-F-018-O2-R (rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-F-018-O3-R (rifle female, Nov. 7–15); E-E-018-O4-R (rifle either, Nov. 18–22); E-F-018-O4-R (rifle female, Nov. 18–22); E-E-018-P1-R (rifle either, Oct. 14–18); E-E-018-P4-R (rifle either, Nov. 18–22); E-F-018-P5-R (rifle female, Sept. 1– Jan. 31, 2027).
- What is the easiest elk tag to draw in GMU 18?
- E-F-018-P5-R (rifle, female, Sept. 1– Jan. 31, 2027) drew out at 1 for residents and – for nonresidents in the 2026 draw, with 10 tags.
- How many points does it take to draw E-E-018-O1-M?
- In the 2026 primary draw the last E-E-018-O1-M tag went at 0 resident points and 0 nonresident points. Resident history 2023–2026: 0/0/0/0; nonresident: 0/0/0/0.
- What is elk hunting success in GMU 18?
- In 2024, 4,997 elk hunters in GMU 18 harvested 662 animals (13% 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.