GMU 21 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 | 369 (271 bulls / 92 cows / 6 calves) | 1,906 | 19% | 9,457 |
| 2024 | 324 (249 bulls / 64 cows / 10 calves) | 1,992 | 16% | 10,287 |
| 2023 Archery | 96 | 633 | 15% | 4,270 |
| 2023 Muzzleloader | 18 | 82 | 22% | 382 |
| 2023 Rifle | 255 | 1,191 | 21% | 4,805 |
| 2024 Archery | 94 | 633 | 15% | 4,474 |
| 2024 Muzzleloader | 19 | 114 | 16% | 590 |
| 2024 Rifle | 211 | 1,246 | 17% | 5,223 |
| Season | Antlered harvest / hunters | Success | Antlerless harvest / hunters | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Rifle | 187 / 1,012 | 19% | 46 / 152 | 31% |
| 2024 Rifle | 140 / 1,037 | 14% | 27 / 154 | 18% |
* 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-021-P1-APLOLeftover likely | archery | either | Sept. 2–30 | 21, 22, 30, 31, 32 | A | 72 | 40 | – | – | ––– | 30% | 18.8 |
| E-E-021-V1-ALeftover likely | archery | either | Sept. 2–30 | 21, 22, 30, 31, 32 | A | 889 | 507 | – | – | ––– | 20% | 38.0 |
| E-F-021-V1-ALeftover likely | archery | female | Sept. 2–30 | 21, 22, 30, 31, 32 | B | 1 | 1 | – | – | ––– | 0% | – |
| E-E-021-O1-M | muzzleloader | either | Sept. 12–20 | 21, 22, 30, 31, 32 | A | 175 | 300 | 0 | 4 | 0/0/0/02/3/4/4 | 31% | 17.9 |
| E-F-021-O1-MLeftover likely | muzzleloader | female | Sept. 12–20 | 21, 22, 30, 31, 32 | B | 143 | 35 | – | – | ––– | 3% | 183.3 |
| E-E-021-O1-RNEW | rifle | either | Oct. 14–18 | 21, 22, 30, 31, 32 | A | 450 | 999 | 0 | 1 | -/-/-/0-/-/-/1 | – | – |
| E-F-021-O1-R | rifle | female | Oct. 14–18 | 21, 22, 30, 31, 32 | B | 75 | 76 | 0 | 0 | 0/1/0/00/1/0/0 | 32% | 9.2 |
| E-F-021-O2-R | rifle | female | Oct. 24–Nov. 1 | 21, 22, 30, 31, 32 | B | 200 | 428 | 0 | 2 | 0/1/0/00/1/1/2 | 25% | 18.2 |
| E-F-021-O3-R | rifle | female | Nov. 7–15 | 21, 22 | B | 100 | 266 | 0 | 2 | 0/0/0/01/1/2/2 | 20% | 26.1 |
| E-E-021-O4-RNEW | rifle | either | Nov. 18–22 | 21, 22, 30, 31, 32 | A | 410 | 275 | 0 (2nd) | 0 (2nd) | -/-/-/0-/-/-/0 | – | – |
| E-F-021-O4-R | rifle | female | Nov. 18–22 | 21, 22 | B | 100 | 30 | 0 (3rd) | 0 (3rd) | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 29% | 14.1 |
| E-E-021-P1-RPLO | rifle | either | Oct. 14–18 | 21, 22, 30, 31, 32 | A | 125 | 82 | 0 (2nd) | 0 (2nd) | 0/-/0/00/-/0/0 | 61% | 5.8 |
- 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-021-P1-R rifle either, Oct. 14–18: 125 tags, 82 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 61%, List A (private land only)
- E-F-021-O1-R rifle female, Oct. 14–18: 75 tags, 76 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /0 nonres, success 32%, List B
- E-E-021-O1-M muzzleloader either, Sept. 12–20: 175 tags, 300 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /4 nonres, success 31%, List A
- E-F-021-O4-R rifle female, Nov. 18–22: 100 tags, 30 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (3rd choice) res /0 pts (3rd choice) nonres, success 29%, List B
- E-F-021-O2-R rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1: 200 tags, 428 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /2 nonres, success 25%, List B
- E-F-021-O3-R rifle female, Nov. 7–15: 100 tags, 266 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /2 nonres, success 20%, List B
- E-E-021-O1-R rifle either, Oct. 14–18: 450 tags, 999 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /1 nonres, success –, List A
- E-E-021-O4-R rifle either, Nov. 18–22: 410 tags, 275 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success –, List A
Point creep warnings (resident or nonresident points rose 2+ since 2023)
- E-E-021-O1-Mmuzzleloader either:res 0/0/0/0nonres 2/3/4/4
- E-F-021-O2-Rrifle female:res 0/1/0/0nonres 0/1/1/2
Stackable tags (List B — can be held alongside a List A tag)
No List C hunts in this unit.
- E-F-021-V1-A archery female Sept. 2–30 — drew at – res / – nonres, 1 tags
- E-F-021-O1-M muzzleloader female Sept. 12–20 — drew at – res / – nonres, 143 tags
- E-F-021-O1-R rifle female Oct. 14–18 — drew at 0 res / 0 nonres, 75 tags
- E-F-021-O2-R rifle female Oct. 24–Nov. 1 — drew at 0 res / 2 nonres, 200 tags
- E-F-021-O3-R rifle female Nov. 7–15 — drew at 0 res / 2 nonres, 100 tags
- E-F-021-O4-R rifle female Nov. 18–22 — drew at 0 pts (3rd choice) res / 0 pts (3rd choice) nonres, 100 tags
Leftover likely
These codes had licenses left over after the 2026 primary draw:E-E-021-P1-A, E-E-021-V1-A, E-F-021-V1-A, E-F-021-O1-M.
With your points
Likely draws (8)
- E-E-021-O1-M needs 0 pts
- E-E-021-O1-R needs 0 pts
- E-F-021-O1-R needs 0 pts
- E-F-021-O2-R needs 0 pts
- E-F-021-O3-R needs 0 pts
- E-E-021-O4-R 0 pts, 2nd choice
- E-F-021-O4-R 0 pts, 3rd choice
- E-E-021-P1-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 21?
- 12 limited codes in the 2026 brochure: E-E-021-P1-A (archery either, Sept. 2–30); E-E-021-V1-A (archery either, Sept. 2–30); E-F-021-V1-A (archery female, Sept. 2–30); E-E-021-O1-M (muzzleloader either, Sept. 12–20); E-F-021-O1-M (muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20); E-E-021-O1-R (rifle either, Oct. 14–18); E-F-021-O1-R (rifle female, Oct. 14–18); E-F-021-O2-R (rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-F-021-O3-R (rifle female, Nov. 7–15); E-E-021-O4-R (rifle either, Nov. 18–22); E-F-021-O4-R (rifle female, Nov. 18–22); E-E-021-P1-R (rifle either, Oct. 14–18).
- What is the easiest elk tag to draw in GMU 21?
- E-E-021-P1-R (rifle, either, Oct. 14–18) drew out at 0 pts (2nd choice) for residents and 0 pts (2nd choice) for nonresidents in the 2026 draw, with 125 tags.
- How many points does it take to draw E-E-021-O1-M?
- In the 2026 primary draw the last E-E-021-O1-M tag went at 0 resident points and 4 nonresident points. Resident history 2023–2026: 0/0/0/0; nonresident: 2/3/4/4.
- What is elk hunting success in GMU 21?
- In 2024, 1,992 elk hunters in GMU 21 harvested 324 animals (16% 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.