GMU 231 Elk Report — 2026 season
15 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 | 231 (127 bulls / 103 cows / 2 calves) | 1,767 | 13% | 9,536 |
| 2024 | 211 (112 bulls / 95 cows / 4 calves) | 1,497 | 14% | 8,118 |
| 2023 Archery | 40 | 815 | 5% | 5,413 |
| 2023 Muzzleloader | 12 | 84 | 14% | 503 |
| 2023 Rifle | 179 | 867 | 21% | 3,620 |
| 2024 Archery | 87 | 738 | 12% | 4,670 |
| 2024 Muzzleloader | 6 | 58 | 10% | 331 |
| 2024 Rifle | 118 | 701 | 17% | 3,117 |
| Season | Antlered harvest / hunters | Success | Antlerless harvest / hunters | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Rifle | 82 / 583 | 14% | 70 / 234 | 30% |
| 2024 Rifle | 47 / 431 | 11% | 57 / 230 | 25% |
* 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-011-P1-APLOLeftover likely | archery | either | Sept. 2–30 | 11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 26, | A | 583 | 401 | – | – | ––– | 32% | 17.5 |
| E-E-025-V1-ALeftover likely | archery | either | Sept. 2–30 | 25, 26, 34, 231 | A | 809 | 390 | – | – | ––– | 8% | 105.2 |
| E-E-025-O1-M | muzzleloader | either | Sept. 12–20 | 25, 26, 34, 231 | A | 150 | 207 | 0 | 1 | 0/0/0/01/1/1/1 | 19% | 28.6 |
| E-F-025-O1-MLeftover likely | muzzleloader | female | Sept. 12–20 | 25, 26, 34, 231 | A | 80 | 9 | – | – | 0/-/-/-0/-/-/- | 7% | 72.4 |
| E-F-011-O1-RLeftover likely | rifle | female | Oct. 14–18 | 11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 33, 131, | A | 1,213 | 756 | – | – | 0/1/0/-0/1/0/- | 10% | 34.5 |
| E-M-011-O1-R | rifle | male | Oct. 14–18 | 11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 26, | A | 3,000 | 2,275 | 0 (2nd) | 0 (2nd) | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 24% | 15.6 |
| E-F-231-O2-RLeftover likely | rifle | female | Oct. 24–Nov. 1 | 231 | A | 66 | 37 | – | – | ––– | 17% | 27.4 |
| E-F-231-O3-RLeftover likely | rifle | female | Nov. 7–15 | 231 | A | 53 | 25 | – | – | 0/-/-/-0/-/-/- | 15% | 34.3 |
| E-F-231-O4-RLeftover likely | rifle | female | Nov. 18–22 | 231 | A | 12 | 6 | – | – | ––– | 16% | 27.7 |
| E-M-231-O4-RLeftover likely | rifle | male | Nov. 18–22 | 231 | A | 14 | 7 | – | – | ––– | 41% | 9.4 |
| E-E-011-P1-RPLOLeftover likely | rifle | either | Oct. 14–18 | 11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 26, | A | 492 | 377 | – | – | ––– | 58% | 6.0 |
| E-E-231-P2-RPLOLeftover likely | rifle | either | Oct. 24–Nov. 1 | 231 | A | 8 | 6 | – | – | ––– | 100%* | 4.0 |
| E-E-231-P3-RPLOLeftover likely | rifle | either | Nov. 7–15 | 231 | A | 2 | 1 | – | – | ––– | 38%* | 9.3 |
| E-E-231-P4-RPLOLeftover likely | rifle | either | Nov. 18–22 | 231 | A | 1 | 0 | – | – | ––– | 0%* | – |
| E-F-025-P5-RPLOLeftover likely | rifle | female | Aug. 15– Jan. 15, 2027 | 25, 26, 231 | B | 248 | 158 | – | – | ––– | 9% | 105.0 |
* 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-M-011-O1-R rifle male, Oct. 14–18: 3,000 tags, 2,275 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 24%, List A
- E-E-025-O1-M muzzleloader either, Sept. 12–20: 150 tags, 207 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /1 nonres, success 19%, List A
Stackable tags (List B — can be held alongside a List A tag)
No List C hunts in this unit.
- E-F-025-P5-R rifle female Aug. 15– Jan. 15, 2027 — drew at – res / – nonres, 248 tags
Leftover likely
These codes had licenses left over after the 2026 primary draw:E-E-011-P1-A, E-E-025-V1-A, E-F-025-O1-M, E-F-011-O1-R, E-F-231-O2-R, E-F-231-O3-R, E-F-231-O4-R, E-M-231-O4-R, E-E-011-P1-R, E-E-231-P2-R, E-E-231-P3-R, E-E-231-P4-R, E-F-025-P5-R.
With your points
Likely draws (2)
- E-E-025-O1-M needs 0 pts
- E-M-011-O1-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 231?
- 15 limited codes in the 2026 brochure: E-E-011-P1-A (archery either, Sept. 2–30); E-E-025-V1-A (archery either, Sept. 2–30); E-E-025-O1-M (muzzleloader either, Sept. 12–20); E-F-025-O1-M (muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20); E-F-011-O1-R (rifle female, Oct. 14–18); E-M-011-O1-R (rifle male, Oct. 14–18); E-F-231-O2-R (rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-F-231-O3-R (rifle female, Nov. 7–15); E-F-231-O4-R (rifle female, Nov. 18–22); E-M-231-O4-R (rifle male, Nov. 18–22); E-E-011-P1-R (rifle either, Oct. 14–18); E-E-231-P2-R (rifle either, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-E-231-P3-R (rifle either, Nov. 7–15); E-E-231-P4-R (rifle either, Nov. 18–22); E-F-025-P5-R (rifle female, Aug. 15– Jan. 15, 2027).
- What is the easiest elk tag to draw in GMU 231?
- E-M-011-O1-R (rifle, male, Oct. 14–18) drew out at 0 pts (2nd choice) for residents and 0 pts (2nd choice) for nonresidents in the 2026 draw, with 3,000 tags.
- How many points does it take to draw E-E-025-O1-M?
- In the 2026 primary draw the last E-E-025-O1-M tag went at 0 resident points and 1 nonresident points. Resident history 2023–2026: 0/0/0/0; nonresident: 1/1/1/1.
- What is elk hunting success in GMU 231?
- In 2024, 1,497 elk hunters in GMU 231 harvested 211 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.