Which elk hunt codes are valid in GMU 42?

13 limited codes in the 2026 brochure: E-E-041-O1-A (archery either, Sept. 2–30); E-E-041-P1-A (archery either, Sept. 2–30); E-F-041-O1-M (muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20); E-M-041-O1-M (muzzleloader male, Sept. 12–20); E-F-041-O1-R (rifle female, Oct. 14–18); E-M-041-O1-R (rifle male, Oct. 14–18); E-F-042-O2-R (rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-F-042-O3-R (rifle female, Nov. 7–15); E-F-042-O4-R (rifle female, Nov. 18–22); E-M-041-O4-R (rifle male, Nov. 18–22); E-E-041-P1-R (rifle either, Oct. 14–18); E-E-041-P4-R (rifle either, Nov. 18–22); E-F-042-P5-R (rifle female, Dec. 1–Jan. 31).

What is the easiest elk tag to draw in GMU 42?

E-E-041-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 200 tags.

How many points does it take to draw E-M-041-O1-M?

In the 2026 primary draw the last E-M-041-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 42?

In 2024, 3,093 elk hunters in GMU 42 harvested 659 animals (21% 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 42 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)

2023

2024

Year	Harvest	Hunters	Success	Rec. days
2023	651 (357 bulls / 271 cows / 23 calves)	3,179	20%	17,459
2024	659 (312 bulls / 311 cows / 36 calves)	3,093	21%	16,326
2023 Archery	107	860	12%	6,288
2023 Muzzleloader	14	147	10%	799
2023 Rifle	530	2,172	24%	10,372
2024 Archery	102	863	12%	5,919
2024 Muzzleloader	30	182	17%	959
2024 Rifle	527	2,047	26%	9,448

Season	Antlered harvest / hunters	Success	Antlerless harvest / hunters	Success
2023 Muzzleloader	6 / 79	8%	8 / 68	11%
2023 Rifle	244 / 1,177	21%	206 / 879	23%
2024 Muzzleloader	17 / 96	17%	14 / 86	16%
2024 Rifle	205 / 1,076	19%	260 / 900	29%

* CPW's antlered/antlerless tables do not include either-sex hunt 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-041-O1-ALeftover likely	archery	either	Sept. 2–30	41, 42, 421	A	1,530	730	–	–	–––	13%	63.7
E-E-041-P1-APLOLeftover likely	archery	either	Sept. 2–30	41, 42, 421	A	102	86	–	–	–––	24%	23.2
E-F-041-O1-MLeftover likely	muzzleloader	female	Sept. 12–20	41, 42, 52, 411, 421	B	292	135	–	–	0/0/0/-0/0/0/-	10%	52.0
E-M-041-O1-M	muzzleloader	male	Sept. 12–20	41, 42, 52, 411, 421, 521	A	500	624	0	0	0/0/0/00/0/0/0	23%	23.4
E-F-041-O1-R	rifle	female	Oct. 14–18	41, 42, 52, 411, 421	B	200	250	0	0	0/0/0/00/0/0/0	15%	24.8
E-M-041-O1-R	rifle	male	Oct. 14–18	41, 42, 52, 411, 421, 521	A	950	932	0 (2nd)	0 (2nd)	0/0/0/00/0/0/0	28%	13.1
E-F-042-O2-RLeftover likely	rifle	female	Oct. 24–Nov. 1	42	B	196	113	–	–	-/0/-/--/0/-/-	16%	32.1
E-F-042-O3-RLeftover likely	rifle	female	Nov. 7–15	42	B	211	152	–	–	–––	15%	32.6
E-F-042-O4-RLeftover likely	rifle	female	Nov. 18–22	42	B	63	22	–	–	–––	15%	23.5
E-M-041-O4-RLeftover likely	rifle	male	Nov. 18–22	41, 42, 52, 411, 421, 521	A	231	120	–	–	–––	12%	28.4
E-E-041-P1-RPLO	rifle	either	Oct. 14–18	41, 42, 52, 411, 421, 521	A	200	169	0 (2nd)	0 (2nd)	0/-/0/00/-/0/0	55%	7.0
E-E-041-P4-RPLOLeftover likely	rifle	either	Nov. 18–22	41, 42, 52, 411, 421, 521	A	122	82	–	–	–––	41%	7.4
E-F-042-P5-RPLO	rifle	female	Dec. 1–Jan. 31	42	B	275	168	0 (3rd)	0 (2nd)	-/-/0/0-/-/0/0	32%	33.0

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-041-P1-R rifle either, Oct. 14–18: 200 tags, 169 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 55%, List A (private land only)
E-F-042-P5-R rifle female, Dec. 1–Jan. 31: 275 tags, 168 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (3rd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 32%, List B (private land only)
E-M-041-O1-R rifle male, Oct. 14–18: 950 tags, 932 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 28%, List A
E-M-041-O1-M muzzleloader male, Sept. 12–20: 500 tags, 624 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /0 nonres, success 23%, List A
E-F-041-O1-R rifle female, Oct. 14–18: 200 tags, 250 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /0 nonres, success 15%, List B

Stackable tags (List B — can be held alongside a List A tag)

No List C hunts in this unit.

E-F-041-O1-M muzzleloader female Sept. 12–20 — drew at – res / – nonres, 292 tags
E-F-041-O1-R rifle female Oct. 14–18 — drew at 0 res / 0 nonres, 200 tags
E-F-042-O2-R rifle female Oct. 24–Nov. 1 — drew at – res / – nonres, 196 tags
E-F-042-O3-R rifle female Nov. 7–15 — drew at – res / – nonres, 211 tags
E-F-042-O4-R rifle female Nov. 18–22 — drew at – res / – nonres, 63 tags
E-F-042-P5-R rifle female Dec. 1–Jan. 31 — drew at 0 pts (3rd choice) res / 0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, 275 tags

Leftover likely

These codes had licenses left over after the 2026 primary draw:E-E-041-O1-A, E-E-041-P1-A, E-F-041-O1-M, E-F-042-O2-R, E-F-042-O3-R, E-F-042-O4-R, E-M-041-O4-R, E-E-041-P4-R.

With your points

Likely draws (5)

E-M-041-O1-M needs 0 pts
E-F-041-O1-R needs 0 pts
E-M-041-O1-R 0 pts, 2nd choice
E-E-041-P1-R 0 pts, 2nd choice
E-F-042-P5-R 0 pts, 3rd 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 42?: 13 limited codes in the 2026 brochure: E-E-041-O1-A (archery either, Sept. 2–30); E-E-041-P1-A (archery either, Sept. 2–30); E-F-041-O1-M (muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20); E-M-041-O1-M (muzzleloader male, Sept. 12–20); E-F-041-O1-R (rifle female, Oct. 14–18); E-M-041-O1-R (rifle male, Oct. 14–18); E-F-042-O2-R (rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-F-042-O3-R (rifle female, Nov. 7–15); E-F-042-O4-R (rifle female, Nov. 18–22); E-M-041-O4-R (rifle male, Nov. 18–22); E-E-041-P1-R (rifle either, Oct. 14–18); E-E-041-P4-R (rifle either, Nov. 18–22); E-F-042-P5-R (rifle female, Dec. 1–Jan. 31).
What is the easiest elk tag to draw in GMU 42?: E-E-041-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 200 tags.
How many points does it take to draw E-M-041-O1-M?: In the 2026 primary draw the last E-M-041-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 42?: In 2024, 3,093 elk hunters in GMU 42 harvested 659 animals (21% 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.