Which elk hunt codes are valid in GMU 181?

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-181-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-181-O2-R (rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-F-181-O3-R (rifle female, Nov. 7–15); E-E-018-O4-R (rifle either, Nov. 18–22); E-F-181-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-181-P5-R (rifle female, Sept. 1–Jan. 31).

What is the easiest elk tag to draw in GMU 181?

E-E-018-O1-R (rifle, either, Oct. 14–18) drew out at 0 for residents and 0 for nonresidents in the 2026 draw, with 405 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 181?

In 2024, 1,462 elk hunters in GMU 181 harvested 205 animals (14% 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.

GMU 181 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)

2023

2024

Year	Harvest	Hunters	Success	Rec. days
2023	108 (38 bulls / 59 cows / 10 calves)	1,750	6%	7,930
2024	205 (68 bulls / 124 cows / 13 calves)	1,462	14%	6,061
2023 Archery	14	363	4%	2,072
2023 Muzzleloader	14	142	10%	724
2023 Rifle	80	1,245	6%	5,134
2024 Archery	10	302	3%	1,580
2024 Muzzleloader	0	80	0%	358
2024 Rifle	194	1,080	18%	4,123

Season	Antlered harvest / hunters	Success	Antlerless harvest / hunters	Success
2023 Rifle	6 / 309	2%	44 / 544	8%
2024 Rifle	36 / 268	14%	85 / 401	21%

* 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
			Dates	GMUs						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-181-L1-R	rifle	female	Nov. 28–Dec. 6 Late	181	B	10	46	2	2	0/1/2/20/-/-/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-181-O2-RLeftover likely	rifle	female	Oct. 24–Nov. 1	181	B	69	29	–	–	–––	0%	–
E-F-181-O3-RLeftover likely	rifle	female	Nov. 7–15	181	B	86	50	–	–	–––	11%	49.6
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-181-O4-RLeftover likely	rifle	female	Nov. 18–22	181	B	19	5	–	–	–––	2%	162.7
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-181-P5-RPLO	rifle	female	Sept. 1–Jan. 31	181	B	10	10	0	2	-/-/0/0-/-/0/2	0%*	–

* 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-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-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-181-P5-R rifle female, Sept. 1–Jan. 31: 10 tags, 10 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /2 nonres, success 0% (low sample), List B (private land only)

Point creep warnings (resident or nonresident points rose 2+ since 2023)

E-F-181-L1-Rrifle female:res 0/1/2/2nonres 0/-/-/2
E-F-181-P5-Rrifle female:res -/-/0/0nonres -/-/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-181-L1-R rifle female Nov. 28–Dec. 6 Late — drew at 2 res / 2 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-181-O2-R rifle female Oct. 24–Nov. 1 — drew at – res / – nonres, 69 tags
E-F-181-O3-R rifle female Nov. 7–15 — drew at – res / – nonres, 86 tags
E-F-181-O4-R rifle female Nov. 18–22 — drew at – res / – nonres, 19 tags
E-F-181-P5-R rifle female Sept. 1–Jan. 31 — drew at 0 res / 2 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-F-181-O2-R, E-F-181-O3-R, E-F-181-O4-R, E-E-018-P1-R, E-E-018-P4-R.

With your points

Likely draws (6)

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-E-018-O4-R 0 pts, 2nd choice
E-F-181-P5-R needs 0 pts

Coin flips (0)

Not this year (1)

E-F-181-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 181?: 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-181-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-181-O2-R (rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-F-181-O3-R (rifle female, Nov. 7–15); E-E-018-O4-R (rifle either, Nov. 18–22); E-F-181-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-181-P5-R (rifle female, Sept. 1–Jan. 31).
What is the easiest elk tag to draw in GMU 181?: E-E-018-O1-R (rifle, either, Oct. 14–18) drew out at 0 for residents and 0 for nonresidents in the 2026 draw, with 405 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 181?: In 2024, 1,462 elk hunters in GMU 181 harvested 205 animals (14% 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.