GMU 40 Elk Report — 2026 season
13 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 | 305 (165 bulls / 132 cows / 8 calves) | 507 | 60% | 2,630 |
| 2024 | 308 (152 bulls / 156 cows) | 518 | 60% | 2,645 |
| 2023 Archery | 48 | 65 | 74% | 712 |
| 2023 Muzzleloader | 25 | 42 | 60% | 193 |
| 2023 Rifle | 232 | 400 | 58% | 1,726 |
| 2024 Archery | 44 | 63 | 70% | 589 |
| 2024 Muzzleloader | 16 | 41 | 39% | 244 |
| 2024 Rifle | 248 | 414 | 60% | 1,812 |
* 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-040-O1-A | archery | either + | Sept. 2–30 | ■40 | A | 65 | 391 | 10 | 24 | 9/10/10/1019/24/23/24 | 60% | 18.6 |
| E-E-040-O1-M | muzzleloader | either + | Sept. 12–20 | ■40 | A | 35 | 166 | 11 | 28 | 9/10/11/1125/26/26/28 | 59% | 8.3 |
| E-F-040-O1-M | muzzleloader | female | Sept. 12–20 | ■40 | B | 10 | 15 | 1 | – | 1/1/1/1-/-/10/- | 20%* | 23.0 |
| E-F-040-L1-RNEW | rifle | female | Dec. 1–15 Late | ■40 | A | 50 | 66 | 0 | 0 | -/-/-/0-/-/-/0 | – | – |
| E-E-040-O1-R | rifle | either + | Oct. 14–18 | ■40 | A | 30 | 467 | 14 | 29 | 13/14/14/1428/29/31/29 | 83% | 3.5 |
| E-F-040-O1-R | rifle | female | Oct. 14–18 | ■40 | B | 35 | 68 | 1 | 1 | 0/0/0/11/2/1/1 | 50% | 6.5 |
| E-E-040-O2-R | rifle | either + | Oct. 24–Nov. 1 | ■40 | A | 25 | 286 | 12 | 27 | 11/11/12/1224/27/20/27 | 67% | 7.3 |
| E-F-040-O2-R | rifle | female | Oct. 24–Nov. 1 | ■40 | B | 35 | 80 | 1 | 1 | 0/0/0/11/0/1/1 | 53% | 9.4 |
| E-E-040-O3-R | rifle | either + | Nov. 7–15 | ■40 | A | 25 | 246 | 12 | 26 | 9/9/10/1223/24/27/26 | 72% | 6.7 |
| E-F-040-O3-R | rifle | female | Nov. 7–15 | ■40 | B | 35 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 31% | 13.9 |
| E-E-040-O4-R | rifle | either + | Nov. 18–22 | ■40 | A | 20 | 138 | 10 | 25 | 9/10/9/1019/22/24/25 | 53% | 7.0 |
| E-F-040-O4-R | rifle | female | Nov. 18–22 | ■40 | B | 80 | 38 | 0 (2nd) | 0 (2nd) | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 46% | 6.4 |
| E-F-040-P5-RPLO | rifle | female | Sept. 1– Nov. 30 | 40 | B | 200 | 82 | 0 (2nd) | 0 (2nd) | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 57% | 12.8 |
* 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-040-P5-R rifle female, Sept. 1– Nov. 30: 200 tags, 82 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 57%, List B (private land only)
- E-F-040-O2-R rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1: 35 tags, 80 first-choice apps, drew at 1 res /1 nonres, success 53%, List B
- E-F-040-O1-R rifle female, Oct. 14–18: 35 tags, 68 first-choice apps, drew at 1 res /1 nonres, success 50%, List B
- E-F-040-O4-R rifle female, Nov. 18–22: 80 tags, 38 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 46%, List B
- E-F-040-O3-R rifle female, Nov. 7–15: 35 tags, 33 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /0 nonres, success 31%, List B
- E-F-040-O1-M muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20: 10 tags, 15 first-choice apps, drew at 1 res /– nonres, success 20% (low sample), List B
- E-F-040-L1-R rifle female, Dec. 1–15 Late: 50 tags, 66 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /0 nonres, success –, List A
Point creep warnings (resident or nonresident points rose 2+ since 2023)
- E-E-040-O1-Aarchery either:res 9/10/10/10nonres 19/24/23/24
- E-E-040-O1-Mmuzzleloader either:res 9/10/11/11nonres 25/26/26/28
- E-E-040-O2-Rrifle either:res 11/11/12/12nonres 24/27/20/27
- E-E-040-O3-Rrifle either:res 9/9/10/12nonres 23/24/27/26
- E-E-040-O4-Rrifle either:res 9/10/9/10nonres 19/22/24/25
Stackable tags (List B — can be held alongside a List A tag)
No List C hunts in this unit.
- E-F-040-O1-M muzzleloader female Sept. 12–20 — drew at 1 res / – nonres, 10 tags
- E-F-040-O1-R rifle female Oct. 14–18 — drew at 1 res / 1 nonres, 35 tags
- E-F-040-O2-R rifle female Oct. 24–Nov. 1 — drew at 1 res / 1 nonres, 35 tags
- E-F-040-O3-R rifle female Nov. 7–15 — drew at 0 res / 0 nonres, 35 tags
- E-F-040-O4-R rifle female Nov. 18–22 — drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res / 0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, 80 tags
- E-F-040-P5-R rifle female Sept. 1– Nov. 30 — drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res / 0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, 200 tags
With your points
Likely draws (4)
- E-F-040-L1-R needs 0 pts
- E-F-040-O3-R needs 0 pts
- E-F-040-O4-R 0 pts, 2nd choice
- E-F-040-P5-R 0 pts, 2nd choice
Coin flips (3)
- E-F-040-O1-M needs 1 pt
- E-F-040-O1-R needs 1 pt
- E-F-040-O2-R needs 1 pt
Not this year (6)
- E-E-040-O1-A needs 10 pts
- E-E-040-O1-M needs 11 pts
- E-E-040-O1-R needs 14 pts
- E-E-040-O2-R needs 12 pts
- E-E-040-O3-R needs 12 pts
- E-E-040-O4-R needs 10 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 40?
- 13 limited codes in the 2026 brochure: E-E-040-O1-A (archery either, Sept. 2–30); E-E-040-O1-M (muzzleloader either, Sept. 12–20); E-F-040-O1-M (muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20); E-F-040-L1-R (rifle female, Dec. 1–15 Late); E-E-040-O1-R (rifle either, Oct. 14–18); E-F-040-O1-R (rifle female, Oct. 14–18); E-E-040-O2-R (rifle either, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-F-040-O2-R (rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-E-040-O3-R (rifle either, Nov. 7–15); E-F-040-O3-R (rifle female, Nov. 7–15); E-E-040-O4-R (rifle either, Nov. 18–22); E-F-040-O4-R (rifle female, Nov. 18–22); E-F-040-P5-R (rifle female, Sept. 1– Nov. 30).
- What is the easiest elk tag to draw in GMU 40?
- E-F-040-P5-R (rifle, female, Sept. 1– Nov. 30) drew out at 0 pts (2nd choice) for residents and 0 pts (2nd choice) for nonresidents in the 2026 draw, with 200 tags.
- How many points does it take to draw E-E-040-O1-R?
- In the 2026 primary draw the last E-E-040-O1-R tag went at 14 resident points and 29 nonresident points. Resident history 2023–2026: 13/14/14/14; nonresident: 28/29/31/29.
- What is elk hunting success in GMU 40?
- In 2024, 518 elk hunters in GMU 40 harvested 308 animals (60% success, all seasons and weapons, CPW harvest survey).
- What does "either +" mean in a Colorado hunt table?
- "Either" is an either-sex license. A plus (+) in the sex column marks hunt codes for which an adult Colorado resident needed an average of at least six preference points to draw over the previous three limited draws (CPW brochure p.20). For those codes up to 20 percent of the licenses may go to nonresidents (p.4).
- 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.